Linda74

Welcome ......celebrate those results...they are awesome.....stay on this board, you meet the nicest people here

Thanks, Judy....Truth be told he never had a depressed day in his life before the diagnosis....I think the mini strokes to the brain may be part of it. Surely, his "affect" has changed. The medications may also be the culprit and the fact that we went from a life where we were actually "pinching" ourselves each morning because we felt so good and blessed. He loves sports and our kids come to visit when they are available on the weekends. If he feels good like he has the last two days, the visits are wonderful. But on the down days, emotionally and stamina wise, he almost dreads the visits. We will get there, hour by hour if necessary. You are right, it is too soon to give up hope. It is just so hard when you know how much fight one has to have to stay in this game and when sometimes you look in the eyes and don't see the tank full for the fight. I am so thankful to have found this board.

Hi Guys... All of your good thoughts and prayers brought us a great day yesterday and hopefully another one today.....and this is ENCOURAGING..... What a source of comfort you all are.....and heros.....

Thanks, guys.....the depression is the worst and perhaps this medication is not the right one....just knowing you are all out there and know the routine is a source of incredible comfort to me....so thank you!

My husband was diagnosed with stage 4 Adenocarcinoma in September....then came pulmonary embolisms, high sugar and a 30 pound weight loss. He did manage to walk our daughter down the aisle in October. He has completed three rounds of Alimta/Carbo Platinum. His scans showed that he was receptive to the chemo with some shrinkage particularly in the lung area. But he is depressed beyond belief. He can barely walk to the bathroom and sleeps all day and night. His appetite is poor and some pain has returned. About once every two weeks, he has a good couple of hours but returns to his fatigued state quickly. He is on all kinds of meds.......I just feel that these may be the best days he will ever have. We see doctors all the time but he is always declining. He has been on an anti depressant which is supposed to increase his appetite, but after 4 weeks, I see no benefit.....I guess I am just rambling but every day is the same or worse....We need a wheelchair to go anywhere. He is always the sickest looking person at chemo.......Last week, he received two bags of blood, but even that hasn't helped..... He is on injectable insulin, Lovenox, a phentanyl patch, and various other meds....including the Remeron......I am just so discouraged.....as is he.....

My husband, with stage 1V adenocarcinoma, mets to spine, ribs, brain etc has just completed his second round of chemo...Alimta and Carbo. Lask week it was high blood sugar but we are home from hospital with sugar managed. His decadron was cut to 4 mg. per day (from . He is just so tired. He is only up when he eats his small meals but stays in bed or on the couch sleeping all day. Now, his weight is very low (134 pounds at 6 feet tall), he is depressed....just want to ask if this is a side effect of the Alimta and the reduced steriod (because of the sugar problem). I did do a search and see that fatigue is a side effect. He is lucid when he is awake...but ALWAYS wants to go back to bed. I know I will get some advice from the brave veterans here.....

We are all here for you and with you on this unfortunate journey.

I should also tell you that we had pulmonary embolisms and are also doing Lovenox, and then last week found that his blood sugar was over 900 from the steroids so am also monitoring sugar and injecting him with insulin....I have acquired a lot of new skills I wish I never had to learn!!! But the chemo seems the easiest part of everything...so if he agrees to try it, it should not be difficullt. We do notice that Jim's pain has decreased since the chemo. That is a blessing.

My husband is also on it. He has had two treatments. They were not able to give him Taxol or Avastin. So this is his first chemo. He has had no nausea. He is also getting carbo platinum. He is very tired but he also has cancer everywhere and has lost a lot of weight before beginning treatment.

Your wife's cancer sounds much like my husband. We thought he had sciatica and spent the month of August treating that. He has lesions in the lungs,lymph nodes, brain, spine, ribs and adrenal glands. I hear you abot the future.....It is tough doing the caretaking and watching them slip away. We have been admitted to the hospital twice in the last month once with pulmonary embolisms and last week with blood sugar over 900. My husband is getting chemo and that is what initiated the blood sugar issues, from the steriods. Is there a reason your wife isn't getting chemo? We are also doing home hospice. This is one ugly disease and the pain for the family is immense. If it helps, I have decided to remind myself that each day is probably the best we will have. He can still walk to the bathroom, we can hug and he is coherent and not in a lot of pain because of the fentanyl patch. And he was able to walk our daughter down the aisle three weeks ago. I would encourage you to continue to visit this site. The people here have gone through it and offer such encouragement and love. I probably talked too much about my situation but I wanted you to know that others are in the same boat, and that you are not alone. Your life has forever been altered. I hope you will find some inspiration here. This board is full of very brave and caring people. Welcome!

Dear Sandra, You have been such a source of inspiration to me as a caregiver to my husband, diagnosed in September. I pray that your results are better than you anticipate. You are a fighter and a very strong woman. Don't give up hope. I am sending good wishes and will continue to pray for you. Linda

I am so sorry that your dear father lost his struggle with this dread disease. Take care of yourself. Remember that love and memories live forever. Do come her often. We will all be here for you.

Dear Jean I am so sorry you must deal with this yet again.....this is my first time with this disease, although have had fatal heart attacks, pancreatic cancer and alzheimers to deal with in the family. Know that you and your husband are being prayed for by us on this board. I think it is a positive that your husband has such a good attitude. I wish I could get mine to have some hope, but it is difficult as we are back in the hospital yet again....still I read about the miracles on this board and it gives one hope and we have to all pass that one. Keep fighting and stay strong. I know that it is so hard on the spouse....but even harder on the one we love.

We went for my husband's second chemo yesterday but they discovered that his sugar was over 900 He has never been a diabetic....but has had such a thrist the last few days and stupid me, because he has lost thirty pounds in the last six weeks and now weights 136 pounds at six feet tall, was letting him drink tons of orange and apple juice and making him milkshakes. Anyway, they feel the steriods for the chemo are the culprit....So we are now in Yale where he will possibly have his second chemo today. They have to give him the steroids because he needs them for chemo. Looks like I will be injecting him with insulin and also the lovenox for the pulmonary embolisms. It just gets worse and worse. So hard to hold on to any hope....and wonder how we will get the calories in to maintain his weight with the diabetes. They woke us up every hour afor blood work last night....I am sleeping on a cot in his room. To think, in late August our doctor told him his back pain was sciatica. He did get to walk our beautiful daughter down the aisle two weeks ago. We are thankful for that..... Yale has WIFI so I can stay "connected" to pass the time......Thanks for listening .

Are there instructions somewhere of how to post photos???

A few weeks ago, my husband was diagnosed with stage IV Adenocarcinoma....tumors in lungs, ribs, spine, pelvis, brain and adrenal glands. Last week we were in Yale New Haven Hospital because he had bilateral pulmonary embolisms and they saw that he had also had several small strokes in the brain. We were there three days. There was some confusion as to where the clots were coming from. The implanted a "filter" to stop the clots and he is now on Lovemax which I inject daily....The miracle is that our dear daughter was getting married this weekend....And he was able to walk her down the aisle and dance with her. We are back to Yale today, but we got a beautiful day with 200 friends and family and memories forever. I know we have a long hardfight ahead of us. He has lost so much weight and is so frail and ill....but he had the strength to make it to the wedding and now we must keep fighting. He has had one round of chemo....carbo platinum and Olympia, i believe. We were hoping for Avastin but the brain involvement eliminates that....Thank you for all of your support. The wedding donations all went to Lungevity.

I am going through the same thing with my husband. He refuses to eat. His cancer is in the spine, ribs, lungs, adrenal gland, and we are awaiting the results from the brain MRI and abdomen cat scan. He has aged 30 years in 5 weeks. Our daughter is getting married next week and I am afraid that he will not be well enough to walk her down the aisle let alone be at the wedding he has saved and budgeted for so long. Chemo starts on Tuesday. I just wonder if he is strong enough for it......He is on phentanyl, celebrex, oxycodone and lidocane patches for pain, and even that does not cut it. The constipation even with meds is also a problem. When you love someone, it is so hard to see them suffer. This website is a source of inspiration and my daughter and her fiance are donating to the lungevity foundation in lieu of favors at the wedding. Hopefully, we can get the word out about the underfunding for LC support......thanks all for listening

We went to Yale on Friday. We met with the surgeon. The biopsy report was not in and won't be til Tues. or Wed. of this week, so we don't see thier oncologist til next Tues. the 23rd. I don't think surgery will be in the plan but they might want some tissue from a lymph node I keep feeling that all of the delays are letting this beast spread further inside of Jim and I see him getting worse. He is on percocet every four hours. After the biopsy, i seems his back stiffens up and he can barely get out of bed. Life is from the couch to the bed, maybe a little walking around the yard and sitting in a chair. A week's wait is so hard. He also has little appetite....and is already very thin. We willl try to fill the week with some errands for the wedding. He needs to get measrued for the tux , etc. We have 185 people flying in from all over for this big wedding that a few weeks away seemed like such a positive event and now none of us have our hearts in it. We just want him feeing better. Also, I lay awake at night hoping God will give me the strength to do all that needs to be done. Our kids live 45 minutes away and are work 12 hour days in their careers. My daughter's boss is a peach and he may allow her to come here and work from home one day a wekk. Son is in the financial corporate enviromnent and I don't even think he has told anyone....that is a dog eat dog world.... They do come weekends but I just wonder about all of the changes that need to be made. Plus, I have an 87 year old mother living alone 30 minutes away. I have no other family, my brother and Jim's sister both died in their mid 50"s.....so that is it. We are never saying "why us" because we have been blessed with wonderful lives, I just pray that I wil be able to take care of him and stay healthy. Thanks for listening.....

thought I posted this yesterday... but...we went to see the Pulmonary Dr. who shared the results of the bone scan (can you believe our insurance denied the Pet Scan) Remember Cat Scan revealed mass and suspicious areas both lungs, enlarged lymph nodes medisternum area, and adrenal gland suspicion. Bone scan showed spot in vertibrae T-10, I believe and several suspicious areas in the ribs.... Jim is 62 and up til that time the picture of health except for his coronary artery disease which has been managed with diet, meds and exercise for 16 years..... We are having a needle biopsy of the spot in the spine today and have an appointment at Yale tomorrow.. morning.... Hoping I will get some information and encouragement or things to look for here....the pathology report should come monday or tuesday.... Oh, and our lovely daughter is getting married oct. 10th, it is a wedding we have all been planning for a year. We so want him to be able to walk her down the aisle.....

Husband, 62, has had CAT SCAN with spots in lung, lymphnodes, ribs and spine.....tomorrow they will do a needle biopsy of the spine....Insurance denied a PET Scan so yesterday, he had a bone scan. Doctor had been treating him for sciatica. Our daughter is getting married one month from today. My first prayer is that he can walk her down the aisle..... This is all so overwhelming... We are going to Yale Friday morning.....at least now things are moving but I have never felt so without hope or down in my life. He is the greatest guy in the world. Spent his life helping others and staying active and fit....Like the rest of you, this was NOT in the plan....

Husband had a Cat Scan....revealed masses in lungs, spine, adrenal gland and that was only the top half of his body.....I don't have the technical lingo now....we are awaiting permission from the damned ins. company for the Pet scan'... Anyway, this is my question.....would all tumors be the same, so that if they biopsied one they would know the pathology or are tumors different pathologically in different areas of the body??? I know they are thinking the primary cancer is in the lung since so many lesions are there, but I think this would be helpful to know.....

We visited the Pulmonary Doctor today.....The Cat Scan revealed the following: CT Scan performed on 9/1/08 shows: 1cm mass in left upper lobe small mass is right upper lobe 3 lymph nodes inflamed in mediastinum 1 thoracic vertebrae per dictated report, one adrenal gland Pet Scan is to be scheduled for Monday.... Dr. did say Jim would be at our daughter's wedding on Oct. 10th... We will see an oncologist he recommends, but am thinking we should just go to Yale, rather than Bpt. Hospital..... Memorial Sloane Kettering is not in our network..... We are devastated to say the least..... We have had a wonderful marriage, great jobs we loved, raised wonderful kids and the ability to recently retire and travel.....this just wasn't the future we had planned.....or anyone on this wonderful board has..... I am just rambling now.....but needed to share

While as you have all said, this is the last board I would have ever sought out, I can see already the kind of people you are. My daughter in law who is an RN will come with us tomorrow. She will write everything down and has already constructed a list of questions. As I posted, our daughter is getting married Oct. 10. I pray that Jim can walk her down the aisle because they have spoken of it since she was little. Needless to say our hearts aren't in the wedding mode at this point, but he would not have it cancelled and it is over 200 people many of whom are travelling great distances. I thank you from the bottom of my heart of the warm greeting and genuine compassion evident already here. I know this will be the best support for us. Anti-depressants are a good idea. He is a very active guy, loves to exercise, ski etc. He hasn't done a thing in a month due to the back pain and now is spending too much time in bed "cocooning" I suspect. Jim is very quiet and suffers inside. I know tht whatever I am going through is trivial in regards to what he is experiencing. I also need to get something to alleviate the cough and mucus. I think that is a small part of why he won't eat. He is a skinny guy and must have already lost 10 pounds this month. I did get him to drink a glass of Ensure but that was tough. Anyway, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to reach out to a newbie. I just keep thinking how one's life changes in an instant. Every minute is a blessing.

We are seeing the pulmonary doctor for the first time tomorrow.....Husband's cat scan revealed mass and enlarged lymph nodes.....He has severe back pain as well....he has a terrible cough and when he coughts the pain is unbearable....Does anyone have suggestions for OTC medications that help the cough. The hospital gave him percocet for the pain, but the cough and hoarseness are making him so uncomfortable...he won't eat or drink because that makes him cough....He is a young 62.......I wondered about Mucinex

We just had a brief report from the radiologist and I think he mentioned the sternum area. We will know more when we visit the Pulmonary doctor tomorrow with the CAT scan. This will be an amazing rewource and source for comfort....