About my son's rare lung cancer....

Nathan had an extremely rare lung carcinoid cancer, in the bronchular tube of his right lung. It is so rare, making up less than 1% of all lung cancers!! A 'non-smoking' cancer. Usually occurs in women over 70 years old. At age 25 he was diagnosed, and just one month later, the lung collapsed, sending him to the hospital. The hospital here in Illinois nearly killed him, never dealing with such a rare form of cancer, they didn't know what to do!! They attempted surgery to remove the lung, and just after they got the chest tubes into place, he went into a very rare carcinoid crisis, where his blood pressure went 305/255!!! (faster than a barnyard chicken!!) They had a hard time bringing him back!! He was in a coma for 3 days! 16 days later, he got out of the hospital,(day before thanksgiving) and the doctors wanted to "try again" after the holidays!! I said NO WAY!! We flew him out to Massachussetts....on Dec 2nd, as a friend researched on the internet for doctors who specialize with this rare cancer!! The doctors there at UMASS admitted him immediately, and started the 3 day preparations for his surgery!! They saved his life!! They removed over 2/3rds of his right lung, over 40+ lymphnodes, his 4th rib, and then harvested the latisimus dorsi muscle from his back, pulled it thru the missing rib and attached it to the remaining piece of lung, to hold it up, and protect it! Also, that muscle has it's own blood supply! We were able to come home 7 weeks later!! He then went thru 6 months of intense physical therapy, and monthly scans! Since the cancer had metasticized during that nearly fatal attempt at surgery in Peoria, IL, they had to be certain they got it all!! Traditional Chemo does not work on this type of cancer....only surgery or proton therapy!! His was at a stage 4, too late for the proton therapy, since the lung had already collapsed!! The doctors at UMASS said that had I gotten h im there just a week later, it would've been too late, as it metasticized during his carcinoid crisis, in Peoria hospital, and was heading for the heart and other lung. Nathan was the 23rd documented case of this rare carcinoid cancer - WORLDWIDE!!! -- and the first to have it metasticize from the bronchular tube!!! Anyway..he is cancer free right now...and goes for scans every 6 months. If you need someone to talk to about your lung cancer, feel free to email me jaztnr2@yahoo.com.