aussiewoman

Hello Brian – that's sensible advice. I honestly think that I'm cooking more as we speak – there's evidence that it's more likely than not, anyway. But here's my thinking – I'm 49, fit (brown belt martial arts), good mental/emotional immunology, and had plenty of experience in recovering from ops – I do okay. If I can 100% right now get rid of 2 lung tumours versus 30% chance of shrinking them for a while… I really want to have surgey for any tumour that is operable and leave Yervoy and PD1 for the (seemingly) inevitable day when I have unresectable tumours.

However, the piece of the puzzle is – what price the operation? Is it the 'crack your chest' or the keyhole surgery – that makes a difference doesn't it!

And I need to explore why radiation has never been discussed given that it's worked so well for you.

Many thanks for sharing your thoughts with me Brian.

Hello Brian – that's sensible advice. I honestly think that I'm cooking more as we speak – there's evidence that it's more likely than not, anyway. But here's my thinking – I'm 49, fit (brown belt martial arts), good mental/emotional immunology, and had plenty of experience in recovering from ops – I do okay. If I can 100% right now get rid of 2 lung tumours versus 30% chance of shrinking them for a while… I really want to have surgey for any tumour that is operable and leave Yervoy and PD1 for the (seemingly) inevitable day when I have unresectable tumours.

However, the piece of the puzzle is – what price the operation? Is it the 'crack your chest' or the keyhole surgery – that makes a difference doesn't it!

And I need to explore why radiation has never been discussed given that it's worked so well for you.

Many thanks for sharing your thoughts with me Brian.

Hello Brian – that's sensible advice. I honestly think that I'm cooking more as we speak – there's evidence that it's more likely than not, anyway. But here's my thinking – I'm 49, fit (brown belt martial arts), good mental/emotional immunology, and had plenty of experience in recovering from ops – I do okay. If I can 100% right now get rid of 2 lung tumours versus 30% chance of shrinking them for a while… I really want to have surgey for any tumour that is operable and leave Yervoy and PD1 for the (seemingly) inevitable day when I have unresectable tumours.

However, the piece of the puzzle is – what price the operation? Is it the 'crack your chest' or the keyhole surgery – that makes a difference doesn't it!

And I need to explore why radiation has never been discussed given that it's worked so well for you.

Many thanks for sharing your thoughts with me Brian.

Laurie, hi! I'm happy for you that you're responding to PD1! That's an option for me AFTER I go on Yervoy – it will be nerve-wracking waiting for 14 weeks to figure out if Yervoy is working though.

My tumours aren't as involved as yours – mine must have been picked up earlier – so there is still a chance of surgery. I've put the word out with my previous eye surgeons who are now scouting around for thoracic surgeons I can quickly talk with. Thank god for the amazing generosity of (most) of our doctors hey?

It's really heartening for me to hear that you're living a completely normal life – I can;t imagine that will happen with me. Once you have stage IV – I guess I think that I'm going to be dead in the next year. Is my thinking wrong on that? It's proving to be a hard way to live, isn;t it?

Many thanks Laurie!

Laurie, hi! I'm happy for you that you're responding to PD1! That's an option for me AFTER I go on Yervoy – it will be nerve-wracking waiting for 14 weeks to figure out if Yervoy is working though.

My tumours aren't as involved as yours – mine must have been picked up earlier – so there is still a chance of surgery. I've put the word out with my previous eye surgeons who are now scouting around for thoracic surgeons I can quickly talk with. Thank god for the amazing generosity of (most) of our doctors hey?

It's really heartening for me to hear that you're living a completely normal life – I can;t imagine that will happen with me. Once you have stage IV – I guess I think that I'm going to be dead in the next year. Is my thinking wrong on that? It's proving to be a hard way to live, isn;t it?

Many thanks Laurie!

Laurie, hi! I'm happy for you that you're responding to PD1! That's an option for me AFTER I go on Yervoy – it will be nerve-wracking waiting for 14 weeks to figure out if Yervoy is working though.

My tumours aren't as involved as yours – mine must have been picked up earlier – so there is still a chance of surgery. I've put the word out with my previous eye surgeons who are now scouting around for thoracic surgeons I can quickly talk with. Thank god for the amazing generosity of (most) of our doctors hey?

It's really heartening for me to hear that you're living a completely normal life – I can;t imagine that will happen with me. Once you have stage IV – I guess I think that I'm going to be dead in the next year. Is my thinking wrong on that? It's proving to be a hard way to live, isn;t it?

Many thanks Laurie!

Hi Dave – your news is really good! Congrats to you! My options are limited because I have the NRAS mutation. I can go onto PD1 which has just been compassionatlye released in Australia (where I am). Apparently, I have to go on Yervoy first and then if that doesn't work, go on to PD1.

The thing I like about surgery is that I know it's out – I'm more prepared to take the pain than to wait in hope for 14 weeks that Yervoy is shrinking/stabilising the tumour. You're right though – it's like Whack-a-Mole – at some point, having more surgey isn't going to be worthwhile. Am I at that stage yet though – that's the question.

Your reply – and the others – makes me realise I need more information and I need a better oncologist so I don't have to go wildy looking for expertise. Thanks for adding to my understanding Dave. 

Hi Dave – your news is really good! Congrats to you! My options are limited because I have the NRAS mutation. I can go onto PD1 which has just been compassionatlye released in Australia (where I am). Apparently, I have to go on Yervoy first and then if that doesn't work, go on to PD1.

The thing I like about surgery is that I know it's out – I'm more prepared to take the pain than to wait in hope for 14 weeks that Yervoy is shrinking/stabilising the tumour. You're right though – it's like Whack-a-Mole – at some point, having more surgey isn't going to be worthwhile. Am I at that stage yet though – that's the question.

Your reply – and the others – makes me realise I need more information and I need a better oncologist so I don't have to go wildy looking for expertise. Thanks for adding to my understanding Dave. 

Hi Dave – your news is really good! Congrats to you! My options are limited because I have the NRAS mutation. I can go onto PD1 which has just been compassionatlye released in Australia (where I am). Apparently, I have to go on Yervoy first and then if that doesn't work, go on to PD1.

The thing I like about surgery is that I know it's out – I'm more prepared to take the pain than to wait in hope for 14 weeks that Yervoy is shrinking/stabilising the tumour. You're right though – it's like Whack-a-Mole – at some point, having more surgey isn't going to be worthwhile. Am I at that stage yet though – that's the question.

Your reply – and the others – makes me realise I need more information and I need a better oncologist so I don't have to go wildy looking for expertise. Thanks for adding to my understanding Dave.