SBeth

Thank you Tom for taking the time to respond. I'll pass along these helpful tips to my folks. Best to you & yours for 2016. Beth

Good morning! My father recently finished his sixth round of Carboplatin, having scans after the third round which showed a little shrinkage in the liver lesion and no growth in the two lung lesions. This was obviously good news! However, for the past two months he has been having an increasingly harder time breathing and has a great deal of chest congestion. His cough is very productive, but clear and no indication of infection. His oncologist has given him Mucinex, both in syrup and pill form and neither those, nor his inhailers have helped aleviate the cough so that he can catch his breath. When he gets so out of breath, his oxygen is little help and he gets very nervous trying to breath. This is causing him (and my mom) a great deal of anxiety. Any suggestions?

Thank you all for all of the Welcomes and Welcome Backs...I'm so sad to be here but it was so comforting to see so many old familiar faces. Dad endured his first round of CarboTaxol one week ago today and so far has not "hit the wall", but is still waiting for the side effects to present. The view from the seat as a daughter is far different than that as a spouse and so much has changed in treatment that I feel like this is a whole new journey, while my siblings and mother still seem to think that I may be their resident "expert". This is not a trip down memory lane that I wanted to take, yet here I am so I come back to all of you here very humbly and ask for your prayers and your guidance with a few questions... My father is 71 years old and suffers from COPD prior to the LC diagnosis. He has so far avoided the assistance of oxygen for fear that he will become dependant upon it for complete breathing. Last night he found himself extremely out of breath while repeatedly making trips to the bathroom feeling the onset effects of chemo. I think the fear of catching his breath has made him to decide having oxygen "readily available" is going to be a necessity. However, when he was administered his first round of chemo last Tuesday, they also administered a dose of steroids thru the IV. The first 48 hours post chemo he felt 10 years younger. He had a GREAT appetite and did not have to use his inhalers at all. As expected (and remembered) the euphoria from the steroids wore off and he is back to no appetite and hard to breath. I'm going to go with him to his next oncology appointment but can someone remind me....will they allow him an Rx for steroids for a short period of time if it could improve the quality of life for a long family weekend getaway? Or could that do more damage than good? As always, thank you to everyone here and prayers to all!

Thank you all for all of the Welcomes and Welcome Backs...I'm so sad to be here but it was so comforting to see so many old familiar faces. Dad endured his first round of CarboTaxol one week ago today and so far has not "hit the wall", but is still waiting for the side effects to present. The view from the seat as a daughter is far different than that as a spouse and so much has changed in treatment that I feel like this is a whole new journey, while my siblings and mother still seem to think that I may be their resident "expert". This is not a trip down memory lane that I wanted to take, yet here I am so I come back to all of you here very humbly and ask for your prayers and your guidance with a few questions... My father is 71 years old and suffers from COPD prior to the LC diagnosis. He has so far avoided the assistance of oxygen for fear that he will become dependant upon it for complete breathing. Last night he found himself extremely out of breath while repeatedly making trips to the bathroom feeling the onset effects of chemo. I think the fear of catching his breath has made him to decide having oxygen "readily available" is going to be a necessity. However, when he was administered his first round of chemo last Tuesday, they also administered a dose of steroids thru the IV. The first 48 hours post chemo he felt 10 years younger. He had a GREAT appetite and did not have to use his inhalers at all. As expected (and remembered) the euphoria from the steroids wore off and he is back to no appetite and hard to breath. I'm going to go with him to his next oncology appointment but can someone remind me....will they allow him an Rx for steroids for a short period of time if it could improve the quality of life for a long family weekend getaway? Or could that do more damage than good? As always, thank you to everyone here and prayers to all!

Hello everyone. I'm sad to be back here, but I know from the time I spent here in 2004/2005 that there is no better place for support, so here I am. With a heavy heart, I share that my father was diagnosed this past week with lung cancer, stage 4, mets to the liver. I'm sure I will be back to share more, listen more, help more and become a bigger part of this family again; but for now I am going to just digest all that I have learned and put on my armor for this fight again. My best to all.... Beth

Hello All. Wow, so many of your profile pictures have changed, yet some stay the same and are a comfort to see! It has truly been too long. I have tried to check in once in a while, but sadly, it had become difficult and reminded me too much of a painful time in my life. So much has happened in the last six years, yes it is coming up on six years ago that I lost my Bill. December 9, 2005. Oh how I thought the world stopped turning, but it did not. Here I am six years later, re-married and a grandmother to the most beautiful little boy, Brandon. I miss so many of you and wonder how you are....PatKid, GinnyD, Jamie, Randy, Becky, Val, Ann...so many of you. I keep current on the ups & downs with Katie via FaceBook and hence some posts from many of you cross my path. I think of all of you so very often and always keep you all in my prayers. Much love to all of you, especially those that might actually remember me! Obviously, I have to show off my baby, here is Brandon on Halloween, and a picture of my new husband, Sean, and myself taken this summer.

Jamie...I'm so happy you are staying so busy and life is good. I think of you ALL THE TIME and pray for you daily. I don't get here as often as I would like either, but when I do I look for something from you. Your post was music to my ears. Love you!

I remember Randy. I remember coming back to LCSC a few weeks after I lost Bill and reading that you had lost Deb. I'm still so sorry for this undeniable void in your life and in your heart. I think of you often and send you hugs.

Wonderful Kasey!!!! I'm so happy for you.

Jamie, I am so happy for you! Since the first time I met you in Memphis in 2006, I just knew in my heart that you were a survivor! Much love!

Brian and Pat, you are in my thoughts and my prayers today!

Ann, I've been away and am sorry that I missed your post. I'll be sending positive thoughts and big hugs your way to get you thru the rest of the holidays! Love,

Four years ago today and under a five inch blanket of pure white snow, Bill left this earth. I miss him so much. I am at work, but I really just want to go home, go back to bed and wake up on December 10th.

http://www.popeater.com/2009/12/08/brya ... r-surgery/ Oddly, the article does not come out and state that it is "lung" cancer.

Dear Val, I do understand how those painful memories sneak back into our lives and wreak havoc. I am sorry that any cancer has again hit your family. Please know that you and your family will be in my prayers. Love,