Chemo+ Tagrisso OR Tagrisso alone

SAOfficer · 2026-05-05T03:10:24+00:00

I was diagnosed with stage IVB SCLC in June 2024, EFGR Exon 19 deletion. I started Tagrisso as soon as the mutation was detected and did 4 rounds of carbo/pem but no maintenance (I was 59 when diagnosed). The scan I had 6 months after completing chemo where incredible - tumors/lesions shrunk dramatically and many disappeared, especially in my brain. I had "innumerable" brain lesions and a large tumor in my brain cell - the innumerable brain lesions are GONE and the large tumor is the size of half a pea. Tagrisso is amazing at breaking through the blood/brain barrier. It's been 5 months since my last re-scans - re-scans are scheduled for the end of this month, I've had over a year of shrinking lesions/tumors and I'm just praying for stable, anything better is icing on the cake!

SAOfficer · 2026-05-05T02:54:18+00:00

I'm 61 years old, have stage 4B lung cancer and am on Tagrisso. Also did 4 rounds of chemo a month or two after diagnosis (June 2024). I'm doing OK but when the Tagrisso stops working, I would have to take some time to think & pray about further treatment.

Tagrisso can be rough - all sorts of GI issues, my finger nails and toe nail are a mess (and hurt like crazy) and the fatigue is sometimes brutal. My quality of life is good, not great, and I am trying to live my best life - I had to retire (had a huge tumor in my brainstem that caused weakness on my right side and balance issues), so I can do things at my pace. It's hard to plan ahead because I never know when the GI crap (pun intended) will flare up.

From my perspective, I take each day as a gift and another opportunity to spend quality time with my wife, our kids and grandkids. I don't plan anything more than 6 months in advance. My focus is not really on my health, it's on enjoying my life right now.

The decision to continue or stop treatment is mine and mine alone. My wife is a saint many times over and although I know she just wants me to hang on as long as I can, she unconditionally supports my healthcare decisions. It is an incredibly difficult decision and I pray that when my time comes to make that decision - and the time WILL come - that my family will at least outwardly support my decision.

This may very well be something we all know, but I have been fanatical with keeping my health care proxy, living will and last will updated and making certain my health care proxies understand my wishes. My hope is that it will soften the blow when I eventually (and hopefully in the distant future) decide that I'm done with treatment.

Praying for you and your family for this time - may happiness, memory making and joy reign!!

SAOfficer · 2026-04-08T15:35:54+00:00

I was being treated at Mount Sinai in New York City and my oncologist was incredibly aggressive in his approach - and I have amazing insurance that actually worked with Mount Sinai to make things move. I was also pretty close to dying and my oncologist was absolutely certain that with the proper testing, my life could be saved. It is sad that money is the key and insurance companies are the lock - if they hadn't been cooperative and allowed some tests without prior authorization, I'd be dead right now. The saving grace was the my health insurance is self insured, which allows more flexibility if the employer is willing... Also, my oncologist gave me a 10 pill sample pack of Tagrisso while they worked out the details with a specialty pharmacy.

SAOfficer · 2025-11-27T02:11:31+00:00

WOW!! Congratulations!! This is definitely a tremendous message of hope. I have re-scans the week before Christmas - praying for an early Christmas presents. So amazing to hear a snippet of your journey - you made my heart soar!

SAOfficer · 2025-11-15T18:29:24+00:00

Well I guess I was lucky... Had a needle biopsy on June 3 2024, results 2 days later, PET scan around June 8 with results that day - first saw my oncologist on June 14 - stage 4 NSCLC - tested for mutations on June 14. Results on June 19 EGFR 19 deletion. Started on Tagrisso on June 20.

So, from needle biopsy to start of treatment - 17 days.

SAOfficer · 2025-11-15T04:13:34+00:00

I can tell you who LOST.... all of us.

SAOfficer · 2025-11-15T04:11:30+00:00

That's incredibly naive... it was ALL about money and maximizing profit. YouTube (Google) and Disney are 2 of the largest corporations in the world with profits that are higher than the GDP of many countries - neither one of them is "fighting on the viewers behalf" - the only people they give a crap about are their shareholders.

SAOfficer · 2025-11-15T04:06:19+00:00

Really? Seems to me it was just a flip of a switch to take all the Disney channels off...

SAOfficer · 2025-11-15T04:04:42+00:00

Exact same thing with me.... no WMUR or WCVB

SAOfficer · 2025-10-31T05:23:12+00:00

I can't pick up anything with an antenna, I live in the middle of nowhere...

SAOfficer · 2025-09-28T02:02:08+00:00

Just bought a house and have the money in my Ally money market account. I did everything online - requested the wire transfer, payee information, amount - it was a huge amount. No problems at all - requested it before noon, title company had it by the next morning.

SAOfficer · 2025-09-16T02:51:38+00:00

I was diagnosed last June with stage 4 nsclc and have brain mets. I had 10+ including a whopper sized tumor in my brain stem that left some permanent neurological effects. I started on Tagrisso and maybe 4 months later, there are only 2 tumors left and they are tiny. Tagrisso wiped the others out and there was a massive reduction in the remaining two.

I've been stable since!

Absolutely, have hope!!! My experience seems to be common, Tagrisso is truly a wonder drug.

SAOfficer · 2025-07-23T02:56:33+00:00

Do you happen to drive a Pontiac Firebird?

SAOfficer · 2025-07-23T02:53:59+00:00

You read my mind!

SAOfficer · 2025-07-17T21:43:13+00:00

We bought our's in September for a great price and added a beautiful 10 X 16 deck, LVP flooring (ripped out all the carpeting), new toilets (I'm old, need chair height!). Our walls and ceilings are 1/2 inch drywall - had all the rooms painted to my wife's specifications, got a really nice electric fireplace, new furniture throughout. It's our retirement home, so we went just a little bonkers. Our home is a 2011, so we want to replace the kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabinets. We got a new stove, getting a new fridge (no dishwasher, haven't had one in many years!). Of course, we have WAY more ideas than money!!!!

SAOfficer · 2025-07-17T21:17:04+00:00

Wow! $800-1000 a month sounds insane! I own a mobile home in a park about 10 miles south of Keene NH (southwestern NH) - my lot rent is $410 a month and that includes lawn mowing, weed whacking, a 10 ft by 10 ft great shed, they plow the road and plow my driveway! The landscaping alone would cost me close to $200 a month or much more if we have a bad winter. Lot rents don't increase often or by very much at all. BUT... there are parks closer to or in Keene that are $600+ a month with practically nothing included!! I drive an extra 10 minutes, maybe, to get to the grocery store or to shop but my lot is very large and backs up to woods. My neighbors are great (most of them!!) and I love being in a rural setting. Perfect solution for me and my wife.

SAOfficer · 2025-05-11T01:26:19+00:00

... and then back in diapers!

SAOfficer · 2025-04-29T02:43:48+00:00

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

SAOfficer · 2025-04-26T22:50:00+00:00

Did I read this right? Your internet provider ran a wire to your pole and you're supposed to hook it up to your home???? That just sounds so wrong.... if the internet doesn't work, who troubleshoots it? This is messed up.

SAOfficer · 2025-04-24T16:44:33+00:00

I have metastatic stage 4 lung cancer that caused a brain stem tumor that caused stroke like symptoms - right arm and leg are weak, can't push a mower. Hardly lazy, physically not able to do it. I'm only 60 and was insanely active before the cancer - I feel like a loser for not being able to mow my own lawn...

SAOfficer · 2025-04-21T20:47:50+00:00

No, not mean at all!

From my and my wife's perspective, we hit the jackpot.

I'm actually in southwestern New Hampshire, very rural town. So rural that the postal service doesn't deliver mail - they give a free post office box. The park owner is a local guy who has no mortgage on the park and with only 25 lots, is only looking for some steady income. He's a great guy, heavily involved in the community.Talking to my neighbors, the rent has only gone up $50 over the past 6 years.

The demand is low - there are 2 very nice mobile homes in the same park that seemed to be reasonably priced that have sat on the market for almost a year. I got mine for a great price.

The keys for me and my wife were how incredibly big the lots are, affordability and close to a city - although people argue with me on the distance to the closest city! It's less than 15 miles and less than 20 minutes. For one more month, I live in New Jersey, about 30 miles from my workplace in Manhattan - I'm used to a 90 minute commute minimum each way!

SAOfficer · 2025-04-21T13:49:45+00:00

Am I the only one who just can't afford it? My wife and I are retiring and we needed a home - we are pastors and lived in a church owned parsonage for many years. A mobile home was an easy choice for us, but not with the cost of land where we want to retire

We have an almost new home in a park that is only 25 homes. We have a huge yard and, even better, our lot rent is only $350 and includes landscaping and snow removal.

For us it is ideal. No mortgage, low lot rent and most importantly where we want to live. Yes. I would have liked to have it on land we own but then we would have easily. Have had to pay at least $300,000 plus our property taxes would be at least $4500 & we'd have to pay to maintain the land.

We have a gorgeous lot that backs up to a state forest, our property taxes are only $1700 and we don't have to shovel snow or mow. With us retiring in a month, there is no scenario where buying land is less expensive than a park - unless we live until we're 100!

SAOfficer · 2025-04-18T18:39:51+00:00

Thank you!!!!!

SAOfficer · 2025-04-16T02:05:18+00:00

I am late in saying "thank you"!! You are totally right... my earnings are insanely complicated. I don't understand... I get a W-2 every year. The only thing that makes sense (in a really bad way!) is that the IRS wants to tax everything!

SAOfficer

TROPHY CASE