Have recently had thoracotomy [top right lobe removed due to lung cancer]
I feel isolated, generally ****** off and nobody to talk to [nobody who is same as me or has been there]. Understandably I often get scared and emotional and feel angry and let down by life in general. Are there any other forummers same as me as we may be able to support each other? :help:

It's a shame you are feeling that way, i'm sure there are plenty of other people in the same situation nimrod, hope they come on here and give you some support. Is there no-one the hopsital can put you in touch with to talk to? Like a support group etc?

The hospital can refer people to meeting centers and support groups but these all involve travel into town and set meeting times. I thought perhaps this forum may have members perhaps in the same position as myself and we could offer each other support, mainly emotional. When the medics first inform you of their diagnosis it is like the bottom drops out of your world and you cant even discuss your feelings with your family and friends.
I had the surgery 2 months ago, a very painfull exprience and the pain is to last for some time to come yet. You think that there are only people who have been there who can understand what you are going through.

Have had 1st CT Scan since op and so far [touch wood] am all clear. Yippee, it sure gives you a reallity check and makes you realise what is really important.

That is great news .It must be a great feeling to know that things are going well.

Good Luck

That is great news .It must be a great feeling to know that things are going well.

Good Luck

Thanks for your kind message. Things have been pretty traumatic for the last few months. At last the black cloud is lifting and anxiety is becoming less of a problem.

The Macmillan websites have been a great help, so if any other forummer has any cancer related problems then they are the people to contact. :clap::clap:

It's lovely to hear that things are brighter for you Nimrod :thumbsup: Hope things get better and better.

I'm sorry to have missed your thread when it was first posted Nimrod- and it's great to hear that you've got some potentially positive news.

If you haven't already done so, I'd recommend calling Cavendish Cancer Care. Support, counselling and relaxation therapies are available free at the point of delivery to cancer patients and their families. I'd recommend them so much that when I returned to work after my first tumour I sent them my first month's salary- that's how good they are at propping people up!

I wasn't given much info after the op, just daily visits from district nurses to check wound healing, infections etc. I was terrified, lung cancer IS a terrifying diagnosis. My care whilst in NG Hospital was first class, I was in for 2 weeks and the post op pain was considerable, but the Chesterman Team were very kind. I wish I had known about Cavendish Support at the time, some days were very black and I slipped down to a pretty low ebb.

But, things are now improving, life is much happier and a future IS opening up.

Thanks for info and kind regards.

Good to hear a positive story at last!

Glad to hear your now improving. Im at the other end of the cancer damage. My parents decided in May that they were selling up and moving to live in Skegness. On the last day in Sheffield mum told me about a lump in her breast, she got it checked out to find it was breast cancer. She had to wait nearly a month to have the mastectomy as her blood pressure and diabetes was sky high. She finally had the op and was told she would have chemo and radiotherapy, unfortunately the cancer has now spread to her hormones and she has a new lump growing on her back so they wont do the chemo or radiotherapy. Shes been told to enjoy what time she has left. I find this hard to cope with and Im not able to talk about it as I just get upset all over again. Im now on a waiting list to see the hospital to find out if I could be carrying the gene, as my grandma and her sisters all died in their 60's from breast cancer. I hope one day very soon someone can find a cure. take care

try this there are good people here that can support you http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Resourcessupport/Organisations/Searchall/1703

Whitewitch, do as Medusa advised me, talk to Cavendish, Macmillan, dont suffer in silence. You are not alone, other people do care and can help you emotionally.


The medics gave me 60/40 chance of surviving more than 5 years after the surgery. Not bad odds for lung cancer. Pm me if you need support.

Been there, done that, got the T shirt.

Good luck.

Glad to hear your now improving. Im at the other end of the cancer damage. My parents decided in May that they were selling up and moving to live in Skegness. On the last day in Sheffield mum told me about a lump in her breast, she got it checked out to find it was breast cancer. She had to wait nearly a month to have the mastectomy as her blood pressure and diabetes was sky high. She finally had the op and was told she would have chemo and radiotherapy, unfortunately the cancer has now spread to her hormones and she has a new lump growing on her back so they wont do the chemo or radiotherapy. Shes been told to enjoy what time she has left. I find this hard to cope with and Im not able to talk about it as I just get upset all over again. Im now on a waiting list to see the hospital to find out if I could be carrying the gene, as my grandma and her sisters all died in their 60's from breast cancer. I hope one day very soon someone can find a cure. take care

I feel so sorry for you, not just because of your mum, but because you might be carrying the gene. My mum died from cancer of the stomach and, right up until the time she went into hospital for an operation, the doctors kept saying it was nervous indigestion. It was a horrible shock and very difficult to cope with, because none of the family really wanted to talk about it, because we all got so upset and then upset each other.

I think it would really help you to talk to somebody as suggested above, you can only bottle up things for so long, and it's often easier to talk to a stranger, who isn't emotionally involved, than to friends or family.

Personally losing family members to cancer it is good to talk to someone impartial. Having a support post like this where people could post updates etc is a good thing. I wish you well nimrod whitewitch and dozy and anyone else who may have cancer in their lives in whatever capacity.
all the best R

Even though cancer affects thousands of people, we all feel lonely at first.
Forget any stigma, dont be ashamed of fear, it terrifies us all at first. This thread has really helped me cope. Thanks to you all, and good luck.:)