EastCoastLadi

Deborah, I am so sorry about your mom. I hate this type of cancer it moves so quickly. I don't have any experience w/ radiation to the lung, even though my husbands' radiologist is so wanting him to try. I would say at the point she is at now if it will give her some relief it is worth doing. You should be asking if you haven't if where they will be radiating will it be near any major arteries. As you know it's going to radiate not only to her lung but everything else around it as well. I know that my husbands' radiologist said that he is to do this, it would be at very low doseage, about 25% of what the usual amount of radiation dosage. As you know sc responds well to treatment, so even if it helps a bit, that would be a good thing for your mom. In terms of side effects, I guess it would be what I had mentioned, also maybe chemo burn, but that would be the least of it for her. Deborah, I am praying that your mom will be comfortable, please keep us updated. Grace

I am very sorry about your FIL. I am also very outraged! for medical professionals to have "missed" key issues in your FIL is so so unacceptable. I think your family needs to speak with the patient advocate at the hospital he is at and express your anger at the treatment your FIL has and is getting. Also please, please have your MIL get a copy of his medical records of all your FIL has been through since the beginning of all of this. This upsets me greatly because my dad was mistreated for his cancer and he suffered greatly, it wasn't until I got my dad to another hosp. and to an onc. that we found out the extent of his cancer, but it was too late for him. At least they helped with his pain, and tried so many things for him, but like I said it was too late. Please if you can try to get him to another onc. Also if your dad has insurance, try to get a case manager thru his insurance to come aboard to help your MIL out, they can help you with any questions or issues you all have. But the main point now is to get your FIL as comfortable as possible. I can tell you that my husband has "stage 4" sclc and his treatment and care has been absolute fantastic, as I keep telling my mom it is the way my dad should of been treated. Once again, I am very sorry, I know the feeling of being overwhelmed, please keep on fighting for you FIL. Grace

Karen, I am very sorry that your dad is going through such pain. Unfortunately I know exactly what it is like to watch your father giving in to this aweful disease. Exactly a year ago, this time I was watching my own father dying of cancer. It was very very difficult and I felt so helpless. I knew that the best thing that anyone around him could do was to make him at comfortable as possible and visit w/him, talk, hold his hand, just comfort him. Even though my dad had a very difficult passing, it has bought me some sense of comfort to know that in his final days I was able to help him as much as I could. I miss my dad very much. Please don't hesitate to come here, there are such wonderful, compassionate people who accept you unconditionally. I pray for comfort for your father. Grace

YEA!!!! Lucie and Don......lets hope all this good news is contagious!!!!! Grace

dads girl, boy do i know how you feel! you literally live from moment to moment! but please don't think of your dad dying because you will drive yourself crazy. As far as taking a vacation i know it is difficult, i want my family to take one, I have been planning for the week after next, but I can't make any definite plans until the very last moment because i don't know how my husband will be feeling. Please don't give up hope! Grace

Lori, It is coincidental that you are having this problem because my husband started taxol for the first time last week. He had a mild reaction, but it worked out ok. when we were learning about taxol, we were told that this kind of reaction you had while uncommon, can happen. Now w/ my husband they said that if something like that were to happen, what they do is very slowly administer it. The NP also said that in some cases they will hospitalize a patient and administer taxol extremely slow. Please don't get discouraged, remember everyone is different when it comes to chemo. and if you don't get back on taxol there definitely will be other options. I hope you definitely get down to a resolution very soon. Keep the faith. Grace

Darrell, I can't believe this is happening to you. Now you know that I know something about dealing w/ ext sclc and it's such a rollercoaster. Definitely get that second opinion. You just finished the first "gold standard" of chemo. So I know the onc. doesn't want your body to totally break down. But you're young and like my husband I truly believe you can take whatever they throw at you. There are many more chemo options but you have to find out how soon you can do it. I don't know if cyberknife is an option, you should check out that cyberknife site, I know someone listed it on here, (check out the treatment section). Well I will tell you that whatever option is the best for you that they better monitor you frequently. You know that w/ sclc the cells literally double themselves w/in 30 days, that is why you have to be agressive! and like I said before you're not old, and you probably don't mind taking some chances <?> (at least I think you do). So fight, and fight strong and hard. and Darrell, if I find out anything, any options, or even drs. or hosp. that know how to deal w/ this I will let you know asap. I'm sending the good vibes your way tonite. Don't worry you can fight this beast! Grace

My prayers are going out to Barbara.. Grace

I'm in agreement with you about the VA, they really didn't help my dad at all. When you talk to your onc. tomorrow, ask him/her to explain exactly what that means in simple terms, no medical bs-ing. If you can try to seek another opinion. I hope everything turns out alright for you Grace

Frannie, I'm in agreement w/ Randy, she needs to go to the closest ER down there ASAP! This is something that can't be taken lightly. I'm not a medical person, but it could be anything from something not so bad to something that urgently needs to be taken care of. If you can't get to her, please tell her she needs to go to the ER tonite!!! . ( maybe there is someone else there w/ her that can go? ) Please let us know what is happening. Grace

Kim, I am sorry to hear about your mom, I know you must be so scared. I wish I could tell you why this is happening to her, it may be chemo or cancer related, or it could even be something different altogether. Just be reassured she is in good hands at the hospital. I know they will get down to what is going on. I do know that as I have said before, when you go for cancer treatment it literally is a crap-shoot, you don't know for certain what effects it may or may not have on someone, everyone is different. But I am sure that you mom will be fine. I am sending out my prayers to you all. Grace

Melinda, Look at it this way, they picked it up and picked it up quickly, which is a good thing, I know it wasn't the news you all wanted to hear, but your mom will be ok, I'm sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. Grace

Bravo Peggy! I think that especially women, we have a difficult time at saying "no" and being "selfish" but in a good way! I say good for you!! This is your time, you do whatever you feel the need to do. You don't have to be accountable to anyone. I also think it is wonderful that you have reached out to others and others have been there for you. I find that when you have a strong support network of people who care, even in the smallest way, it can make the world of difference. So please you take those days, you so deserve them!!! Grace

Lori, Thats' not the news you all wanted to hear about now. I think you've got to wait to hear about the outcome of her complete ct and you know that they can give you a preliminary report asap. Hopefully it will just be another bump in the road, this is one of the things I hate about cancer, just when you think you can relax, you can't. It just seems like it is all time-consuming, and so so emotionally draining. Lets' hope that this isn't anything major and that the drs. can take care of it. As far as your mom not talking, it's hard sometimes to talk about things, especially when you may think that is all you deal w/ in your life is cancer. She knows you are there for her. Grace

Thank you Peggy for this information. We know this is an extremely difficult time for Carleen, I know that perhaps she may not feel like dealing with anyone right now, but I want her to know that it's ok and we will be here whenever she needs us. Grace

Hey Shirley, Chris! Shirley I agree w/ Chris especially w/ the weather and your dads' possible fatigue. I know that this weather has been real tough on my husband, I just think it's all the accumulations of chemo and radiation and all the drugs he is currently taking, along w/ his blood cell counts and his sugar levels. Does your dad go in for regular blood tests, I know my husband is every week, because they might want to check some different levels, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary if he has some low levels of certain things ( too many things to test for in the blood), but it may be a possibility. And yes, it does stink with all this waiting and waiting, phone tag stuff. My thinking is that w/ big hospitals they are so bogged down by sheer numbers that they lose the personal touch. You know even though Boston is a pretty big medical city, alot of these specialists know one another. So my thinking is that if you don't hear anything by Fri. you should try to see if you can personally talk w/ your dads' onc. to see if she can directly get this taken care of. I know that w/ my husbands' onc. he knew the onc. in boston, so it definitely helped . ...and Chris....I was thinking about you and all this wild weather out west...was it as bad as I saw on TV? ..but I take it you weathered the storm!! ..keep in touch Grace

Kelly, I've said this before, chemo and its' reactions or non-reactions vary from chemo to chemo and person to person. I know that in my husbands' case first w/ gemzar he had it w/ ireceotan and it caused his platlets to drop dangerously low and had to stop. With his first type of chemo cisplastin and etoposide he did fine at first but then the cumulative effects caught up to him. Now he has started last week w/ taxol alone, he did great, in fact we went walking by the river later on that day!...Now this week he is adding topotecan w/ the taxol and I and he are hoping he reacts fine. But with everyone going thru chemo, it's a wait and see. But it's good that your there w/ your mom, because just the process of going to chemo can be an overwhelming thing. I hope that she continues to do well. Grace

Donna, It could possibly be the chemo. With chemo there are so many side effects and it varies according to the type of chemo. and the person. I would say that of course if your dad is in extreme pain to call his dr. right away. There is probably something they can prescribe or perhaps he may need to be seen. With me I'd rather be safe than sorry, because with cancer you don't know what is normal and what isn't. Sending prayers to your dad to get rid of his pain. Grace

I wish you all the best tomorrow and positive thoughts for no pain!!! Grace

Shirley, Keep on hanging in there. All I can tell you that the "devil is in the details"...it's all the steps to have to go thru to get to the final outcome. Grace

Carleen, I'm still thinking about you and hope that you are doing alright. Please know that I am saying my prayers for you today. Grace

thank you for all the great advice, my husband definitely drinks plenty of water, but I'm going to get some watermelon too. The pharmacist at the cancer center also told us about some supplements that he could take that wouldn't interfer w/ treatment, one has to do w/ amino acids. Also there is a supplement that I take called L-Carnitine, which is good for muscle building, but I take it for energy and it is also good for memory.... Grace

that is too funny, I had to send one to a couple of my friends!!!

Donna, Please know it is ok to vent. As far as when your dad will have any tests, you definitely have to ask his dr. I think many of us can totally relate to you, cancer sucks!, sorry, but true. It takes so much, at times so quickly, it makes your head spin, and leaves you helpless. You want to do anything you possibly can to control it, you try and try. The best thing to do is don't hide your feelings, know that you are not alone, try to be strong for your children. Also try not to overload yourself, I know it may be difficult but I have tried to live one step, one moment at a time. Grace

Ann ...but I luv my husbands' middle name it is Bell - a family name. Grace