› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Lung surgery
- This topic has 27 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 2 months ago by
trigirl67.
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- December 22, 2013 at 10:23 am
Not good on the technical terms, but I had a similar operation a year ago July when a tumor was spotted in my lower lobe of my right lung. I was fortunate that my tumor was just small enough that the surgeon was able to avoid "cracking my chest open" to get to it. The lobe was removed, not just the tumor. It's hard to remember some of the details, but I believe I was in the hospital for three days and was up and walking soon after the operation while in the hospital. When I got home, I kept the walking up and was able to dispense with the hydrocodone in less than a week in favor of acetaminophen alone. I'm a competitive masters swimmer and was in a meet again in late October. My experience in swimming so far is that by losing 20% of my lung capacity in the operation, I have lost only 10% off my times, but I haven't been able to train as well since I also went through radiosurgery for brain mets in December 2012. We all get nervous before these scary procedures, but for me at least there was nothing that ocurred during the lung surgery and immediately aftewards that would keep me from making the same choice of having it.
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- December 22, 2013 at 10:23 am
Not good on the technical terms, but I had a similar operation a year ago July when a tumor was spotted in my lower lobe of my right lung. I was fortunate that my tumor was just small enough that the surgeon was able to avoid "cracking my chest open" to get to it. The lobe was removed, not just the tumor. It's hard to remember some of the details, but I believe I was in the hospital for three days and was up and walking soon after the operation while in the hospital. When I got home, I kept the walking up and was able to dispense with the hydrocodone in less than a week in favor of acetaminophen alone. I'm a competitive masters swimmer and was in a meet again in late October. My experience in swimming so far is that by losing 20% of my lung capacity in the operation, I have lost only 10% off my times, but I haven't been able to train as well since I also went through radiosurgery for brain mets in December 2012. We all get nervous before these scary procedures, but for me at least there was nothing that ocurred during the lung surgery and immediately aftewards that would keep me from making the same choice of having it.
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- December 22, 2013 at 10:23 am
Not good on the technical terms, but I had a similar operation a year ago July when a tumor was spotted in my lower lobe of my right lung. I was fortunate that my tumor was just small enough that the surgeon was able to avoid "cracking my chest open" to get to it. The lobe was removed, not just the tumor. It's hard to remember some of the details, but I believe I was in the hospital for three days and was up and walking soon after the operation while in the hospital. When I got home, I kept the walking up and was able to dispense with the hydrocodone in less than a week in favor of acetaminophen alone. I'm a competitive masters swimmer and was in a meet again in late October. My experience in swimming so far is that by losing 20% of my lung capacity in the operation, I have lost only 10% off my times, but I haven't been able to train as well since I also went through radiosurgery for brain mets in December 2012. We all get nervous before these scary procedures, but for me at least there was nothing that ocurred during the lung surgery and immediately aftewards that would keep me from making the same choice of having it.
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- December 22, 2013 at 3:38 pm
Similar to the experiences noted, I had the right upper lobe of my lung removed due to a melanoma tumor in the bronchus in 2010 just days after stereotactic radiation for a brain met. The surgeon was able to make an incision between my ribs under my right arm and attack the problem that way. However, with your tumor being lower they may take a different approach. I did have a chest tube afterwards so that fluid would not collect at the surgical site. Additionally, a "walking" epidural was wonderful!! It allowed me to be up and breathe better without being "knocked out" with painkillers given IV or orally. My story is on my blog.
But most important for you….talk to your surgeon and anesthesiologist. They should be able to tell you their plan, play by play, and their plan B should they run into any problems. Additionally, I hope you are being seen by a melanoma specialist so that you can make sure that there is no other melanoma problems lurking!
On the good side, though it was a little slow at first…I was soon back running and exercising…and still am today! I wish you the best. Celeste
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- December 22, 2013 at 3:38 pm
Similar to the experiences noted, I had the right upper lobe of my lung removed due to a melanoma tumor in the bronchus in 2010 just days after stereotactic radiation for a brain met. The surgeon was able to make an incision between my ribs under my right arm and attack the problem that way. However, with your tumor being lower they may take a different approach. I did have a chest tube afterwards so that fluid would not collect at the surgical site. Additionally, a "walking" epidural was wonderful!! It allowed me to be up and breathe better without being "knocked out" with painkillers given IV or orally. My story is on my blog.
But most important for you….talk to your surgeon and anesthesiologist. They should be able to tell you their plan, play by play, and their plan B should they run into any problems. Additionally, I hope you are being seen by a melanoma specialist so that you can make sure that there is no other melanoma problems lurking!
On the good side, though it was a little slow at first…I was soon back running and exercising…and still am today! I wish you the best. Celeste
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- December 23, 2013 at 4:32 am
Thank you for you reply…since I had just hit my 5 yr mark, only a chest xray was ordered origionally but then once they saw something on that, a CT was ordered. I am worried because no mention of a PET scan this time as they are concentrating on this lung and working fast on it…do you think they will do a PET afterwards because I am also worried about a brain Met.
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- December 23, 2013 at 4:32 am
Thank you for you reply…since I had just hit my 5 yr mark, only a chest xray was ordered origionally but then once they saw something on that, a CT was ordered. I am worried because no mention of a PET scan this time as they are concentrating on this lung and working fast on it…do you think they will do a PET afterwards because I am also worried about a brain Met.
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- December 24, 2013 at 3:01 am
Yep. Me too. Five years out from original lesion. Lung met. Then, brain met found on MRI. A PET is not the best scan with which to check the brain…it always lights up due to continual glucose absorption…so…even though a brain met can light up differently…the only way to definitively check for a brain met is with with an MRI. Perhaps they are waiting to check that post biopsy on the tumor they remove from your lung? Have they made a definitive diagnosis of melanoma already with a bronchoscopy? On mine they had. Be sure you are being treated by a MELANOMA specialist…not just an oncologist.
Wishing you the best. c
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- December 24, 2013 at 3:01 am
Yep. Me too. Five years out from original lesion. Lung met. Then, brain met found on MRI. A PET is not the best scan with which to check the brain…it always lights up due to continual glucose absorption…so…even though a brain met can light up differently…the only way to definitively check for a brain met is with with an MRI. Perhaps they are waiting to check that post biopsy on the tumor they remove from your lung? Have they made a definitive diagnosis of melanoma already with a bronchoscopy? On mine they had. Be sure you are being treated by a MELANOMA specialist…not just an oncologist.
Wishing you the best. c
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- December 24, 2013 at 3:01 am
Yep. Me too. Five years out from original lesion. Lung met. Then, brain met found on MRI. A PET is not the best scan with which to check the brain…it always lights up due to continual glucose absorption…so…even though a brain met can light up differently…the only way to definitively check for a brain met is with with an MRI. Perhaps they are waiting to check that post biopsy on the tumor they remove from your lung? Have they made a definitive diagnosis of melanoma already with a bronchoscopy? On mine they had. Be sure you are being treated by a MELANOMA specialist…not just an oncologist.
Wishing you the best. c
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- December 28, 2013 at 1:41 pm
My husband has had 2 lung surgeries in the past 10 months. One was to remove a single node, which was melanoma, and a 2nd surgery which removed 3 nodes & a few lymph nodes which turned out NON malignant. Similar surgeries & he was in the hospital overnite. Back to work within a week. Pls let us know how you are doing. You are in my thoughts.
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- December 28, 2013 at 1:41 pm
My husband has had 2 lung surgeries in the past 10 months. One was to remove a single node, which was melanoma, and a 2nd surgery which removed 3 nodes & a few lymph nodes which turned out NON malignant. Similar surgeries & he was in the hospital overnite. Back to work within a week. Pls let us know how you are doing. You are in my thoughts.
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- December 28, 2013 at 1:41 pm
My husband has had 2 lung surgeries in the past 10 months. One was to remove a single node, which was melanoma, and a 2nd surgery which removed 3 nodes & a few lymph nodes which turned out NON malignant. Similar surgeries & he was in the hospital overnite. Back to work within a week. Pls let us know how you are doing. You are in my thoughts.
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- December 23, 2013 at 4:32 am
Thank you for you reply…since I had just hit my 5 yr mark, only a chest xray was ordered origionally but then once they saw something on that, a CT was ordered. I am worried because no mention of a PET scan this time as they are concentrating on this lung and working fast on it…do you think they will do a PET afterwards because I am also worried about a brain Met.
-
- December 22, 2013 at 3:38 pm
Similar to the experiences noted, I had the right upper lobe of my lung removed due to a melanoma tumor in the bronchus in 2010 just days after stereotactic radiation for a brain met. The surgeon was able to make an incision between my ribs under my right arm and attack the problem that way. However, with your tumor being lower they may take a different approach. I did have a chest tube afterwards so that fluid would not collect at the surgical site. Additionally, a "walking" epidural was wonderful!! It allowed me to be up and breathe better without being "knocked out" with painkillers given IV or orally. My story is on my blog.
But most important for you….talk to your surgeon and anesthesiologist. They should be able to tell you their plan, play by play, and their plan B should they run into any problems. Additionally, I hope you are being seen by a melanoma specialist so that you can make sure that there is no other melanoma problems lurking!
On the good side, though it was a little slow at first…I was soon back running and exercising…and still am today! I wish you the best. Celeste
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