Dear Pam,

I am so, so sorry to read this devastating news. I hope that surgery may be an option for you. I recently came across some articles that suggested surgery for SSC that has spread to lungs can be successful.

You will be in my thoughts.

Warm regards,

Cathy

Dear Pam,

So sorry to hear your news. I remembered that you had posted pix of your family and went back to take another look.

Mom of Two Boys Pix

Hug them extra tightly. We're all rooting for you and hope you make it through this hurdle as you did the last.

Take care,

Mimi

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mimi McC,

Hi Pam,

Hang in there. They have found the problem in the lungs so let's hope early treatment will sort it out.

There was a guy on this site sometime ago who was in a similar situation, I will try and search to see what I can find.

There is always hope - wishing you all the very best

Ken

Pam

What devastating news. Just to let you know I am thinking of you and hoping they will be able to sort this out for you.

Gwyn

Hi Pam,

Very sorry to hear your news Pam, I know its not uch comfort but everyone is thinking of you and your faily. Have the doctors given you any advice on what their plan of action is?

Oliver.xxx

Pa I know you may feel like this is a death sentence at the moment, and I have been there with mom, but I have been doing some research and its not all bad news, look at this

"Squamous cell carcinoma lung cancer or epidermoid carcinoma is a slow-spreading, slow-growing disease that develops in the central parts of the lungs. These tumors of epidermoid carcinoma can be confined to the lungs for years before they begin spreading outside of the chest cavity-making it much easier to treat squamous cell lung cancer than some other types of cancers"

"for patients who are diagnosed and treated early, the 5 year survival rate can be as high as 50 percent"

It seems they have caught yours in its very early stages I would imagine, witin the last 6 months, so keep hopeful and never give up.

Best love Oliver

Dear Pam,

I am glad Oli found that quote. I too have found evidence from patient studies that found 5 year survival rates for patients that were able to have lung mets resected were comparable with rates for locally controlled head and neck cancer.

I do recommend that you make contact with people on the oral cancer foundation that is based in the US. Posters there will have a far better idea of the range of options for you and advice about which cancer centres are the best for treating cancer that has spread to the lung. Brian Hill the moderator is extremely well informed.

http://oralcancersupport.org/f...threads.php?ubb=cfrm

There is a poster there called Bill C who recently found out that his tongue cancer had also gone to his lungs and he has been doing research about climical trials. Perhaps it would be good to speak to him?

My thoughts are with you.

Best wishes,

Cathy

Hi Pam, only me again, I was at th hospital today for moms radio (she is in the last week now and has the final dose of chemo tomorrow) and we saw the specialist. I asked him about the disease spreading to th lung, and he said it is not uncoon, and that it can be successfully treated with operations and radio/chemo. just to let you know.

Oli

Thank you for checking into that Oli. I see the doc wednesday afternoon. Had to cancel my dentist appointment and move it two weeks out. I got denied fmla thru my work sincei have exceeded my 12 week maximum in the last 12 months. Well duh I have was out from December 3rd 08 to april 09. So I quess the sooner the doc takes me off work the better. Can't miss anywork for appointments because no fmla.

Pam C.

Hi Pam, yes my mom is having a similar worry, she will go onto half pay in feb, and then SSP in August, and she really does want to return to work. she has her last Radio on Friday, so you guys have any ides when she might be fit to go back?

I take it fmla is some sort of Sickness pay Pam? Dont you hav any other Disability benefits in th US? as you should not be worrying about money at this time.

Oliver

Hi Oliver

FMLA is the Family Medical Leave Act. It allows ”eligible” employees to take off up to 12 work weeks in any 12 month period for the birth or adoption of a child, to care for a family member, or if the employee themselves has serious health condition. (I copied this from a site about the program). The person requesting the leave has to jump through a whole bunch of hoops to prove their eligibility.

You're so right--money is the last thing that Pam should have to worry about at this time. When you're sick here in the US, though, "what seems to be the problem?" seems to come second after "how are you going to pay for this?" I'm hoping for the best from Mr Obama's insurance/health care reform ideas, but I'm also a realist.

I don't know about Kentucky (where Pam lives), but I applied for assistance from the State of Michigan. I was turned down flat because I have no dependents, I wouldn't be incapacitated for a year or more, and--here's the kicker--I had earned too much money the previous year (I spent a good bit of that previous year "between jobs").

All the best for you and your mom, Oliver.

Julia

Hey guys,

Fmla is more to protect me from loosing my job and to keep me from getting wrote up if I must miss work for dr appts since I am out of Vacation and sick time for the year. I found out today my rolling 26 week short term disability should start over as this is a seperate situation from the first and have been back to work more than tirty days since the last disability. So I am hoping that is how it goes and I get full pay for atleast 13 weeks as I did the last time. I only had a month of 60% pay the last time. Keeping my fingers crossed. Kentucky doesn't have any disability pay it would have to be the federal diability and that can take years to get. My mom had it but she was pretty ill and I think her divorce attorney helped but that was back in the 90's and I was still in high school then.

I know I shouldn't be worrying about money but I have 2 kids and my husband can't pay it all. And we have two cars and a house we just moved to in April that is so nice I don't want to have to move again. Especially because this is where we have wanted to live for a while. ( neighborhood) That was the plan when we moved was to be where we wanted for a fresh start with me being cancer free! I wanted to put being sick in the last place we lived because we hated it so bad. So I wanted healthy nice start but no such luck I quess. I don't know I hate having to start all this again near the holidays. Last year I was diagnosed 2 weeks before my son Lucas's first birthday now I was rediagnosed almost exactly 2 weeks before his second. So I have thanksgiving next thursday Lucas birthday friday(party is Saturday) and my oldest Dylan's birthday is exactly 2 weeks later on the 11th. ( party saturday following also. just stuff at home.)

Christmas was wierd last year because shopping with my big lumpy fresh neck dissection. Which I cared then but looks nice now. So luckily we have started a little shopping but just the kids.

So thanks for all of your alls help and advise.

Pam

Hi Julia,

I know the Amerian system is far from perfect, but you really do not want to go to a system like we have in the UK. We have some of the worst survival rates for cancer in Europe, and it is no wonder, because the NHS is so undrfunded peoplee are left waiting months for scans and appointments. My mom had to wait two months to see a consultant and two months for a scan.

And many of the advanced treatments you have in the US we cant have here, because the government considers them too expensive!!! For example it was only after a national outcry that the government allowed woman with breast cancer to have herceptin, and my mom was refused the drug you have to protect the saliva glands during radio, because, you guessed it, its too expensive!

The hospitals in many cases are dirty and out of date, and most of our hospital staff come from obsucure countries around the globe!

Having said that my mom is being treated at a specialist cancer unit which is excellent, but it was just getting her to this point has taken 6 months, and when your talking cancer I think she should have been treated in days or weeks, not months.

So dont let obama fool you that a Universal health Service is some wonderful thing, because if there is no exchange of money, you have very little left to bargain with as a consumer.

Oh I feel better now for moaning!

Pam yes its not an easy battle, but get onto the federal disability people, if you make enough fuss they usually have to stop ignoring you, thats how I have had to be with mom.

Lots of luck and love from the uk.xx

Oliver

I have no wish to hijack Pam's thread, but Oli I don't think it fair to diss the NHS. I too am frustrated that my partner didn't get diagnosed more quickly, but the consultant that took ages to diagnose him would have also been the consultant we would have seen had we gone private so I don't know whether it would have made a difference. But I think some of the crictisms levelled at the NHS as an organisation are actually due to attitudes and capacities of individuals/ not necessarily 'the system'.

I think the NHS is a wonderful institution and that as far as health care goes in this country at least there is some social justice. We all have the option to buy insurance and go private just as they do in the US. Only difference here is that insurance is much cheaper here.

I think we should feel blessed to have many of the staff from other countries working in the system. I lived in the Philippines for years and am always cheered up by the friendly Filipino nurses in our local hospital. They are extremely well educated and have lovely caring bedside manners.

Anyway enough,

I hope Pam's consultation went well. She has been in my thoughts so much today.

Cathy

I totally agree with Cathy on all points. They saved my life more than once and now they pay my wages so I cant knock them. Maybe we could start another thread on the NHS and other countries health care.
Pam, sorry to go off topic on your thread. I hope the consultation went ok. Hagg.