wendyr

Beautiful Love her name wendyr

I sent them an email wendyr

Sorry to hear of your Dad's additional health problems, as if alzheimers wasn't enough! You have come to a great place for information & support. My mother chose to have no treatment. She was diagnosed with stage 4 nsclc in September, 1994 and was fine until about February 1995 when she started on Tylenol 3 for pain. By March she was on Hospice and they controlled her pain with morphine (light doses, which gradually increased over time) By late April she was on heavier doses of morphine & ativan every 3 hours for anxiety. She did not get pneumonia and passed very peacefully on May 22, 1995. She had been given 3 to 6 months to live and she lasted 8 months. I would say that her quality of life was fair to good with the exception of the last 6 weeks of her life when she had to be heavily medicated. Hospice is wonderful and make everything so much easier for the patient and the family. Hope this helps. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Kasey, that was a wonderful post. You are an inspiration wendyr

Tanner, can't help with your question but am sending prayers that they will find the right chemo cocktail for Karen. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Possible chemo brain ??? wendyr

We all think we have control over certain situations and lung cancer in our loved ones leaves us totally out of control, which is frustrating & difficult to say the least. You are in a very difficult situation that you probably have never been in before. For me the hardest part to come to terms with is the lack of control that I have over this disease. It's important to try to get to the acceptance part, and understanding that I have no control over this. I think once that process takes place, the rest falls into place, but getting to the acceptance part is definitely the hardest thing. I pray for peace, strength & serenity for you. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Hospice told me that hearing is the last thing to go & that we should be very careful about what was spoken within earshot of my mother. I never forgot that & even though she was comatose I would not allow any of that kind of conversation within hearing distance of her. She was comatose for about 10 days before she passed very peacefully about 12 years ago. She had no food & no fluids, just the sponges dipped in water that I rubbed over her lips & inside her mouth. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Thanks for the tips so far. Lomotil, which he takes, is the prescription strenghth of over the counter immodium & according to the onc there is nothing stronger. I had a friend with colitis who was prescribed the anti depressant elavil for it's 'off label' use for diarrhea. It worked like a charm for her & she hasn't needed it since. She was running to the bathroom every 15 minutes. The onc said elavil is an old drug but we insisted on trying it anyway. So far today no improvement, but he just started on it yesterday. I'll let you know. I was also told cheese will 'bind' you. Any comments on that or any other foods that help. Many thanx wendyr

Well just ramble on. We;re all good listeners, plus you've received some very practical advice as well. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Jenn: I agree with everything Susan said. Sometimes the initial diagnosis of lung cancer can be terrifying & it's difficult at first to be able to make informed decisions. I don't believe that anything should be kept from her. She is the one who ultimately will be making decisions regarding her care. You say she is 65 and in otherwise good health so she should be a good candidate for treatment. Let her adjust to her new normal and encourage her to look into all her treatment options. The doctors at MSK know what they're doing & if they think radiation is a good idea I think I'd try to encourage her to go for it. There can be short term issues with both chemo and radiation but the long term prospect can be good especially with treatment from a facility like MSK. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Rhonda that is great news. Congratulations to Mom & to you too. Best wishes and prayers for continued shrinkage. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Jill, does she take her Tarceva in the am or pm? Maurice was taking it in the am and the fatigue was so bad he was spending most of the day in bed. 4 oclock in the afternoon was when he seemed to start getting stronger. When we saw the onc 3 weeks ago she said ok to take at night and hopefully sleep through most of the fatigue. It has helped some, although he still is tired, just not quite as much as when he took it in the am.

Hi Y'all. I am looking for help with diarrhea control. Maurice is using 4 to 6 Lomitils a day & it's not helping much. His body may be getting used to them as he's been taking them since previous colon cancer in 1992. We think this is the wrath of Tarceva. Do any of you have any tips re meds, foods etc that would help. We spoke to the onc today and she had no new ideas. You would think with all the oxycontin he's taking that constipation would be a problem but that just hasn't happened. Any help/tips would be appreciated wendyr

May 8th, 8lbs 7ozs, 21". Caitlyn wendyr

Thanks for the update, Teri. Here's hoping the radiation will work well for Bill and you get good shrinkage. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Tanner, your post brought tears to my eyes and I'm so very, very sorry reading it. I'm sending prayers the 3rd line treatment will work and you start getting some much needed good news/good news. Cancer sucks. God Bless wendyr

Hi Dana: food not tasting good and loss of appetite is very commom while undergoing treatment. My husband also thinks I'm nagging him to eat & take in more fluids. It's a very fine line that caregivers have to walk. Maurice doesn't like boost or ensure so I make milkshakes out of Carnation Instant Breakfast. Mix it up with Half & Half & throw in lots of ice cream for extra calories. I also leave small snacks by his chair which he sometimes eats. Nuts, cheese, chocolates etc. Have you spoken with her onc about drugs for appetite. There is marinol which is medical marijuana in pill form. Keep us posted on how we can help you. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Peg: please accept my condolences on the loss of your mother and prayers that your brother will respond to treatment. Please keep us posted. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

I'm so very sorry that you are having to go through this especially so soon after losing your father. I think the grief counselor is a very good idea. The hospice people are wonderful people & hopefully can give you the emotional help you need right now and give you some tips on how to help your kids get through this. Is it possible to take mom to the shore sooner than the 28th? Perhaps with some special planning you could manage it. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Tanner, prayers that Karen will be feeling better real soon and all those blood clots gone. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Tanner, just a thought. Is Karen taking any kind of anti depressant? Maurice was spending most days in bed & the onc put him on one. I'm not sure it's started to work yet but they say they take a few weeks to take effect. Keep us posted on the test result. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Hi Dana: when Maurice has days when he can't eat I too make up shakes from Carnation Instant Breakfast. He hates boost & ensure. I mix it with half & half & add lot of ice cream for extra calories. You can also throw in strawberries or peaches. Blend it all up & voila ! Instant Shake. Also has your Mom been given the Magic Mouthwash? The dr prescribes it but it's compounded by the pharmacist. Lidacaine, Maalox & Benadryl. Drink it down before eating & it numbs the throat & esophaagus to make eating a little easier. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr

Hi Jim: Maurice has only had one break & that was from early Oct thru the end of Dec. Onc said previous radiation & chemo still working, so gave him a break, the smaller cancers shrank but the main mass increased slightly. wendyr

prayers for both of you wendyr