hockeyma
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Posts posted by hockeyma
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Hi
My husband had a blood transfusion a few weeks ago and it improved his energy tremendously. Before it he was falling asleep standing. I was just looking at your bio and I didn't know if you ever got a second opinion but if so try for it. Our oncologist said that Gerald would not qualify for any radiation however we went to another hospital and they have said yes -they can radiate 2-3 spots - now whether this is for quality of life, pain relief or cure I know not what is in their heads but he is going to get something. And if it gives more shrinkage all the better. Hopefully you can get an anti nausea medication - Ger has been fortunate - mind you they perscribed him 4 different pills and we have a drug plan. Good luck and I am glad that the scans showed improvement.
Heather
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My husband has lost 12 lbs on top of the 20 he had already lost prior diagnosis. He was puffy from chemo - so probably was holding some water. I am just praying that it is nothing else. He is on oxycodone - I don't know if they are a steroid or not. I had heard that chemo itself chews away at your weight - not sure how true that is.
Heather
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Thank you Don and Dr West
Ger gets new CT scans on Monday and results withing a couple of weeks. That may tell more on the liver lesions. As far as the kidney mets - I think that is probably why two separate doctors both want to re-analysize the biopsy for possibility of thyroid as primary or a second primary. My husband just couldn't be normal - nor has he ever been!
It will be interesting to find out - just hoping right now that the past 4 cycles of chemo has made a difference.
Heather
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Hi
My husband has the symptoms of Horners syndrome but has to wait 3-4 weeks for the gemzar chemo to get out of his system before they can radiate the tumour. I am concerned that the symptoms will progress. I had Bells Palsy 3 years ago and did alot of accupuncture to work with the nerve endings. It just crossed my mind today that this might be an option. He has the droopy lid and numbness in his arm as well as pupil is smaller. I noticed last night that the side of his mouth was not quite the same as the other side...so I would like to do what possible in the meantime. Has anyone had any experience with accupuncture or other remedies to work with either neuropathy or horner's syndrome?
Thanks in advance, Heather
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We don't seem to have the access to this PET scan that I have heard of yet in Ontario. My husband has CT scans and ultrasound on his liver and they come up described as echogenic nodules - whatever that is to mean. He used to drink alot(like 2 24's per week) of beer so nothing tells me that maybe these aren't from that....maybe wishful thinking. If PET scans tell malignancy and ct scans don't does that mean that to be sure what is and what isn't malignant with him has to be biopsied - cause there would be a pile of biopsies required. Any thoughts anyone? Also he has some mass in his kidneys with ring enhansements - and lesions. It appears that mets in the kidney aren't that common with lc - anyone know how true this is?
Heather
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That is really great insight. My husbands sisters live out east and it is driving them crazy not being here to comfort him and help him. My sister in law asked me how I do it and I told her that you just do. Similar thing - it is a ride...an unexpected ride and a long ride by the looks of it. And from a medical statistical perspective not all that encouraging. She told me that she wouldn't be able to go through this with her husband. I told her you do it - you hope - you pray - you research - you figure out every little thing possible that you had no idea about before...and the biggest thing with being a "caregiver" (which I never considered myself to be til now) is that you live it too. It becomes part of you and your routine and your life - yours - your kids - your family and your friends. I am learning now from reading this board that I don't want to look at the statistics but at the stories about other people and what they have done to get by day to day, week to week, month to month and then years. I have told my family doctor and the oncologist that we are going to push our way through this and we need support from them and the interest from them to surpass the norm.
Heather
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Hi Msjenfa
Sorry to hear about your dad. You asked about chemo treatments for those with mets to liver. My husband has mets to liver and kidney and he is on Gemzar and Carboplatin. The first 6 weeks go pretty good and he has been really fortunate and not been ill. However this is not always the case with this combo. After those weeks you have to watch your red and white cell counts. Hope that might help..
Heather
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Hi Danielle
You will find all of the message boards here really helpful. I have only been on here for about 3 weeks myself. It can be addicting. Hope your mom does well with her treatments and stay positive.
Heather
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Hi
With the liver count break down there was one level Lht or something that jumped into the 2500's - anyways to make a story short - I went on internet and found that the oxycodone's he is on can also mess with some of those levels. He was on those before chemo too. Do you ever feel like your next career will be in medicine.
Have a good day,
Heather
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Hi
I am glad your husband got his chemo. Gerald missed one time cause his liver counts were out of wack...which had us totally freaked out - but that resolved itself. The chemo drugs can apparently throw the liver counts out. After his 3rd cycle he had to have blood transfusion. That was a little scary but it helped huge....hopefully you don't get to that point but if you do then don't worry too much as it is a good thing. All the best,
Heather
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Hi Con
I am much in the same boat as you with all of this - My husband and I have 2 kids 12 and 16. See all my information below. Feel free to email me whenever -
Heather
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Hi
My deepest sympathy to you for the loss of your mother. You can feel so much peace to know that she was picked up by the angels.
Heather
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Hello everyone and thanks for your help. I had mentioned to our home town oncologist about the possibility of pancoast tumor a while ago and he said it wasn't - as at that time the 1st ct scan presented at diagnosis stated no sign of pancoast. So we figured neuropathy from the chemo. So with a little re-assurance from this board as the pain and numbness have progressed - we were at Sunnybrook today and sure enough my husband is presenting symptoms of Horners syndrom as a result of pancoast tumour....the doc thought I was pretty smart. I told him I get alot of help. Proves how good it is to do a lot of talking to others and investigating. They will start radiation in February on his brain met, the svc area and the pancoast area but he has to get ct scans to show what exactly chemo has improved and biopsy retested again as they are not postitive the primary is lung - the biopsy was analyzed twice and determined as pulminary origin - not specified. As you can see he has mets in a pile of spots and we don't begrudge anything cause they had him on chemo so very quickly and there is much improvement as lymph nodes in neck are no longer swollen and he can now swallow big pills and eat more than he could before. The doctors have seen his symptoms characteristic in thyroid cancer. For some reason we feel more secure today than before. It is just to get through the next few weeks without the security of chemo. If anyone has a good info site for pancoast tumours I would appreciate it. Also if anyone has come across anyone else who has had his type of symptoms and mets I would appreciate too.
Sincerely and thanks, Heather
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Alicia,
So sorry that your father is ill, I totally agree with Joan as far as pain meds and stool softeners. My husband had a really hard time for the 1st month and a half getting all of this in order. Now that it is - it is so much better for him and for me. He takes oxycodone 10mg morning and night as well 2 every for hours. He takes Soflax and another softener. Ger never took all of this stuff before and the point is like our family doc said....you don't need to go through anymore pain than necessary - you already have enough to deal with emotionally as it is. I am sorry about the way the hospital treated your dad. Thank God here in Ontario we "appear" to have fewer issues with insurance and medicare. That is another worry which one just doesn't need. Best of luck and stay positive ok.
Heather
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Aaron - Best of luck with your tests. Hoping that all goes absolutely wonderful for you.
Heather
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Hi
My husband is on gemzar/carboplatin combo. He gets both week one, gemzar only week 2 and week 3 he is off. He has missed two treatments now and he just started his fourth cycle. His red and white counts have been messed up and last week he had to get a transfusion. This is very much chemo related. Even with the arensp needle for red counts he has been low - apparently the needle takes time to kick in. The week before he had a transfusion he was short of breath when excerting. He was also coughing alot - like a keel over cough - not just trying to get mucous up - (mucous and chemo apparently go together too). Anyways - I got the family doctor onto it and he has been perscribed a medication - biaxin - to help and it seems to have. It is an unknown road that is for sure. Last time he was short of breath his heart was also racing so I went out and bought a blood pressure monitor - go figure haven't used it since. Have a good new year and hope his blood work gets in order. Heather
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Hi Tanner
My husband and I have children also. Ours are a little older (12 and 16) but it is hard for them to comprehend what is going on too. They tend to just assume the world is wonderful and by pleading ignorance all will get better. It is probably better for them that way. I am really sorry about your wife's diagnosis., we are new at this too. My husband was diagnosed in October and is taking chemo now. Your wife seems to be getting quick treatment which is great. There is alot to learn and I find that on this site alot of "real" information. I spend alot of time looking at everyone's diagonsis and treatment plans...so that I know what other options are out there. It is a whole new world and we just need to be positive as possible for the kids and our spouses. It is alot of hard work trying to run the household and manage the kids - and work. Just try to take a few minutes for yourself every now and then to take deep breaths and regroup. All the best and keep in touch.
Heather
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Hi
Welcome to the site. I am new to this site also. My husband was diagnosed on October 2nd and is stage IV also - some similarities to your husbands but on different chemo treatment. I will be really interested to see how your ct scan results turn out. Please keep us posted. My husband is on a different chemo program and can't get radiation unless he stops the chemo for a few weeks. Which isn't good either...ughhhh!!!!!!! Just be as positive as possible. Good luck!
Heather
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Hi
In regards to hypethermia - a business associate of mine's wife has inoperable bowel cancer. They have gone to the mayo clinic and nothing more could be done than here in Canada. They have spoken to the clinic in Germany and I believe they are going in January - one of the very few Canadians if not the first to go - the price tag is hefty but they can get main treatment there and continue here with the chemo pills by the sounds of it. They have been given no hope so they are giving this a shot. The link that they gave to me is www.dr-peter-wolf-de/content-uk/index.html. Try that - if it doesn't work email me and I will forward to you their email to me. Best of luck.
Heather
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Hi Flo,
Sorry to hear about your husbands diagnosis. You can read below all that has happened to us in the last 2.5 monthes. Never thought we would be here but we are. Gerald isn't working as he has alot of pain...I have been working but am fortunate enough to run my own store and can log in and work from home when necessary. So I have been keeping him company to some degree and have gone with him to all of his appointments. His opinion is positive and that he is going to get rid of this disease which is great but he does tend to put a deaf ear to some of the things the doctors have said. I accompany to all appointments and take notes. He doesn't use the internet so I have been doing alot of research and collecting of what all of these wonderful people on this site and on other sites have been doing/taking to help fight the disease. One thing that is helpful as I am not home all of the time is I made up a spreadsheet which he fills out every morning with things like temperature, weight, pain, constipation - any other pertinent info - so that i can chart it - keep on top of his symptoms and compare to different stages of treatment - ie week of chemo - week off chemo etc. I have found this very useful. Other than that - just alot of support even though I suppose I am driving him nuts asking him if he is alright all of the time. We go to a spiritual healer once a week also - (similar to reike) and this helps build his energy levels. Best of luck and hopefully the oncologist is very pro-active with your case.
Heather
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Hi
My husband is and has been experiencing a severe amount of shoulder and arm pain - this started the week before his diagnosis and two weeks after a car accident we were in. Our doctor say it is pain from the cancer. He is on chemo- gemzar and carboplatin -
has anyone else had this happen to them either due to the treatment "or" just the cancer? He is thinking maybe it is arthritis. He is on oxycodone 10mg right now - about 12 per day. I know that sometimes the chemo can affect the nerve endings but this is quite severe. Any comments or ideas of other ways to relieve and what it could be. Thanks,
Heather
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Thanks for all of the support - I have added my husbands symptoms, tests and results to the site as a few asked. If I did it right it should show up here now on this message
Heather
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Hi
I am so very sorry that you lost your daughter so quickly. As far as age - I don't think cancer knows any boundaries. My husband is 42 and was diagnosed in October 2006 with nscl cancer. His cousin died last new years at the age of 41 with small cell and non small cell - and a friend of ours died two years ago at the age of 40. That is 3 people in my little world in their 40's. The statistics would be interesting to know.
Heather
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Hi
My name is Heather. I have been surfing various websites for the last two monthes and for some reason did not locate this one until a few days ago. Thank God! My husband Gerald has been diagnosed with nscl cancer - squamous cell carcinoma. It was discovered to be on October 2nd and by October 6th he had the biopsy results and oncologist examination. Gerald is 42, we have two children - 16 and 12. He has not been staged per say by the doctors but from what I can read into it he is either stage 3b or stage 4. He has numerous lesions on one lung. A 14 cm mass on his chest that blocks total catscan view of the other as well as mets to the kidney, liver and lymph. He has a suspicious lesion on frontal lobe of brain also. He was put on chemo the week following diagnosis - so I must say it has all been quick - but so is the spread of the cancer. I wanted to make myself known to you all as I have been checking the messages for the last few days and find this group of people and this website just what I have been looking for. Stories and ideas instead of doom and gloom are a plus. Next week we have an appointment at Sunnybrook to see a radiologist. We had considered traveling to the states however Gerald also has thrombosis to his superior vena cava and his juglar as there was another mass from the nodes pushing on that..and mass wrapped around his pulminary artery..(could it get any better!!!!),so long drives or flying would have been a risk. He is positive and has great support from family and friends - all of his siblings are out of province,,,Newfoundland - PEI and Alberta - and they are all going to be up over the next few monthes to spend time with him which is awesome. So that is the jest of our story and I wanted you to know who I was if you started to see posts from me.
Heather
Weight Loss
in GENERAL
Posted
Hi - thanks Mary Colleen, I wasn't sure - Did your husband puff up from the chemo. I don't know what is up with mine's weight - have to try to build it back up for radiation so he has some strength. His sister and brother are coming from Newfoundland and his brother is coming from Edmonton in 10 days so that should help.
Heather