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Back to Back Cases of Cancer in Family

Dmac77

Dmac77

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jan 2, 2008
2,165
3
Michigan
So last week my grandpa went in to see his oncologist, and after having a lobe of his lung removed over a month ago, he was declared cancer free, and he will not need chemotherapy. That's great news of course, but then today my grandma (who is like a second mother to me) went in for a PET scan because of some spots that showed up on a chest x-ray. According to her, when she asked the tech what he thought of the scans, "he kind of shook his head, frowned, and said you'll hear from your doctor soon."

Now I know that isn't a definitive diagnosis of cancer, but it has everyone in my family freaked out. According to my grandma's doctor, the spots (there are 3 of them) on the chest x-ray that are abnormal are all about the size of an eraser on a pencil. The issue is that my grandma would not be considered operable, due to fairly severe emphysema (last time she had surgery they did not think they would be able to take her off of the ventilator successfully), and probably would not handle chemo well (she's very frail as it is, and barely over 100lbs).

I really don't even know why I'm posting here, other than the fact that I'm scarred as hell of losing my grandma; she's always been the person that I could go to for anything, and she's been just as involved, if not more involved, in my life than my mom has. I just really don't know how I would be able to go on without her. I guess I just need somewhere to vent, besides my family right now.

-Don
 
Certain new non-invasive surgical techniques are in use, for specific cancers.

The Gamma Knife is used primarily for brain cancers, while the Cyber Knife is used for others.

I suggest you do some Googling on these two terms, and discuss them with your Grandmother's oncologist.

The best I can do.
 
I don't think they'd use Cyberknife to treat the chest. ;)

Is the mass seen in the lung, or somewhere in the upper chest (esophagus)? Anyway, it doesn't matter now. PET images can be imprecise, especially if you're talking about something the size of a small eraser you'd find on a pencil. The resolution of PET images can be 2 mm!

Don't freak out. She'll likely be advised by her doctor to get a CT scan, so try not to worry until there's a reason to.
 
Dmac77 said:
...when she asked the tech what he thought of the scans, "he kind of shook his head, frowned, and said you'll hear from your doctor soon."
Click to expand...

Don't read anything into this in and of itself - techs are expressly forbidden from discussing things like this with patients, simply because they aren't doctors.

I once had a tech do an echo on my heart after an episode that landed me in the hospital - try as I might, she wouldn't tell me a single thing about what she saw. Her reluctance to say anything scared me, but once the cardiologist saw the scans and interpreted the results, it turns out everything was perfectly fine.

I do hope you and your family get some good news. Please let us know what happens.
 
You vent all you want Don. We're here to listen and offer any encouragement we can. My cousin is currently battling colon cancer and his doctor is not optimistic that he'll beat it, so there are people who understand what you are going through. Hang in there, take it one day at a time, and be as supportive as you can for you family. Also, don't be afraid to let others support you, don't try to go it alone.
 
I just wanted to update everyone real quickly. My grandma's doctor called us on Friday, and informed us that the PET scan came back clean, so she is cancer free. A massive relief for her and me.

-Don
 
Dmac77 said:
I just wanted to update everyone real quickly. My grandma's doctor called us on Friday, and informed us that the PET scan came back clean, so she is cancer free. A massive relief for her and me.

-Don
Click to expand...

That is excellent news, my family is currently going through a cancer battle. My grandfather has a tumor in his pancreas which is 100 percent confirmed as cancer. In operable.

He has a appointment this coming wednesday with the oncologist to see if anything can be done to delay the growth. Words can't describe the feelings we are experiencing at the moment. :(
 
toolbox said:
That is excellent news, my family is currently going through a cancer battle. My grandfather has a tumor in his pancreas which is 100 percent confirmed as cancer. In operable.

He has a appointment this coming wednesday with the oncologist to see if anything can be done to delay the growth. Words can't describe the feelings we are experiencing at the moment. :(
Click to expand...
I am very sorry to hear about your grandfather. He is in the thoughts of my family and I. I hope he gets good news from his oncologist. Please keep us updated as to his condition.

-Don
 
Dmac77 said:
I am very sorry to hear about your grandfather. He is in the thoughts of my family and I. I hope he gets good news from his oncologist. Please keep us updated as to his condition.

-Don
Click to expand...

Thank you and i will def keep you guys up to date.

Added bonus today my dad came around my house at 3:30pm and informed me that he had to take my grandmother to the hospital at 5am this morning with chest pain!!! After asking WTF she is ok. But why i was told at 3:30pm and not 5 am is beyond me
 
Dmac77 said:
I just wanted to update everyone real quickly. My grandma's doctor called us on Friday, and informed us that the PET scan came back clean, so she is cancer free. A massive relief for her and me.

-Don
Click to expand...

That's great news!

Now stay strong for the rest of your family.
 
Tomorrow said:
That's great news!

Now stay strong for the rest of your family.
Click to expand...

Don't get too psyched, alot of cancers are environmental and the rates are dropping as factors improve so it isn't necessarily something that runs in the family completely.
 
Because I actually care about my grandparents. They have done something genuine for me, they have cared for me, they have loved me, etc. Some random idiot woman in a minivan is just another person, why should I care about her? Because she is a human? I think not. I have no personal connection to that woman, I cannot feasibly or easily use her to advance myself, so why should I care what happens to her today, tomorrow, or 20 years from now? Logically, I shouldn't; emotionally and morally I should because she is another person, I think that is nonsensical.

-Don
Click to expand...

If you care about your grandparents, never, ever offer to chaffeur them. Glad your grandmother was given a clean bill of health.
 
Dmac77 said:
I am very sorry to hear about your grandfather. He is in the thoughts of my family and I. I hope he gets good news from his oncologist. Please keep us updated as to his condition.

-Don
Click to expand...


Why should anyone believe this is a sincere post given what you wrote about people in your now infamous driving thread?
 
rdowns said:
Why should anyone believe this is a sincere post given what you wrote about people in your now infamous driving thread?
Click to expand...

Just thought I would share what rdowns is talking about.

Dmac77 said:
I volunteered only to further my college applications. I really couldn't give a crap about the people my work supposedly helped. All I care about is that it helped me.

I don't view myself as cold hearted, I view myself as being a realist. This "let's be nice to everyone" crap has turned 95% of society into blithering retarded bleeding hearts. I only care about people who I can use to further myself, or those who have genuinely done something caring for me (family); otherwise you are completely expendable to me (take note anyone who works under me in a decade). I do not feel that society's rules apply to me, because I simply know that I am better than many of the people in society; the rules (including speed limits) are there for lesser folk. Look at our pop culture, it shows how stupid most are. What you call morally and ethically bankrupt, I call opportunistic and motivated.
Click to expand...
 
Dmac77 said:
I am very sorry to hear about your grandfather. He is in the thoughts of my family and I. I hope he gets good news from his oncologist. Please keep us updated as to his condition.

-Don
Click to expand...

I have a hard time believing you actually care..


rdowns said:
Why should anyone believe this is a sincere post given what you wrote about people in your now infamous driving thread?
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly
 
rdowns said:
Why should anyone believe this is a sincere post given what you wrote about people in your now infamous driving thread?
Click to expand...

I must admit this was the very first thought that crossed my mind after reading both threads.
 
Wow, quite the turn this thread has taken. How about we cut the OP some slack? I agree that what he posted in the other thread was selfish and arrogant, but life has a funny way of giving us experiences that put us in a position to make positive changes. Hopefully, the grace and kindness he/she has been shown by those who expressed genuine concern about his own family circumstances will make him/her ponder the attitude expressed in the other thread.

Accountability is important, but simply taking shots at him/her doesn't help the situation.

Dmac77, I may be naive, but I like to focus on the positive side of things. I'm glad to hear your grandmother has gotten good news and hope that the other medical issues your family is dealing with will continue to improve. As far as your attitude towards helping others, I hope that improves as well. We only have a limited amount of time on this planet and I promise you that it's better spent serving and supporting others as opposed to being selfish. :)
 
mscriv said:
Wow, quite the turn this thread has taken. How about we cut the OP some slack? I agree that what he posted in the other thread was selfish and arrogant, but life has a funny way of giving us experiences that put us in a position to make positive changes. Hopefully, the grace and kindness he/she has been shown by those who expressed genuine concern about his own family circumstances will make him/her ponder the attitude expressed in the other thread.

Accountability is important, but simply taking shots at him/her doesn't help the situation.

Dmac77, I may be naive, but I like to focus on the positive side of things. I'm glad to hear your grandmother has gotten good news and hope that the other medical issues your family is dealing with will continue to improve. As far as your attitude towards helping others, I hope that improves as well. We only have a limited amount of time on this planet and I promise you that it's better spent serving and supporting others as opposed to being selfish. :)
Click to expand...

How did I know, when I clicked on this thread, that your post would be looking at the positive side of life :)

I agree with the fundamental values of your post, however it is very hard for some people to act nicely to people who openly don't return the favour. I do hope that his grandmother truly is ok, but I'm not going to express that in this thread openly because she won't benefit from it and I don't much think he deserves any consolation for it.
 
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