Just got home from the appt with the pulmonologist. They did lung function tests and she showed me my pictures even though I started crying and said I didn't want to see (way to go, Jill). My lung function was 65%! But she said that's not that bad.
She thinks I do have lung cancer, and she told me the kind, but I forget. But this is a very slow growing, very treatable, very good prognosis situation. I asked her that repeatedly and she kept saying very good prognosis. It's this certain kind that is apt to happen to women my age who haven't smoked. The CT scan shows it only in this one place (upper lobe) but there is consolidation or whatever of the lung around it. This is small compared to my lung, not maybe even 15% of that lung in terms of the consolidation, however, it is probably effectimg how much air I can take in. This maybe explains a lot of my "tiredness" the past couple of years really. So yay -- maybe I'm not just lazy.
There will be a bronchospy (sp?) biopsy Tuesday morning, then I will see her Friday afternoon for results, though she's indicated already what she thinks it is. If it's what she thinks, obviously, it must come out. If they can take it out "with a camera" (too dumb to grasp this concept), I'll be in hospital for 3 days. If regular surgery, about 5 days.
Usually no chemo (sp?) is even needed for this. It is like so slow growing, and unlike a lot of lung cancers, not likely to spread to other parts of the body.
Bright side is that maybe they can get it out, and I can have fuller lung function! Some test showed my body is getting oxogen all around good or pretty good. It's a blur.
This morning, I never would have thought she could tell me she thinks I have lung cancer, and I'd feel the weight of the world off my shoulder but that is how I feel. She thinks I'll be around for a long time. One of her first patients ever had this same things she thinks I have and she is totally fine 10 years later.
