blueeye

I recently moved in with my Mom and it's much better. I can go peep in on her whenever I want. Before I didn't want to call her and disturb her. And like the post above, I can call the nurses while I am right there. Much better. But on the morphine thing...it turned my Dad into a wild man. They would give him morphine+ativan when he got in trouble throughout his several illnesses and he would go from polite and compliant to being in 5 point restraints. Within minutes! We thought it was the ativan but a nurse gave him some ativan once even though we told them not to and it was on his armband and it didn't have that effect. So it had to be the morphine. And after that I spoke with a pharmacist and he said it's a common side effect with morphine and the ativan just accelerated it.

Mom's doc said no.

Mom's radiation oncologist poo-pooed the PCI for her since she has active disease--meaning the spine mets. I even mentioned this article and he said it wouldn't make her live any longer.

Thank you Welthy...I needed to hear that before I send my brother a "nasty-gram". At least her brother is giving an almost normal response. It did sound like to me that the sky was falling. Only with more information did I move on to understanding...somewhat.

Hi again. I forgot to mention that when Mom finally confessed to me what was going on, she said that she had had some vomiting along with the SEVERE SOB. That stopped once we got to the hospital, on some O2 and intense radiation that shrunk the neck node practically in front of our eyes. Could have also been from the electolyte imbalance that can go along with SCLC. Of course now she has vomiting from the chemo. And good for you for being such a concerned and vigilant daughter. I'd like to think that I am one too. My Mom's poor doctors and nurses don't stand a chance since I work at the hospital and can stalk them as needed! I did it with my Dad's nephrology team and now I've moved on to the oncology department.

Hey and welcome to the board! It's great that you have so much support but I know that you are in shock. I know what you mean about seeing your Mom so vulnerable.

Hi Linda and welcome. I have found lots of very useful info on this board and lots of support too! Hope your Mom continues to do well. It's always nervewracking to wait on those scans and then the results. My Mom also had pain behind the left shoulder (tumor side also) but she was receiving concurrent radiation so that's what we thought it was from. Hindsight told her that she had been having pain there for some time but thougth it was her friend Arthur Itis.

Thanks! Is that prescription? Mom has a cough that just started and we haven't mentioned it to the doc yet but I was just wondering and want to be prepared.

I can't find where it was mentioned, but can anyone tell me which medicine yall said was "the bomb" for coughing fits?

You need to get her platelets checked--now. Low platelet levels can cause bruising and petechiae (little purple dots).

I know how you feel! My brother lives out of town--but in the same state--and is of no help. I backed Mom up when Daddy was sick and we really took care of him. I just "assist" her now. I get really angry with my brother. Not because I am bitter about helping Mom out, I wouldn't have it any other way. BUT he just breezes in here (twice since her dx) and has no idea about what is going on! I worry about getting her to appointments, test results, getting financial assistance, getting medicine filled, getting groceries, keeping up the house and I work full time. But I've gotta say that I don't know what everyone means by "you've gotta take care of yourself". Am I just supossed to leave her here alone and go off? I am not about to do that. I don't think I was any help here...I just wanted to tell you that I know how you feel...and I guess vent a little myself!

My Mom started wheezing a few days after starting treatment which was the same chemo as your Mom but with intense radiation. The respiratory therapists said it meant that the lung was "opening up" and that she was finally moving some air. And that was a good thing! They started giving her breathing treatments and they helped. At the least, he can give your Mum inhalers like Albuterol and Atrovent.

Nova, My Mom started with this combo and there were less side effects with the carboplatin and etoposide than with the cisplatin and CPT-11. Mom's doc hydrates with the cisplatin and that's what takes so long here. He didn't give as much fluids with the carboplatin. Cisplatin is a stronger chemo and bad on the kidneys.

My Mom was started on Carafate right from the beginning and then a Lidocaine viscous solution. Both are nasty tasting but she still uses the Lidocaine. What about the "magic mouthwash" that I've read about? The pharmacist mixes it up and it's Lidocaine, benadryl and I think Maloxx? (The last thing may not be right.) Also remember that the radiation side effects can and will get worse for two weeks AFTER the end of treatment...hang in there!

My Mom had the same treatments to begin with. She did have some nausea but it varied. Seems to me that by the time you figure out what works and what happens, either you're done or they change the meds. As far as the mouth ulcers go, my Mom didn't have them but she did have some pain in her esophagus but taht was from the radiation. She still uses the lidocaine viscous solution. I've read about a "magic mouthwash" which is the lidocaine+benadryl and something else. Definately ask about some relief and don't let her not eat!

oops..wrong thread

Radiation kicked Mom's butt too. Really tired and sleeping lots. No appetite, some hearing loss in left ear (the side the radiation on), food tasted bad. And don't forget the terrible blisters that went all the way around her neck. Also had a burning sensation to the skin and the left shoulder--like inside. My theory is that since we can't "see" the radiation like we can the chemo, we don't associate it with such bad side effects. But it was bad and it got better.

Hi, ditto to all above and also wanted to add that Mom's doc said that the radiation can continue to work for 3 months after completion of treatment. So the radiologist is not repeating a CT until then but the medical oncologist has already done one and is impressed with the response. But we're waiting for MRI results but I think Mom is afraid to find those out.

Hey Amy, I lost my Father in December 06 and now my Mom has sclc and is undergoing treatment. I was right there with Daddy and watched him struggle and suffer for 6 months before he passed from kidney failure. I know right where you stand except I don't have any kids (of the 2 legged variety). My thought and prayers are with you.

Hi Teri, Wanted to add that my Mom responded very quickly to the radiation causing compression and SOB. It was quite amazing to watch the large visible mass on her neck shrink daily. I'm sure your husband will get the same quick results.

Thanks for the welcome guys! Her creatine clearance was good so we are a go on the Cisplatin but it had to wait until tomorrow due to time...he wants to hydrate her and that takes a while. Sooooooooo never mind that I was off work today and could take her back and forth without any problems. I'll just have to leave and go back from work. Luckily she lives close to the clinic and I work across the street. I'm trying not to freak out about the spine spots. And I'm confused as to why he's changing to Cisplatin. We think he said that was what he wanted to do from the beginning but she was in too bad shape. Forgot to mention that she is off of the oxygen and walking everyday! Now if we could just get some weight on her.

Hi Dana, My Mom started on Carafate at the beginning of her radiation tx so she didn't get the burns inside--only outside. BUT she does still use the Lidocaine viscous solution once a day because she says her throat is kinda "touchy". Mom hates the Ensure and Boost and I agree it's nasty! But she drinks a Carnation Instant Breakfast shake a day that I mix up with whole milk for extra calories (and sometimes put some half and half in there lol). Those shake taste really good. Someone suggested to me to take the Boost and mix the Instant B'fast in it. She gave her Boost and Ensure away so I can't sneak any of it in there but I thought that sounded like a good idea. Hang in there!

Hi! I just wanted to introduce myself to you all. I have been lurking and absorbing info here for a few months and I also wanted to thank you for the wealth of info that is here. As it says below, my Mom was diagnosed 2/2/07. She finished four rounds of chemo--carboplatin and etoposide and 24 very high dose radiation treatments. We went back today for what we thought was round 5 of the same chemo but he wants to change her to cisplatin depending on her creatine clearance. She is scheduled for a lumbar MRI because he saw suspicious spots on her spine on the CT last Monday. After that some PCI which by the way I learned about right here and asked him about. (no one had mentioned it to us or even why she had a brain MRI--we thought it was due to the droopy eye.) Anyway...thanks again.

Just wanted to add that they check if a patient needs a blood transfusion when they order a CBC (complete blood count). Just ask what labs they are ordering when they draw the blood. The CBC gives you the white blood count, red blood count hemoglobin and hematocrit among other levels. Then ask for the results. My Mom's doc runs a CBC, metabolic panel and a magnesium level each week. The sodium is checked in the metabolic panel. SCLC frequently causes a syndrome that lowers the sodium level. That's how they knew so quickly that my Mom had SCLC even before the biopsy. But it's also out of whack if a patient is dehydrated.

Yep, that's right. His bone marrow is not making new red blood cells. Old RBCs are taken out by macrophages--a type of WBC and also by the spleen.