chelee

RandyW, I can't tell you how MUCH I APPRECIATE you taking the time to give me those links. It means the world to me. I've had a rough year fighting an aggressive breast cancer myself...stage IIIA, with positive nodes. So I have ALWAYS been the one to take my Mom to doctors appts. This times its been my brother and he means well but he does NOT ask questions...and he's NOT good at letting the onc know whats going on with her it seems. So your timing with these links are EXCELLENT as her next appt with onc is Thursday and I FINALLY get to go to this one. I ask LOTS of questions and I like to know everything! In fact my own doctors and onc gets annoyed with how involved I want to be. They like the people that don't ask questions it seems. But thats just not me. I am off to check out all the links you gave me and see what will be helpful on Thursday. I want to be prepared. I am so thankful I found this board. I will update as soon as possible and no doubt will be back with more questions. Thanks again! Chelee

My Mom started off on Carbpotin and Gemzar. Got some good results at first on that then it stopped working. Then I believe she was switched to "Alimta" and it didn't get the results the onc wanted and just recently she was on "Tarceva". That seemed to be working after the first scan she had and she told me she could breath better. But then she started getting really dizzy and off balance and seeing big black spots especially in one eye and the onc wanted her off the Tarceva till he sees her again which is this coming week. Seems she has went down hill since then? I am so afraid its brain mets again. I don't know what to think? I did read they can act funny a few months after WBR and it will get better. But I don't know what to think. I'm worried sick. Chelee

Ok...let me try again. First attempt is too long. My Mom has stage IV lung cancer and had mets to brain. She had 9 WBR and seemed fine 3 months ago. Now she had trouble holding a conversation with me. She says things that makes no sense...totally off the wall things? Then she is semi fine again. She won't get up and walk around or even sit up in a chair. She just lays down and waits to take her pain pills. can't remember what I tell her..has me repeats things over and over. Is this after affects from WBR? Chelee

I just went through a year battling breast cancer...so I'm not new to chemo and what goes along with it. But my Mother was DX with stage IV lung cancer and THAT I know nothing about. Plus since I was seeing so many doctors due to my own care...my brother has been taking my Mom to appts. He's NOT like me..he doesn't ask questions nor finds out much. He just does what the oncologist says and thats it. I've been visiting Mom when I can and she has went down hill so fast I can't believe it. About 2 months ago she had some brain mets and had 10 rounds of WBR. So NOW what I'm trying to fiqure out she use to make sense when I would talk to her. Now she just lays in her bed and won't do anything. She uses only a *side chair* to potty...won't even go to the bathroom. (She did use a walker before this due to hip fractures...but she was good with the walker.) She has dropped so much weight its not funny. She was a big strong women and is down to nothing. She eats like a bird. I want to know WHY she can make sense for a few minutes..then the next minute she says something totally off the wall like "What's hanging on the wall right there". (There ISN'T anything on the wall!) She asked me if I had a sweater on and I just had my regular plain blouse..I've NEVER wore a sweater in my life. Plus it was 90 degrees in her house. She asked me if her door was blue...its NEVER been blue. She even asked if I was laying down when I was sitting in a computer chair with my arm resting on the top of her walker??? So you get the idea I hope. But then she can talk to me about what my bother said or did. She will ask me about my breast cancer chemo and doctors appts. Why is her mind jumping back and forth. Plus I noticed I read a greeting card to her THREE times because she kept telling me I never read it to her. Please tell me WHY she is doing this? How can she be semi fine one minute...and totally off the next? Its killing me to see her like this. Plus when I go to leave she says "You aren't leaving me already are you...I'm so lonely" It breaks my heart. Is some of this from her WBR? She seemed fine after she had WBR's a few months ago...now she is making no sense. Could it be brain mets back again? I am going with my brother to her next appt 8-2-07 to see whats going on...but if anyone has any idea please help me understand. All I do is cry...why we both have to deal with cancer at the same time is just over whelming. We have always been SO CLOSE...I can't imagine life without her. But it seems like she is at the end of it. (Sorry so long.) Chelee