On the 3.10.08 my GP told me I had lung cancer and I would need to see a Specialst from here on in. she would not let me leave the surgery until she informed my sister and she came to collect me.
I was very calm and matter of fact about the whole diagnois thing as I had been a smoker for 40 years and had lost both my parents to Lung Cancer. My sister was far more upset than I was.
The specialst was again a very lovely lady who was matter of fact and explained things in a language I and my sister could understand, I had to go to Sydney for a PET scan as my lungs were either badly scarred from previous infections or full of cancer. THERE IS NO PET SCANS IN REGIONAL AREAS.
Again after visiting Sydney I waited another week to find out results, Luckly for me it showed only the one small tumor, so it was operatable. The operation would have to be done in Sydney and I would be in hospital for anything from 3 to 7 days depending on the surgery. I saw the surgeon at 3.30pm and he agreed to operate but would not be able to say how long it would take as it depended upon what he found inside of me.
He deceided to operate on me the first thing next morning. I won't go into details of my hospital visit only to say they are the most wonderful and dedicated people I have met for a long time. I was lucky as the surgery was keyhole and minumun damage was done, and the whole tumor was removed. Now we had to wait for Pathology to do their thing and tell us what type of cancer we were dealing with and what would my treatment be .
Again another wait, finally day came and when I saw the Proff's face I started to breathe again, the tumor was just turning to cancer, what they call a precancer cancer. In other words since the tumor was gone so was the threat of cancer. I am one of the very lucky ones for the cancer to have been found and treated so quickly. So I am cured and Yes I have given up smoking.
But from the 3.10.08 till 6.11.08 I was to my mind a cancer sufferer and went through the mixed emotions all cancer sufferers do. I was lucky that I consulted my GP when I had concernes and lucky that she took my seriously, lucky in my Specialst and Surgeon and LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AND WELL.
