Greetings, everyone!

After 16 long days in the hospital at Northside in Atlanta Georgia I am now home.

I have been diagnosed with Stage 4, Large Cell Carcinoma, left lung. The course of treatment will be chemotherapy and radiation. No surgery has been mentioned yet because of the size of the cancer.

I am on oxygen 24/7 and I have to move slowly through the house. I go to see my oncologist for the first time on Monday.

My sister is currently visiting with us and is being a big help to my wife. My wife was scheduled to have her first knee replacement on the 24th of October, but that will be postponed changed now, I am sure.

I am in good spirits --- especially after getting out of the hospital. I sat up all the way home without having to lay down for the 100 mile trip. I am in no pain. At night it seems I hurt a little bit. I’m on blood thinners, prednisone, Percoset for pain and I have to give myself a shot everyday in the abdomen just under the skin for helping protect me against blood clots ( a major concern right now ).

Northside Hospital in Atlanta treated me so wonderfully. I’ve never gotten such great service from a hospital. They were there for me anytime I needed anything. And they allowed Paule to even stay with me during my tenure through ICU. They provided her a bed and provided her with healthy meals, snacks, diet cokes, and ice anytime day or night we asked for it. I cannot express how GOOD GOOD GOOD they were to both of us. They were wonderful.

I have cancer, but cancer ain’t got me!!!!!

Doctors are wonderful, but I know the Great Physician. And I know with Him, anything is possible. We lean on Him now more than ever. And your prayers will keep us strong and in good spirits and help us to stay focused on the Almighty One. He can deliver. We serve a great big wonderful God. Never under-estimate him. I certainly don’t. I want to be able to sing and play piano again and make recordings for others to enjoy and still be used of the Lord.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers!! Prayer changes things!!!


Ray Thigpen
rthigpen@windstream.net

Hi Ray,

All my thoughts and prayers are being sent your way.

Peace be with you,
Noel

I'm prayin' for you, brother!

You & your wife are on my prayer list, Ray!
A dear friend who survived a serious bout with cancer told me that a positive mental attitude was the greatest contributing factor.

Mick

Ray,

I know you are suffering with illness now, but you encourage me with your attitude. He can heal you, I've seen him do it here with my daughter. I have been praying for all of my internet friends who have been diagnosed lately with serious illnesses. Another friend was diagnosed this week with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)and she is 35 years of age. Another has Bells Palsy and another has been having mini strokes.

Keep the Faith, he said: "I am the Lord your healer." I believe that wholeheartedly and he paid the ultimate price for our health as well as our sin.

Thanks for the update.

Eddie

You are in our prayers here good buddy.

If I can beat cancer than so can you!

Keep the faith – your yankee lead guitarist.

Ray it is great to hear you in good spirits, what a blessing to have your wife, and sister there to help out. Stay strong, and keep planning. We have had enough loss around here this year, so here's hoping for the best from us out here in semi sunny California.

I echo Noel. My prayers are with you too Ray.

Ray, my friend. I am sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I believe that your believing will allow our Father to heal you completely, and that you will continue on with a long and wonderful healthy life.

God says 'Prove me now herewith if I will not open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing upon you that there shall not be room enough to receive it.' Those are the same windows that God opened to flood the planet in the time of Noah. That was a LOT of water, do you think His blessing can be any less for you, his Son?

God's great blessings on you.

Gary

You got more piano ta play, Ray.


--Mac

Keep on looking up, Ray.

I've been down that road and found that Jesus is indeed a healer.

Don S.

Ray,
You are a strong person, with a strong Faith.
That will carry you through, along with the prayers & good wishes from everyone here. Hang in there buddy, we're all thinking of you.

Ray,

though I don't know you well, I do know the One you trust. You're in good hands.

We'll keep you and your whole family in our prayers

I made it past the stage 4 cancer to some place I'm now. Very battered but still going. All the tests are "positive" for no cancer now, 1 year and 3 months later. No more marching band, I can't really walk without the cane nor make it a block and I'm stuck on medications I'd rather not take.

Eat, eat, eat. And all the high calorie stuff you can tolerate. The weight loss was huge for me and credit went to the fact I was 230lbs (6 foot though!). I still lost 100 pounds, but I've got over 190 again.

Hang tough, the treatments improve every year, and more people get cured totally.

Ditto on eating as much as you can. It really does help.
Your body needs the fuel to fight the disease.
It's like the gas in the tank.
Then fill your battery with The Light and drive, drive, drive!
All my best,
Carkins

Ray, You are in my thoughts & prayers too. Joe Gordon

Ray,

Ditto to all the well wishes and prayers mentioned above.

Best to ya!

Ray, Said and will be saying prayers for you. Thanks for the update.

Ray,

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

god bless you ray.
saying oodles of prayers mate.

Ray, if you're about to see an oncologist for the first time, this must be a very recent development. Can you tell us what symptoms sent you to the doctors in the first place? Shortness of breath? Fatigue? What would you encourage others to look for to catch something like this as quickly as possible?

What a comfort and blessing each of you have been in your postings. So many survivors. We're gonna beat this thing. With your prayers, we're going to beat this, and I WILL SING AGAIN. Please cheer me from time to time. You all are and have been a second family to me for several years now. Feel free to email me anytime.

Pat Marr to answer your question, I was a smoker for 46 years (3 packs a day mostly). Diagnosed in 2009 with pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. Been under care of Pulmonologist since. In early September started noticing that I was more short of breath than usual. I generally wear oxygen when out shopping, but suddenly realized I needed it all the time at a setting of 3 liters per minute. I use a CPAP at night when I sleep and always have oxy flowing. Went to my family doc, he treated me with TAMIFLU for flu-like symptoms, tired, no appetite, feeling so bad and running low grade fever. After 5 days on the TAMIFLU, went to my pulmonologist to check me out ---- he gave me antibiotics CIPRO, TUSSENEX cough syrup, Mucinex, and started me with Albuterol treatments with my nebulizer. Had a chest x-ray (first one in two years since I was diagnosed with lung problems) and the x-ray came out totally WHITE. Two days later felt so bad, called ambulance at 10pm and went to local ER. They contacted my Pulmonologist and realized they should do a CT SCAN. The result in one hour was: "appears to be a worrisome mass, possibly malignant on the left lung."

I was immediately transferred to Northside Hospital in Atlanta GA and my case was taken by a Thoracic Surgeon. My left lung collapsed 2nd day I was there and the head nurse grabbed my bed and started running down the hall with me to ICU. They flooded me with oxygen. I was on 25 Liters Per minute (the equivalent of a car tire blowout on impact, and with 100% saturation. Blood pressure dropped well below 100 and pulse was over 130. Basically, I was leaving here. Soon my vitals returned to somewhat normal status but the oxygen was coming so hard and fast it felt like I could hear the roar of a WATERFALL in my head and ears. It was deafening!

A few days later, they figured out I had blown a blood clot in my left and right lung (which is why so much oxygen was needed), they put me on high doeses of Heparin to dissolve blood clot(s) and then put in a filter in my abdomen blood line to keep any new clots from coming up from my legs to enter my chest cavity, lungs, heart or possibly even the brain. Which would have been instant death.

They put in a pick line to make blood draws and medications easier to administer. They drew fluid off my lungs first time equivalent to 2 quarts. 2 days later they got 2.5 quarts. Then 2 days later they got little over 1 quart and then it got to where draining the lung was useless as they only got a few tablespoons. That was a very good thing. I was totally in bed most of the time except for sitting up a couple hours most days. Medications and vital signs taken all hours of day and night. I was in ICU for 10
days and they let me wife stay with me in the ICU room. Gave her a bed to sleep on, fed her 3 times a day. She needs knee replacements and cannot mobilize through hospital. But when she had to they used a wheelchair for her; they brought her snacks, ice, bed covers, pillows, cokes. They treated her as good as if not better than me. I had the best nurses and chaplains anyone could ever hope for and a doctor that pulled no punches. He told it like it was and I appreciated that!! He is a very good doctor and I have high regard for him. He refused to call me RAY, he insisted on Mr. Thigpen.

My arms are black and blue and look horrible. I lost 6 pounds while in the hospital. I go to see my Oncologist for first time tomorrow. Home Health Nurse has made her first visit and I take a lot of medicines. Most of which I was taking before hospitalization. I have to do an injection in my belly twice a day for fighting the blood clots. I'm on Coumadin, Prednisone, and they gave me liberal PERCOSET for pain which I have little to no pain and the Percoset causes such horrible dreams. Scares me that I'm taking PERCOSET cause that is OXYCODONE. But thank the Lord it is real cheap in prescription form and on the streets it's quite expensive. So I'll buy mine through the pharmacy.

I'm sleeping fairly well at night. Anxious to get this lung drain plug out and wish I could get a SHOWER!!!! Oh gosh I've never wanted a shower so much in all my life. This sponge bathing is for the birds!!!!!!! LOL

I'm in good spirits and postings like all of you made sure made my day today. We ARE going to beat this thing! I have cancer but it ain't got me!!!!!!!

Love to you all. Please keep prayers going. I thank you for them!!!!! Blessings to ALL!!!!!

[big damn manly hugs] All the best, Ray, to you and your family. Keep us posted, and, YES -- you will sing again, and we'll be there to share 'em.

Thanks for updating us Ray. Thoughts and prayers continue here. You have a great attitude, and that will go a long way towards winning the battle. And of course you can see from all the posts that you have a lot of heartfelt support from your forum friends. Keep up the good fight Ray.

Terry

Ray you are an inspiration to many, We are praying for God's blessings and healing.

Rob

Ray,

thanks for the detailed description of your symptoms and treatment. My wife recently had similar symptoms and got a similar diagnosis, so I'm trying to get a handle on what to expect.

Regarding our ability to cheer you up... report in often! Based on what I've seen from this crowd, support and encouragement are two things you are guaranteed to get from the people here in the forum.

As Rob just said, you really are an inspiration to many. Hang tough. We're all thinking of you, praying for you or rooting for you. (In many cases, doing all 3.)

Based on your own comments, it sounds to me that your faith has been established during the good times so you have it to draw on during the difficult times. THAT is an inspiration to me. Whether these vessels of clay are doing well or not, it can always be well with your soul.

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL-O-METER
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