MarieE

Thank you, May. Yes, it is a lot. And it all happened so fast. Honestly, he seems to be calmer about it all than I am. 😢

Well, it turned out that the palliative care appointment was actually an appointment to discuss hospice. So it looks like that is what it has come to. My husband has dropped another 5+ pounds in the last week and his BMI is down to 16.7. Hopefully focusing on comfort care will at least improve his quality of life. It's also been exhausting dealing with numerous different specialists who often didn't seem to talk with each other. This should help in that regard as well.

Thank you. I spoke with his oncologist again this afternoon and someone is coming out Sunday for an evaluation to see how they can assist.

He is seeing a pain specialist and a nutritionist but not someone dealing with everything holistically. I have not been able to find one in the area at this point.

So, today is day three since infusion #2 and he is the sickest I've seen him since the worst of chemo and the targeted drugs. He is very nauseous and spitting up a lot, and goes from being cold to sweating through his clothes. He has not eaten anything today since a smoothie this morning. I'm at a loss. I understand about being "brave" and "fighting" but at some point this seems pointless and actually harmful vs. productive. Sorry, just venting at what seems to be a hopeless situation. If the cancer doesn't kill him he will die of malnutrition and starvation. His BMI is just over 17. Oh, and the pain never goes below a "5" despite fentanyl patches and gabapentin.

Thank you, Jack. This is about our last option since the targeted drugs didn’t work. At this point it’s hard to stay positive as his quality of life is just destroyed.

For those on Keytruda, how long was it before you actually felt it was working? We were told it would take two months before the scans would show whether or not the cancer was still progressing, but I'm wondering if any of you started feeling better in the meantime. My husband is on a three week cycle and due for his second infusion on Monday. The extreme fatigue, SOB, nausea, wheezing, extreme pain, etc. has continued unabated. Thanks.

I recently started thinking about all of our friends and our adventures over the years, and have been grateful to the many who have reached out with offers of support. It occurred to me that one of our few 'adventures' outside our home these days it to pick up the mail. (Our mailbox is over a mile away.) I suggested to friends, some of whom we haven't seen in years, that it would be nice if they sent a 'snail mail' message or card to my husband, possibly with some photos. The response has brought me to tears more than once.

After my husband's diagnosis out of the blue last year (non-smoker with no symptoms whatsoever) I asked my doctor to order a LDCT for me. He said he wasn't certain that insurance would cover it, but even if they didn't they were offering them at the hospital for a $100 flat fee. I figured that was well worth the peace of mind. It turned out that insurance covered it completely, and now I'm set up to be screened annually. (I just had my second one, and all is clear at this point.)

So sorry, Lin. I do understand the point you are at, as my husband and I have talks pretty much every day about whether continuing any future treatment is worthwhile. His health has deteriorated so significantly and he is in so much pain that there is not much he can do anymore other than watch TV or sleep. We will be talking with his oncologist this week about next steps (if any), based on his recent PET scan. I will be keeping you in my thoughts, and hoping that you feel better without the treatment.

Both my husband and I got our shots two weeks ago. He got the stronger version and had no noticeable effects.

I agree, it was a great session! They also stressed that it's best to get it early this year, given the situation with Covid, and that it is usually effective for about 6 months. We actually went out and got ours this morning. It was my first time in a supermarket since March, and all protocols were being followed, even to the extent of having one-way traffic in aisles.

Yep! He was trying to drink chocolate Boost Plus but it made him gag. These little containers are terrific!!

My husband's oncology nutritionist gave us samples of Boost Soothe and it's been a life saver for us. It was developed especially for cancer patients. Just wanted to pass it along .... (BOOST Soothe Clear Nutritional Drink, Hint of Peach-Mint).

Thank you so much for the tips, Gary. Much appreciated. P.S. I found the hemp hearts online at Costco. Thanks for the tip!