Radiation

Brief Summary of Treatment in Two Parts

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A bit of background for those interested in a summary of treatment lines, in two parts. With a huge load of hope!

First since 2018:

I’ve been on Lorlatinib (a targeted therapy / cancer-fighting pill) since 2018. In 2020 we noticed progression so did radiation on those pesky spots, but did not get hoped for results. Our next plan (still in 2020) was to keep the Lorlatinib and add Pemetrexed / Alimta (IV chemo, 3-week cycles). This ultimately continued 24 cycles, till March 31 2022.

In February 2022 I was admitted to hospital with gradually worsening shortness of breath of unknown causes which had become very serious. I started on constant oxygen and have continued gradually increasing the flow. Many tests were done, but nothing jumped out as a likely cause. Steroids, puffers, a transfusion and a couple of other drugs were added to my list, but no major improvement.

In Spring 2022 I continued to decline and was doing very poorly. The experts wondered if it was due to the Pemetrexed, and decided to stop the IV chemo. I continued on the Lorlatinib, and every scan since has shown the cancer remains stable or shrinks a little. I’m still on oxygen, still not much better, but a little later today we’re going to talk about whether we should consider pausing Lorlatinib to see if that helps with breathing.

Always holding onto hope!

Now since 2013 Diagnosis:

December 2013 – April 2014 IV chemo, still coughing (4 months), pneumonia several times

July 2014 – May 2015 Crizotinib (11 mos)

May 2015 Ceritinib start. Scans clear fall 2015 (20 mos)

Jan. 2017 Alectinib feel better than had since Dx (20 mos)

September 2018 started Lorlatinib feel fantastic!

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October 2020 radiation, 5 days – then back on Lorlatinib

Pneumonia

November 2020, started Alimta (Pemetrexed) 3week cycle. Pneumonia after first cycle.

March 24/21, still going strong. Feeling better on Pemetrexed and getting stronger. Praying for new treatment options. 

April 6/21, very tired this cycle, but on evening of 12th starting to feel energy returning. Praying for new treatment options.

Feb 2022 hospital for shortness of breath

April 2022 still short of breath and uncertain why Still praying for new treatment options. 

NVL-655 May be an option

#hope

My Roller Coaster Adventure Ride

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Well, that bump was bigger than expected! Sadly the radiation in October did not do the cancer-crushing work we were hoping it would. My recovery wasn’t going as well as anticipated, and tests showed I had pneumonia as well as cancer growth. My oncologist and I discussed chemotherapy, which is the only treatment option available to me currently.

My oncologist and I both reached out to some Canadian lung cancer researchers to investigate whether there might be a clinical trial suitable for me available in Canada, either now or in the near future. I was disappointed but not surprised to learn that there is nothing on the horizon.

There are some possibilities in the US, so I applied for the “ALK Second Opinion Program”, which is funded by some generous people affected by the same kind of lung cancer that is affecting me (ALK). I learned within a couple of hours that my application was accepted, so the program will pay for me to have an online appointment with one of the top ALK researchers in the world. I have met most of the doctors on their list, and it is a tough decision because they are not only brilliant but also very kind. I plan to go with the Boston team because, although Dr. Alice Shaw is not spending much time seeing patients there now, they may have a clinical trial appropriate for me in future, and Boston is much easier to travel to than Nashville or Colorado. My oncologist has very kindly offered to participate in the online appointment with me, and one of my dear ALK sisters has offered to walk with me through this process. I’m very grateful for the support.

I had my first chemo of 2020 on Monday November 30. It hit pretty hard, and I had to go to emergency with a fever which turned out to be another round of pneumonia. Antibiotics helped a lot, and I’m feeling much better. I’m still very tired, coughing a fair bit, and having problems swallowing (since August). Thankfully there is soup, and I’m very grateful for friends who have brought so much soup!! It’s great to have different kinds of soup that I don’t typically make, and it’s so nice to not have to make it myself!

My next chemo is Monday December 21, which will get me through the holidays, as my awesome oncologist noted. The following one is scheduled for January 11. Apart from the blood tests on the Fridays before, I’m hoping to not need any additional hospital visits! 😀

This is quite a change from the targeted therapy lifestyle, which tends to be much more smooth sailing, with fewer appointments and blood tests. I’m so very grateful for my many years of reasonably good health while living with stage four lung cancer. I never expected to live seven years past my diagnosis, and now I have much more hope than I did at diagnosis. I am hopeful for new treatment options. I hope that the chemo I’m on now will work more effectively with fewer side effects than the older harsher chemo I took in 2013-14. I hope researchers will develop new treatment options that will be available just when I need them. That has been my roller coaster adventure ride with lung cancer these seven years, and I hope for more! Oh yes I do!!

More than that, I hope for more research to extend the lives of many more people affected by lung cancer, because there are so many of us and we all want life and need hope. So if you know any lung cancer researchers, please thank them for the good work they are doing and encourage them to keep up the good work with diligence and urgency. So many of us are counting on them!

I’ve worked hard to keep doing light weights, stretching and walking through the Fall. My daily step count has fallen below my usual 9000-10,000, but I haven’t given up hope!

So grateful for friends, for so many delicious soups (and other yummy things!), and for so many calls and messages. This has really sustained me and helped keep me buoyed up.

I don’t talk about my faith a lot, and I would never want anyone to feel like I’m pushing Christianity on anyone. I want to be clear, please stop reading if you are feeling offended. My relationship with God means so much to me, and keeps me going. God is good all the time, and I am grateful for the love of God poured out through Jesus, and the ever-present comfort of the Holy Spirit. It’s the love of Jesus that motivates my advocacy, and any good I do is because of God working through me.

#hope

Four Down, One to Go

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Many thanks to all you who have prayed, called, and messaged this week while I’ve been undergoing daily radiation treatments. I’m very grateful for your care and support. Cancer can be hard in many ways, and many of you know firsthand what it is like to be diagnosed or to walk with someone diagnosed with cancer.

We all need support, and this week has powerfully reinforced the difference supportive caring people make for someone facing cancer. Treatments this week have been challenging, and your words and actions have tremendously encouraged and helped. Thank you.

Never doubt the difference you can make for someone.

This is why I’m so passionate about lung cancer support groups. They can make a huge difference! It doesn’t take much to start one up. If you’d like to talk about it, please reach out. Helping get another support group going is definitely something worth investing time and energy in!

Four down and one to go! I’m so grateful I’m not journeying alone.

(All photo’s were taken prior to COVID-19, except the one of our Ottawa lung cancer support group meeting by zoom.)

Bump in the Road

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Time for an update about my health and treatment …

The lung cancer pill that I take daily is working very well, for the most part. Most of the cancer has shrunk and stopped acting like cancer, which is what the pills are supposed to do. But, cancer cells are not always all identical. In my case, right now, most of the cancer is under control, but some of the cancer isn’t. Some is growing and causing problems, so we need to take action.

I’m very thankful for my great health care team and the new addition to my treatment plan. We will add five radiation treatments to zap those pesky spots. Adding on some radiation is best practices, often called “weeding the garden”. Radiation starts on Monday, five days in a row, then back to taking the same routine of pills. Just a little bump in the road.

I’m very thankful for supportive friends who are giving strength and love, praying and offering to do groceries and bring meals and muffins. I’m thankful that I’ve been walking about 10,000 steps a day, stretching and doing weights. There is so much to be thankful for, including beautiful Fall colours!

So, good news that the pill continues to work effectively against most of the cancer. Good news that I’m in good hands with a solid treatment plan. Great news that I’ve got support. This is just a bump in the road, and we are holding onto hope.