Mrs. W,

I am so sorry about the bad news.

We were in a similar situation. My husband was six months out of treatment when he constantly experienced pain in the right shoulder blade area. He put it down to bad posture and lack of exercise. It turned out to be metastasis to the lungs. In his case there was no need for a biopsy as the lesions had "the classic, seedlike appearance" of cancer. So, i do know how you must be feeling -- i felt like someone pulled the rug right from beneath my feet and I fell into a bottomless pit. My husband was extremely angry with the RO whom he blamed for having "messed up his throat" (he could no longer swallow because of scarring) and he absolutely refused to accept the diagnosis. In the face of all that, I felt I had to remain strong for him.

John was offered the opportunity of a clinical trial, needless to say we took it eagerly and with gratitude. Depending on what the radiologist is going to tell you, clinical trials are something which I suggest to keep in mind, albeit on the back burner.

I found it helpful for me to go back to my therapist who I had not seen for ten years. My husband also went to a therapist, though a different one. Some people found it weird, but I also painted the entire house at this point. I thought my husband would feel more cheerful if I could make the home environment as tidy as possible. It also gave me something to focus on. We continued to socialize and visited our friends. We kept our life as normal as we could. Through it all, I got some really solid support from John's GP and our pharmacist.

There is still a chance that you will receive some encouraging news and I fervently hope that is the case.