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40-49
other
stage three

I found out that I had malignant cancer on 3/8/01.  Treatment started 4/9/01.  I had two tumors 2.5" in diameter.  One each on two lymph nodes behind my sternum and trachea.  This made it impossible to operate.  The treatment plan was to aggressively attack with chemotherapy and radiation at the same time.  I had to go for 35 consecutive days of radiation and had to go every three weeks for 3 hours of intravenous chemotherapy (taxol and paraplatin).  I am now done with treatment and awaiting an appointment on 7/5/01 for a cat scan and lung x-ray.  On 7/11/01 I am to meet with the Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist to see how much of the cancer we did or did not get.  As a result of the treatment, I have lost my hair. I have a tingling in my left arm that will not go away.  I have severe pain in my legs and cannot walk very far or sleep very well. I have told my Oncologist and he just says this is probably a side effect and will go away in time.  I am getting anxious and depressed. It has been one month since my treatment ended and the pain is worse. I take pain medication and it does not help.  I was not sick at all before I began treatment and I feel as though all of this just made me sicker.  They found my cancer by accident and I had no symptoms. I had pneumonia and a follow up x-ray showed a suspicious mass and my doctor ordered the cat scan which showed the tumors.  Surgery was done to do a biopsy which indicated that I had malignant cancer. I just want to know how long does it take to get over the side effects of the treatment.  Is my Oncologist overlooking anything?  I am getting so depressed because I am not getting any better so far. I guess I am a little worried about the fact that maybe instead of getting rid of the cancer there is a slight possibility that the treatment has intensified the problem.  I guess I will have to wait until 7/11/01 appointment to find out.

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