elkiesmom
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Posts posted by elkiesmom
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I can just go by Gary's pain but when he was in the hospital he took his pain meds whenever they gave it to him but when he got home 9 days later he took them for two days and then decided all he would need was tylenol. He said the pain was worse at the chest tube site then were they removed the top right lungs lobe.. But remember every one is different.Prayers to your family.
Lorrie
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Our thoughts and prayers to you Cindi.
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Thank you all from what I read here I should just use common sense amd we will be fine. I wasn't worried about all of this until Gary read the book on chemo that the onc gave us. I will do what I usually do when to much info comes my way through a book keep a little and throw the rest aside.
Lorrie
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Gee I forgot Salad bars. I must tell him that. The Condom thing is so I will not be exposed to any of the Chemo.I just read that might be the reason????? It does make sense though.
Lorrie
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Gary will be starting chemo next friday. He will be on Taxol, Carboplatin,Aloxi,decadron,benadryl and Zantac. I have been reading the chemo book that we have been given and the don'ts out number the does. Stay away from malls, theaters etc. Try not to use sissors, Wear golves when doing general chores. Try not to use sissors, knives and razor. Do not eat raw fish (I can understand that) but what I do not understand keep away from sea food,beef and chicken. What else is left. I can go on and on.(SENSITIVE ISSUE) THEY SAY USE A CONDOM?????? wE HAVE IN OUR 41 YEARS OF MARRIAGE NEVER USED A CONDOM.We will have to practice that or get a how to book. tHEN THEY SAY GO TO WORK AND TRY AND RESUME A NORMAL LIFE. hOW.I am sorry that I am asking so many questions but gary is so up set. He has been going to work and with this Chemo I don't know how he can avoid all of the dont's.
Lorrie
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Answering the couple of replies regarding my drop in blood pressure. The oncologist first thought it was from dehydration during chemo and I wound up in the hospital twice being pumped full of fluids for days on end. But the blood pressure problem continued even after chemo was stopped (I've been on a 4 month chemo break. That's far too long for it to be attributed to dehydration! It is truly a very rare neurological side effect from Taxol.
Ok now I am scared. How strong is this combo? Gary is cancer free now. Is this the best choice??????
I am so sorry to butt into Adee's subject but it poped up yesterday when we found out that Gary was getting the very same type of Chemo.
Lorrie
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welcome to the board Adee. We just got back from our onc and Gary will be taking Carboplatin and Taxol also. He will also be given before each session aranesp.Aloxi for nausea in iv form and prednisone in iv form.I have read the side effects and they are not pretty but the one that the onc said WOULD happen is hair loss.He also stressed drink pleanty of fluids. This is also new to us. take care
Lorrie
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I promice i will not read that crud again. I read it on the ins co web site.
We just came back from moffitt and we no longer need to go there any more.(so happy) I asked the doctor what stage Gary was and I finally got an answer (drum roll please)he is or should I say was 1b. The first surgeon we saw said gary was at least a 3 because of the size but our onc had said maybe a 2b. We are just so lucky. I am forgetting about what I read and we will proceed with Chemo and I will let our oncologest lead. I do have faith in him. Thanks everyone for answering the hysterical Lorrie post.
Lorrie
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Last night I was looking at our insurance to see if they would pay for Chemo even though it was after surgery and I got more questions then answers. The good news is yes they will pay but while reading about Gary;s nsclc Squamous Cell they said that even though surgery got all the cancer out and Chemo is given the out look is very poor for this type of cancer because it is fast growing and goes right into the blood stream and goes where ever. Any words of wisdom. I am going from high to low and I don't dare tell Gary this.
Lorrie
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Dear Don and Lucie.Prayers from Gary and I to both of you.
Lorrie
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THANK YOU ALSO FOR THE ADVISE. I JUST SENT OUR PICTURE TO RICK.I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PUT THE PICTURE IN FOR WEEKS.
lORRIE
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Gary's oncologist just called him with his path report and it came back that all his lymph nodes are clean. They did find a lymph node that was not clean in his lobe that they did remove when the lobe was removed. so it looks like no rad for Gary but we will do the 16 weeks of Chemo. Question on that one. The oc says there is two ways to go about the Chemo. Every week for 16 weeks or every 3 weeks for 16 weeks. what has your experance been regarding that?
Thank you all for your prayers they have helped get us were we are right know.
Lorrie
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Gary's and my prayers are with you Ralph. You keep that positive attitude and you will be fine.
Lorrie
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Carol I never had a rib removed but 10 years ago I did have 4 broken ribs and it took a few months to be almost pain free. I wish I could help you more. Good Luck
Lorrie
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I really do know what you're going through with this but you have to take a few deep breaths and give him a little space to make some of his own decisions. If he goes to work and then realizes he can't handle it, he will then be able to decide - on his own terms - that he isn't able to go back.>>>>>>>
I not only am taking deep breaths I also have the phone in my hand at all times.I am just so thankful that the rest of the week he has doctors appointments so he can only work from home. This am his chest tube site was leaking a lot so I hope I did a good job bandaging him up so he will not be embarrased.
Lorrie
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Gary said that if he got tired he would come home and I know he will. He does love his job and was told numerious times to come back when he is well. I had hoped that he would have waited until his first post op visit which is this friday. All the other doctors appointments that he has next week he will work from home. But you all are right this just might make him feel better about himself.
Lorrie
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Gary plans to go to work tomorrow. I think he is crazy and I have tried to talk him out of it since he can work from home. he has only been out of the hospital for 10 days. Today we went out for brunch and then a quick trip to the supermarket and he is spent. I told him this and he said that he is 62 and doesn't want them to forget about him. I understand this but as I told him would he rather see him the way he is now? He said he will only go in Monday since every other day next week we have doctor appointments. Any suggestions?
Lorrie
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Thank you all for your prayers and support. Today has been a good day for us. We went out for a bit and then Gary took a much needed nap.
What we had most dreaded was his first shower which we did yesterday. Gary was afraid as was I in having to take the dressing off of the area his chest tube had been in. From all the fluid leaks from the chest tube during his hospital stay his skin was raw from having his dressing changed every few hours.But we got over that hurdle pain free and he is a new guy.
Lorrie
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It is amazing that he does not have to take pain meds. Will be praying that his recovery is complete and takes a very short time. pammie>>>>>
Gary was given pain meds for home but after the massive amounts they had given him at the hospital it sure did a number to his stomach so after the first few days at home he said he would rather deal with the pain.Gary likes to be a REGULAR guy.
Thank you so much for your prayers.
Lorrie
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On the 26th Gary had his surgery at moffitt and the surgeon took out his right lobe and resectioned his bronchi tube that the cancer was attached to. The surgeon said that he has never seen a tumor encased in only one lobe and also the size of his fist with out spreading out and down.All of the margins came out clean.we will find out the rest of the report on the 19th.Gary was in the hospital for 9 days due to an air leak in his lung so I hope he was not rushed out to fast. I am concerned that he feels so out of it and he has not taken pain meds for a few days so I don't think that is the cause.. He is also depressed and he was so positive before surgery. is this the norm?
One more question. Our oncologyst suggested Platinum plus another drug for Chemo. What are the side effects of platinum?What I have read does not sound pretty.
Thank you all for your prayers.
Lorrie
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Lorrie, I don't know about state law here regarding copies of DLs, but it is my personal policy that I will NOT do it. If the hospital where I go doesn't like it, I know and worked with their CEO, so have no problem marching up to his office to explain why. If that doesn't work, there are plenty of places in this city where I can go for treatment, and I'm sure any of them would be glad to get the big bucks paid out by my insurance company every year.
This must stop, IMO. And I'm stopping it myself. My SS number is for social security, and I don't give it out much any more either -- only if necessary. Same with the DL number and making copies. Until they get a handle on identity theft and it doesn't ruin people's lives, I just won't be so loose with personal information.
But then, I'm a stubborn ol' coot anyway. Go figure!
Di
This state has no regard for privicy. When we first moved here last year we needed to take our three dogs to a vet.The 1st vet needed to see and copy our dl and we said no. they said it was the law and if we wanted to ask we should ask the sheriffs dept which we did. They said it wasn't the law but that every business requires it.We then tried another vet who said the same as did the thrid vet.I will never give my ss # either and I go one step further. When we go out to eat I never let my credit card out of sight. I make sure I pay the bill and never give the waiter my credit card to take out of my sight. Sometimes it is a hassle but worth piece of mind.
When we lived in Ca I worked in decorating and needed to see credit cards and checks all the time. In the early 80's we could even write dl # on the check but in the early 90's all we could do was look at someones dl to see if it was up to date and a credit card was always handled by the customer until I would slide it through the machine.Oh well I quess I am really off topic. Sorry
Lorrie
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Three weeks ago our primary care doctor said that we might need a release from him for Gary's surgery.We went to moffett monday for his pre op and nothing was said about a release from our primary. I then called when we got home our nurse that we will use at moffitt for the surgery and she said isn't your primary your oncologist? I said our primary is according to our ins. our gp so she said for him to fax over a release. Gary got to see our gp yesterday who just asked how he felt and then gave us the release. So i guess I will also ask our oncoligist who is gary's primary?
I also am against giving out our drivers lisc all the time but when I said for them to look at their records they said they had to see and copy it all the time. I just thought it was this state since even if we go to the vet they will copy our drivers lics. Again back in calif it is not allowed because of identity theft.
Lorrie
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I am so glad you asked about the sex post op. Next tuesday is Gary's surgery and we both wanted to know about that also but I was afraid to ask.I didn't have to ask thanks to you and now I have the answer for my sex machine hubby.
Lorrie
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In June of 2003, I was newly diagnosed with NSCLC. I had the upper left lobe removed in June of 2003, underwent chemo in August, Sept, Oct, and early November, and now, two years later, I probably feel at least as good as I've felt in a long time, and probably better.
Exercise is mandatory now--my surgeon insisted I start an program as soon as possible after surgery. At every subsequent appointment with him, he has checked on that exercise thing with me. When he sent me off with instructions to come back in a year this last time (yeah!), he said, "Keep up the exercise."
It's important to your lung function after losing part of your lung to get exercise. It sure won't be an all at once thing, it's a gradual buildup. When I first got home from the hospital, I wanted to walk around my cul-de-sac in a week. I started with a spin around the perimeter of my back yard, and built up to the cul-de-sac in about a week, but at first, a shower was a big job. Take it slow, but add on every day if you can.
A lot will depend on your lung function going in,but they will do pulmonary function tests prior to surgery, if you will be getting surgery. Your surgeon can discuss all these issues with you too and tell you what you can expect after surgery.
I did return to work (desk job) a little over two weeks after surgery, and can do everything I did before surgery. I am very grateful for my good fortune.
Good luck to you and keep us posted.
Cindy
I am so glad I read this Cindy. My husband is going into surgery next tuesday and his goal is to get back to work in two weeks. Maybe if he needs only one lobe taken out he can.If the whole lung comes out then I guess he will have to wait a bit longer Our surgeon has also said to exercise. I will make Gary read your post.
Lorrie
Gary's Chemo??????
in NSCLC GROUP
Posted
Gary was feeling great all last week until Sat when he came down with a slight fever 99.8 at night normal in the am. We went to the ONC but couldn't see ours since he is on vacation. She didn't seem to concerned but did put him on zithromax and we got a chest x ray today. She said she wants to see him Fri just before his Chemo He does have a problem breathing that comes and goes and he is exhausted. His spirts are way down. Can anyone give me some more advise. My "mom" advice is not helping him.
Lorrie