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cjolaw

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Posts posted by cjolaw

    I knew it was coming

    in CAREGIVER RESOURCE CENTER

    Posted

    We went to Mayo at the beginning, consulting on what they would do for treatment, and then we went to the local onc... he conurred... She's been treated with the best, the strongest...4 lines of treatment in fact. She is so weak. So thin. Basically just a skeleton. Her pain is increasing at a fast pace, she had a hard time getting the pain under control today. Her bone mets are so extensive that she has broken her arm bone entirely in half because of the cancer eating away at it. She recently fell and broke her tailbone (assumably from bone mets as well). She routinely needs IV fluids, blood transfusions, etc. At this point, I can't imagine her riding for several hours in a car anywhere. I don't believe she can turn back from here. Her lung is completely full of fluid... it reaccumulates within a day or two. I can't stand to see her like this anymore. It feels as though someone is strangling me... squeezing my chest; my heart. I simply don't want to see her suffer any longer.

    I would love for someone to tell me there is a miracle drug; for someone to show me a new treatment that will reverse the damage. I just don't know that it's out there. I don't want to give up, but I can't stand to see her suffer.

    I knew it was coming

    in CAREGIVER RESOURCE CENTER

    Posted

    Well, my dad went and talked with my mom's oncologist today, alone. Turns out that the chemo isn't working, she's declining very fast and her pain is increasing. We'll be meeting with the docs on Monday where she will learn that there will be no more treatment... and there are no other options.

    Her pain was great today which is why I pray she will allow hospice to treat her. This isn't what I imagined her life to be like in her mid-50's.

    What do I expect at the end of life? I am at a loss. My mother is the strongest woman I have ever known.

    strong enough for chemo!

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    Well, mom's excitement at starting chemo was short lived AGAIN. We knew that she had significant bone mets... enough to slightly fracture her arm. Well, the bone in her upper arm is now completely broken-in half. She will need to have surgery to scrape out the tumors, do a bone graft and then insert a steel rod.

    A new prayer request... that her body can fight off any infection and that she will heal perfectly so she'll be able to use her right arm again!!!!

    Thanks,

    Carrie

    strong enough for chemo!

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    My mother is a fighter. In fact, the social worker at her cancer center said she has never seen a cancer patient quite like her! My mother made it clear that she did not want to consider hospice yet. (this is her fourth line treatment) Anyway, after an almost 4 week decline (no chemo) her blood tests were good enough to do another round of chemo! She's forging ahead, weak, but DETERMINED! Her spirit rejuvinates me. I am so glad to see the fire in her belly again. Hopefully there will be no hospital stays like the last chemo infusion...say a prayer that her stats, blood levels, etc remain at a normal level :)

    Thanks for listening.

    Carrie

    It's just too much

    in CAREGIVER RESOURCE CENTER

    Posted

    Just an update. Platlets are moving into the 50,000's. But her hemoglobin and white blood cell counts were low... so another blood transfusion. She getting very tired and is having alot of breakthrough pain, which needs to get under control... we'll go see the dr. again tomorrow.

    Thanks Jen for the support. I have a great family, and my sisters are really pitching in too.

    My dad is distraught, very depressed, but doing everything he can to keep mom comfortable.

    I can't believe how quickly things start to move downhill. It was just a few months ago she was working 50 hours a week...

    I salute those of you have battled this beast and who are currently battling it. I also salute the caregivers who walk beside them.

    Carrie

    mom dx age 55 November 2006, adenocarcinoma NSCLC, malignant pleural effusion.

    pleurex catheter inserted-mayo clinic

    cisplatin/taxotere/avastin...major shrinkage of main tumor!

    Avastin only

    progression...alimta

    progression...tarceva

    progression...carbo/gemzar

    only has had one infusion...very weak and blood levels not good.

    It's just too much

    in CAREGIVER RESOURCE CENTER

    Posted

    Thank you all very much for your thoughts and prayers. I was just feeling overwhelmed yesterday. I have three sisters and we are all taking one day a week with mom, because she can't be at home alone anymore. I had yesterday, my older sister had today and said she was a little more talkative, which is good. Unfortunately her platlets keep dropping. They are down to 24,000. She'll be checked tomorrow to see where the platelet count is.

    One day at a time. Breathe in, breathe out.

    Carrie

    It's just too much

    in CAREGIVER RESOURCE CENTER

    Posted

    It's just too much to watch her struggle. To see her stare at me as though she wants to say something, but can't. It's just too much to have a conversation with only a reply of a few yes's or no's. It's just too much to watch my dad help her to her feet, rub her back as she throws up the few bites of food she managed to choke down. It's just too much to have to watch her slowly wither away. It's just too much to see her hair a mess, her makeup non-existant, her color flat. It's just too much to witness her in pain. It's just too much to realize that this beast we call lung cancer is taking my mother from me. It's just too much.

    Carrie

    Invanz anyone????

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    Mom (56 yr old, adenocarcinoma NSCLC dx Nov. 06) has been in the hospital since Tuesday. She is now on her fourth line treatment--gemzar/carbo--and then had a blood transfusion. A few hours later she presented with a 104 temp and a blue nose. She was admitted into the hospital and the dr's started the antibiotic invanz. She has continued to go downhill, rather than rallying. She has delayed speech, she just stares into your eyes and doesn't say anything. When I asked the onc about this he attributed it to the Invanz, which can impact the central nervous system. She had a brain scan only a month ago and it was clean.

    Metobolically (stats, blood counts, etc.) she's ok.

    Has anyone had any experience with Invanz????

    Carrie

    Chemo and high blood pressure?

    in GENERAL

    Posted

    Yes... my mother had terribly high blood pressure while she was on cisplatin/taxotere/avastin... presumably from avastin?

    They put her on three different blood pressure meds to control it. Now she's off all of them as her blood pressure has dropped significantly (she's no longer on that chemo regimine)

    Carrie

    Temporary Blindness

    in NSCLC GROUP

    Posted

    Has anyone had experience with temporary blindness, where it comes on suddenly and leaves suddenly, leaving you with a feeling of dizziness and disorientation?

    My mom had this happen to her today. She's stage IV NSCLC adenocarcinoma, mets to bones, just had an mri a week or two ago for brain mets... came up clean.

    She just finished radiation to her arm and is currently on Tarceva. This is her 3rd line treatment, has previously been on cisplatin/taxotere/avastin; avastin alone; and alimta.

    Thanks for your help.

    Carrie

    bone mets in mom

    in CAREGIVER RESOURCE CENTER

    Posted

    Mom is facing a new challenge. She has had shoulder pain for the last few weeks, finally had it xrayed. The radiologist concluded that it looked like cancer. She'll need a bone scan to confirm.

    I am wondering if any of you have had experience with lc spreading to the bones. I need to know how to help her, what to expect, etc.

    If any of you can offer some help and advice I would greatly appreciate it.

    Thank you,

    Carrie

    mom-dx November 2006

    Age 55, Stage IV NSCLC Adenocarcinoma

    Previous Treatments:

    Cisplatin/Taxotere plus Avastin

    Avstin alone

    Alimta

    Currently on Tarceva

    Not what we wanted to hear

    in MEMBER UPDATES

    Posted

    Well, my mom's scan results are in... more and larger nodules in the lung, fluid increasing, adrenal gland enlarged (what does this mean?) I understand what the adrenal gland is, but does englarged mean "suspected mets???" I understand it is a common place for the cancer to spread to? Anyone have any experience with that?

    Onc suggested either Tarceva or gemzar plus carboplatin... any thoughts out there????

    Carrie

    I don't like CT scan week

    in CAREGIVER RESOURCE CENTER

    Posted

    My mother (stage IV NSCLC), whose lung cancer journey began nearly a year ago, will be having another CT scan this week to see how the Alimta is working. Previously she was on Taxotere/Cisplatin/Avastin and then Avastin alone. She unfortunately showed progression after just a few months of Avastin as a single agent. I know most of you can relate to the ups and downs of lung cancer but I feel my chest tightening and my emotions seem to be much more raw the week of her CT scans... waiting, watching, wondering...praying. I don't post much, but I read alot and it helps... it helps to know that my frustrations and joys are similar to others.

    I want her to get good news from this CT scan... I want to see a genuine smile, a feeling of freedom (at least for a moment), and a sense of peace.

    Thank you for letting me be a silent part of this community.

    Carrie

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