Long time no talk
#1
I am dropping in from the Portland Area.  I've been working here for the last 3 years as part of a help desk position for the automotive industry.

Earlier this month, I was admitted to OHSU to undergo lung surgery to remove the upper right lobe of my lung.  Doctors thought I had lung cancer, and it was a necessary procedure to biopsy the tumor which had grown fairly large covering the lobe only.  Fortunately, it was a Video assisted surgery or VATS as they call it.  They cut two 2" or so incisions into my right side and excised the upper right lobe and part of my middle one as the tumor was dangerously close to that lobe.    I ended up in the hospital for 5 long days with 3 of those with a super painful chest tube coming out of my right side.  Pain killers aside, it still was not pleasant.   The doctors determined I had Stage 1 Adenocarcinoma.  Upon removing the upper right lobe and further biopsies of my lymph nodes, I have been declared to be cancer free! 

It's been just under 3 weeks since that surgery and I am on the slow road to recovery.  Each day has been a mix of ups/downs which can be expected.  Part of the recovery has been not working at my job because of recovery in the breathing area and the pain levels.   I have some pain killers, but those only work to dull the pain and being on those prevents me from driving or working.  Being out of work now for 3 weeks has started to put a financial strain on our family and will continue to do so until I return to work, and even then, it will be hard as our pay periods are at least 1 month behind, and I have now exhausted my payroll backlogs.    Recovery is expected to take around 6 weeks.  I plan on going back to work slowly starting middle of next week.  In the mean time,

I have set up a Gofundme for anyone interested in helping out.  I am needing to take care of expenses for the upcoming month.


For the background on how I was diagnosed - I'll try to make a very long story short -

When I moved here, I had a dry cough which I blamed on the blood pressure medicine I took (lisinopril).  So, they switched it out for something different.  The cough persisted.  Also, over the last say 8 years I had a burning hot poker sensation in my upper right chest the doctors blamed as muscle related.   It was like someone was stabbing me with a hot fireplace poker through to the back.  I believe that to be tumor growing.   In 2016, I was at the doctor and she heard a wheezing sound and referred me to a pulmonologist.  I saw that specialist and was less than thrilled with his attitude.  I was accused of being an anti-vaxxer because I turned down a flu shot and he was quite sassy and dismissive.  He had run a CT of my chest and wanted to do a bronchcoscopy.  I fired him and life took over and I let a year pass.  In the mean time, this cough was getting worse, and if you have ever watched Breaking Bad, you sort of know what it is like at least in the first episode.  Never more than a cough or two, but enough to be annoying.  Late last year, I had more episodes of the burning in my chest and it caught my attention.  My super supportive and loving wife encouraged me to see a new specialist, so I did.  This got the ball rolling to where I am now.  I think if I had let this go on any longer, it might have been a lot worse and may have moved to Stage 2.

If anyone you know or you have a persistent cough, do not wait - get the exams done.  It is best to be safe than sorry.  I dodged a bullet and am glad I did.   

Before anyone says this can never happen to them, let me say
I have NEVER smoked a single cigarette in my life.  From before I was born until age 13, my mother smoked, but this was not a catalyst.   

As explained by my surgeon who is also a professor at OHSU, Cancer cells are in everyone's body.  it does not matter who you are, all it takes is one or two to slip by the body's immune system to get the process going.  In my case, this is what happened to me.  It is not a respecter of persons and will hit anyone at any time.
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#2
That sounds like quite an ordeal, Glad to hear you are on the mend.
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#3
Probably asbestos where you worked, I would file for worker's comp.
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#4
I have some pain killers, but those only work to dull the pain and being on those prevents me from driving or working.

You could try CBD oil. It does work well for pain but I can't say how well it would work for you specifically. But you could still drive and work while taking it.
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#5
Is the pain when you breath? Have you tried OTC pain relief? Maybe just until you leave work and then take the Opiates?
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#6
Interesting story... Good advice to get second opinion when in doubt or a doc is dismissive of things.. sounds like you may have turned the corner and things are looking better.. Best regards..

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