Kathy Asks Twitter for Help
- Kathy Griffin, 61, is asking #CancerTwitter for their input about a recent experience she had.
- Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer and it can develop in both smokers and non-smokers, though smokers have an increased risk.
- One of SurvivorNet's experts says lung cancer survivors will undergo very careful surveillance for at least the first five years after their diagnosis. But each person's follow-up schedule can vary, so it's important to establish expectations with your doctor.
Ok, #CancerTwitter. Last night, an hour after dinner, I vomited about a dozen times over the next 3 hours. This did not happen prior to my half lung being removed last August. Why would I be having these problems for having 1/2 of my left lung removed? I had a clean endoscopy. 😨
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 26, 2022
Actress Rosanna Arquette asks, “Could it be food poisoning ?”
https://twitter.com/RoArquette/status/1563025898550358017
To that, Griffin replies, “I don't think so because this has been happening about twice a month for year now. I'm looking for a female G.I. at UCLA St. John's or Cedars.”
Twitter user Brenda writes, “Do u think u might have the beginning of the flu or covid?” Another person, Courtney, says, “Take anything before or after dinner? Eat anything out of the ordinary? Could your procedures/treatments have created a new allergy?” Other Twitter users suggested food poisoning as well.
Later, Griffin clarified her question, writing on Twitter, “Sorry, let me clarify. I've been having these vomiting issues since my surgery last August, and I did not have them prior to my surgery last August. I know it's really gross. But when I have these episodes, it just knocks me out the whole next day.”
Sorry, let me clarify. I’ve been having these vomiting issues since my surgery last August, and I did not have them prior to my surgery last August. I know it’s really gross. But when I have these episodes, it just knocks me out the whole next day.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 26, 2022
Katy Griffin’s Lung Cancer Journey
The comic revealed her stage 1 lung cancer diagnosis via social media in Aug. 2021. Thankfully, the cancer seemed to be contained to one part of her lung, so she underwent surgery to have half of her left lung removed shortly after sharing the news.
She then revealed she was cancer-free in December 2021, but she still had a lot of recovering to do. After the surgery, her voice was altered by an intubation tube giving her a "Minnie Mouse meets Marilyn Monroe" type of voice.
She later revealed that her 6-month check up scans were clear in February, and surprised fans with a video showcasing the return of her voice in June though she says her voice has, sadly, suffered irreparable damage.
Though she's doing better today, it's clear that she's lost confidence in the doctor who performed her surgery. In another social media post from this week, she called him a "hack Dr."
"He ruined my vocal chords & my arytenoids permanently!" she wrote on Twitter. "My voice is my living. It's discouraging 2 me that people are sticking up 4 a surgeon who has caused me so many difficulties. I had stage 1. I sure wish I had gotten chemo/radiation instead of surgery with this hack Dr."
What Happens When You've Been Newly Diagnosed With Lung Cancer
Screening for Lung Cancer
More men and women die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined, but how can screenings make a difference? Lung cancer usually affects people above the age of 65, but a small number of people are diagnosed younger than 45 years old.
Many lung cancers are found accidentally, but screening can help doctors diagnose lung cancers at earlier stages of the disease when successful treatment is more likely. Early-stage lung cancers that are removed with surgery may even be curable. But more often than not, lung cancer diagnoses come after the disease has already spread to other parts of the body making it more difficult to treat.
"In about 70 to 80 percent of patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer, unfortunately the cancer has spread outside of the lung and is not suitable for surgery," Dr. Forde tells SurvivorNet.
But screening methods such as the low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan can save lives if those who are at risk participate. This test uses a very small amount of radiation to create highly detailed pictures of your lungs to reveal cancer long before initial symptoms. The State of Lung Cancer 2020 report from the American Lung Association found that screening every currently eligible person would save close to 48,000 lives, but only about 6 percent of Americans who are at high risk are actually getting screened.
Former & Current Heavy Smokers Should Get Lung Cancer Screenings Using CT Scan, Says Leading Expert
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