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finster

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Posts posted by finster

  1. Katie- Thanks for your response. I am going through many of the things you went through. I do worry that the doctors aren't doing enough. Of course, my problem is that I am over two and a half hours away. I go down to visit often, and I have been to several of her appointments, but it is next to impossible to go to them all. There are several things I would like to discuss with the doctor, but all of them would really detract from the positive state of mind my mom seems to be in. This is getting a bit off track, but she keeps talking about things she wants to do when she's better, and I am just dying to tell her to seize the day. This may be all she has. She needs to stop waiting for the future and live life now. Of course, I hope she lives to be 100, but knowing what I know about SCLC, that is not very likely.

    If it's okay, I think I will try to print your post to me and have her read it. Maybe it will hit home a little better.

    Thanks again.

  2. I don't think I will ever be ready either. I'm crying just thinking about it. I echo what Treeby said. My children (mom's grandchildren) are here now, and I already mourn the fact that she can't do any of the things she used to do with them. I'll obviously take her any way I can have her, but what I wouldn't give for things to go back to the way they used to be.....

  3. Can you tell me what kind of symptoms were present? My mom has mentioned vision changes, but I believe I have read that that can happen with chemo.

    As I've also mentioned about my mom, she doesn't seem to want to know the specifics and has been in much better spirits since getting the report that the cancer is almost unnoticeable in her lung. That makes it difficult for me to talk to her about more tests. Also, she came out of the MRI in December crying. I guess being closed in really affected her. I know there are open MRI's, but I have no idea if they are available in southern Illinois.

    Katie- I know what you're saying about the whole insurance thing and I know it has been discussed at length on this website. I just hope that her onc knows how often the cancer spreads to the brain with SCLC.

    Thanks.

  4. It's in my profile, but my mom had scans and an MRI at the end of December. The onc said they looked "excellent." As I understand it, the plan right now is to do one more round of chemo, and then just do scans every couple of months. I asked my mom to get photocopies of the scan and MRI reports from the onc. The report on the lung area was great, but the report related to the bones and pancreas, etc. more or less said "no change." If this is the case, should they be stopping chemo? I would think unless the scans show NED, they should be moving on to the next type of chemo. I would appreciate any thoughts, experience anyone has with this. Thanks.

  5. My mom had a brain MRI in October, but she hasn't been checked since then. I was dismayed that the doctor didn't schedule a test to re-check her brain when she had tests done at the end of December. I just feel it is so important to keep up on this since the cancer spreads to the brain so often with SCLC. Can you let me know what your experience has been with this?

    Thanks.

  6. My mom lost her voice before she was ever diagnosed with SCLC. The ENT said her vocal cord is paralyzed because of the lung tumor pressing on the recurrent laryngeal nerve. I know from perusing this website that other people are in her situation. Would anyone be willing to chime in and let me know what, if anything, they have done about it?

    Thanks in advance for your responses.

  7. Thanks for the update. It has been great to read your postings over the past few months. Enjoy the break and then go at it full force.

    Wishing nothing but the best for you both.

  8. Hello all! I feel like I know most of you so well, but you don't know me at all. My name is Melissa, and I am 34 years old. My 54 year old mother was diagnosed with extensive SCLC in August 2004. She has mets to several areas-I'm not sure I even know them all. I do know she has mets to several bones and her pancreas. She was in pretty bad shape by the time she was diagnosed. She was diagnosed on a Friday afternoon and her leg broke on Friday night due to a bone met. She had to have surgery and was in the hospital several days. She lives in Southern Illinois and planned to have chemo shortly after getting out of the hospital, but she was just too weak. She ended up back in the hospital and finally switched doctors (her doctor missed several opportunities dating back to May 2004 to get her diagnosed when she was in much better shape). Her new doctor convinced her to get a second opinion in St. Louis. They started her on chemo immediately. She has since started going to another oncologist back in Southern Illinois, but the doctor travels there from St. Louis.

    Things seem to be going well, but that is all too common with SCLC. My parents don't seem to be very interested (maybe they're scared) in finding out more about the disease. Her onc is talking about her next chemo being her last for now and just having her do scans every couple of months.

    I am an "only" child, and I have been extremely close to my mom my whole life. It absolutely kills me to watch her go through this. I live over two and a half hours away and have a husband and two small children of my own. We (or I) have been going down often, but I feel guilty that I can't be there full time.

    I am so thankful for this website and its members. I have to admit that I sometimes get depressed coming on here (I find it very hard when some of you get bad news), but I feel like someone in the family has to be informed enough to ask the important questions. Please know that I am pulling for (and praying for) all of you.

    Thanks in advance for your responses.

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