Jump to content

Jennifer D

Members
  • Posts

    12
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  1. Question: My dad is currently ill (nausea, vomitting, generally unwell) for the last week. He is Stage 4, met to brain, lung cancer (obviously), met to adernal gland. Anyway, he is on Iressa. He had generally had the Iressa Rash, diareah for a month. Now, he has been throwing up all week. Went to the Emergency Room. Guess they found blood in the urine. Emer. Room doctor thought it might be the Iressa? BUT I looked everywhere and Iressa doesn't seem to have that symptom. They took a cat scan of his Kidney to look for kidney stones, but found none. They released him and sent him home. Idiot doctors at U of Chicago, said to go home and if you are still unwell by Wds to go see your main doctor. NO idea why the blood is there or why he is ill. Great help they are, 8 hours later. Great timing.. I guess what can you expect from doctors who are stuck working on the holiday. Anyone else have this happen???? Got any ideas? Thanks bunches, Merry Christmas. Have no faith on my dad's doctor, so I would appreciate any ideas so I can quiz him. I REALLY HATE CHICAGO! (my personal oppinion.)
  2. My dad just got the news that the tumors are regrowing after a SHORT 2 month vaction from chemo (he has stage 4 lung with met to brain) The new chemo will include Texatere, anyone here of it or know where I can get info on it.... Thanks. The days just get better.....So stressful
  3. My Dad is at U of Chgo. I had to fight them to get them to do the rad. first to his met to brain. He was orginally diagnosed with the met to brain at the Mayo Clinic. and they EXPRESSLY told me that chemo will not shrink the brain met bc it will not cross the blood brain barrier. (Only 25% see shrinkage of a brain met for 4 months only) SO, they were pretty adament about demanding that the U of Chicago protect the brain first because "who the heck cares if you got a golf ball in your lung if you have a dime in your head that will kill you." Anyway, the Mayo Clinic said the U of Chicago is chemo biased because they are research study biased (because they are a teaching hospital and need subjects. ) And that clouds their judgement on the rad vrs chemo decision. I swear to good that is an exact quote from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. The doctor pretty much pleaded with me to demand the doctor in Chicago do the Rad first because he was so concerned. My dad sounds like he is on the same plan as you (maybe just not the chemicals). 1 dose, 21 day off for 6 treatments. He was convinced that the chemo should have been done first, but I threw a fit with the doctor and had the two doctors (Mayo Clinic vrs U of Chicago) duke it out first amoungst themselves. I guess the Mayo one because he wound up going with the Rad first. And honestly, it gave him time to accept the situation and the rad seemed to have shrunk the brain one. Anyway, I don't know if what I said matters really, just I would get a second oppinion. Actually, I think it is pretty much neccessary regardless of what you think of your doctors.
  4. my dad started his 1st chemo treatment on Friday. He has stage IV lung cancer met to brain. He had localized rad to brain. So, I am surprised by his reaction to the chemo. He said he feels fine. Not tired or ill. He has 5 more treatments to go. I think they gave him nauseua medicine in the treatment. So, generally does chemo get worse with each treatment or since he took the first one fine he will take the rest fine? I realize it is diff. for each people but generally has anyone else felt totally fine after chemo?
  5. Okay, I am pretty concerned about U of Chicago now........you mean they don't have a PET! FOR GOODNESS SAKE! What do they do? I wonder if they refer you to some place else in the City to get it done and then read the results later. NICE! Actually, I am not very pleased with U of Chicago. The second oppinion my dad got was at Mayo Clinic and then we sent him back home to do his treatment inChicago. U of Chicago recommended a treatment plan (reverse) opposite of the Mayo Clinic. I had to discuss the matter with the treatment doctor 2x before she put the plan straight. Mayo Clinic strongly objected to her plan (chemo than rad) saying it was the wrong move based on my dad's physical performance and the need to insure that the brain tumor was under control. They wanted to do (rad then chemo) Turns out the doctor (at Chicago) started recommened treatment plans before she read the entire report for Mayo. LOVELY! Took me asking the doctr the dctr wanted to speak to the Nuerosurgen from Mayo before the doctor finally acknowledged that the The doctor saod didn't need the consult with the Mayo Clinic to clarify the Mayo Report. (Right before the doctor said the records were unclear. Which would be funny if it wasn't my dad's life and his brain functions at stake.) Hate to be a insistant to the doctor but it is my dad's life and you hate for your first move to be a mistake that you wish you could undo. Such a sticky situation considering all the other stuff going............
  6. For those that are doing or have done the radiation, I am right in my thinking that the radiation to the head isn't that bad. My dad just got his first treatment of it and said it was pretty easy, like getting an x-ray. He has like 14 more sessions to go. I am wondering, if they are all going to be easy or when he gets to #15, it is going to be a different story. He starts the Chemo 1 week after rad ends, does chemo hit you really hard after the very first treatment? (he has 6 rounds of the chemo, 3 weeks apart) Unlike how he was affected by the radiation... I don't know, I seem less worried about the radiation round than the chemo. Is silly to think that way.......
  7. GOt back from my baby doctor and they are running tests on me because there is a "significant" amount of blood in my urine. Lovely. Concerned that I may miscarry or go into premature labor........good news is my blood pressure is down.. Wished my dad good luck on his treatments. Figured he was going to be to stressed out today and that if I chatted it might be less stressful but at the same time he would know I cared. Thanks for the words of advice Snowflake. It is very scary because you don't know what your family member is thinking and don't want to be scary or negative but you can't tell if they really know what is going on or not.
  8. Yes, of course it is very stressful for my dad. But I was talking specifically about my struggles and asking people for their advice on how their deal with their personal stress regarding a member cancer because this was the family members / caregivers board. If I was on the general board where people were generally talking about NSLC, etc. then you would see a whole long thing about my dad and my concern about his stress. I don't know if you have someone in your life with cancer but sometimes you need to talk about how the fam member or caregiver is feeling and how hard it is for us. It really is horrible to hear such scary things about a parent/love one/friend. And sometimes it helps to talk to other people about those feelings, especially with others that understand what it feels like. So, yes, I care very much that my dad is stressed out. But I needed to hear some reassuring words from others who have gone through the same thing, otherwise I can't be strong for him and can't think straight myself. (and I really am stressed out and my doctors are worried that if my blood pressure and stress level doesn't come down I might lose the baby.) So, yes I was focused on me because I needed help. Sorry if that was selfish.
  9. The saddest thing (depending on your perspective) is that he thinks that he will have no side effects. And it frustrating because my sister and I need to work together to get a plan together to take care of him (he lives alone) to make sure he eats, takes care of himself, etc. if he needs assistance during treatment. But since we aren't talking it isn't happening. UGH! Hopefullly, it will be all peachy and I am wanting us to be overly prepared.......very stressful. As for me and the baby. It is very stressful. I keep getting stomach pains and am so tired and get headaches myself.
  10. There isn't any talking. Just driving me up the wall. The situation is the situation and we are not on speaking terms right now........ Very annoying and Very stressful for me and the baby.
  11. Hello all: My dad was diagonosed with Stage IV lung cancer about 1.5 months ago. I got him to go to the Mayo Clinic for a second oppion but the news got worse. His cancer has spread to the brain. Even though they did a resection of the brain tumor the Mayo is giving him 6 ~ 8 months. UGH! So, I sent him back home but my family is behaving poorly. Which is stressful because I am 5 months pregnant. The doctors at Mayo wanted to do Radiation of head and lung, then rest, then see what Chemo could do. Doctors at his home, wanted to do Chemo first (Until I inisted they read the records and they saw the brain tumor) now they are saying. 3 weeks radiation to the head, none to the lung, then 1 week rest, then start with the chemo. Seems like a lot of treatment in a short time. Thinking the Radiation is going to wear him out, then if he gets hit with the Chemo with no recoup time he is going to be in a hospice very quickly. My dad is 5'9" and only weighs 139 plus or minus (always has been skinny) and used to drink very heavily. By used to I mean right before the cancer notice. So, he can't really go that long without eating, needless to say. He thinks he is going to travel by himself on a train every day 1 hr (each way) to the treatments by himself. So, I am thinking he has no perspective on the situation. Which I assume is typical. My sister is behaving with so much anger that there is no point in trying to talk to her about things realistically. It is very frustrating. Concerned that the treatment is going to throw him in the hospital. Wish I could talk to my sister about the long term plans with our dad but there is no hope here.... Anyone with any suggestions or copeing skills. Being Preg. makes things so much harder to deal with. (My first baby and all this saddness) Has anyone else's dad gone with that kind of treatment so close together?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.