Lillie Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 I don't post much mostly read. My mama has small cell lung cancer with mets to the liver. She is 15 months now on different chemos and so far has had a good quality of life. She is now beginning to go down the hill. Mama started off with carboplatin and etoposide and got a very short lived remission. After that her oncologist put her on CPT-11 and her cancer grew slightly. Then she was switched to Topotecan. Then the Topotecan stopped working. Since she had been off the Etoposide and Carboplatin for 9 months they put her back on that one. In the beginning mama usually had pain a few days before chemo began. Then her pain has started the week after chemo, now she just finished her round of chemo and is still having lots of pain and she knows this time the chemo didn't work. Today she cried for the second time since learning she had cancer and that her time was/is limited. It nearly killed me to see her cry. She is such a strong woman and wouldn't even take the pain killers until I began to insist. Now she needs mored pain meds just to take the edge off the pain. She today with tears said I'm so afraid they are going to have to medicate me into a stuper, I don't want that to happen but I know it will. Now to my question. What other chemo's can they try on her? Has she had them all yet? What are the chances that another chemo will work for a time to give her a quality of life? God this is so hard. Thank you so much for your replys in advance. Hugs Lillie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanS Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 Hi- I am here to tell you although the news you posted is poor, there is hope and other chemotherapies that are approved possibilities for your mom. Nobody knows as far as a cure goes. First off, tell me if I am correct--- your mom has been on carboplain, etoposde, CPT-11, and topotecan. There are three other options that ican thing of on an off clinical trial basis they are as follows..... 1.) taxol (newer drug approved for SCLC, most promising) 2.) cytoxin with adriamycin and vincristine. (a strong regimen approved for SCLC) 3.) gemzar has shown moderate effectiveness against SCLC cell lines. I would ask about the first two before the third one, and if you wat research them on the web go to www.google.com and type in the search engine te name of the drugs and small (oat) cell cancer. let me know what the doctors say!!!!!!!!! I would get her on one of those drugs ASAP, before thigs get worse. Praying for you- Jonathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lillie Posted August 30, 2003 Author Share Posted August 30, 2003 Thank you Johnathon, First yes those are the chemo's she has done. I don't think the doctor will give her anymore chemo for 3 weeks since she just finished today but I will most certainly ask about the ones you mentioned and I do so much appreciate your reply Hugs Lillie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norme Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 Lillie, What is causing the Pain? My husband has pain in the rib area where the cancer had gone to but he is holding his own without meds. Meds take away his breath so he goes it alone....he has tried other meds but they don't work. Don Woods wife was taking a little Morphine that was not putting her out into another world. Maybe you want to pm him and ask him about it. maybe it will help your mom... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lillie Posted August 30, 2003 Author Share Posted August 30, 2003 Norme, mama was diagnoised because of her pain. We have found that while she is on her chemo the pain goes away, now the pain is no longer going away she hurts in her lung and liver area. She gets new scans before she sees her oncologist again and we know this time the news won't be good. Her cancer is growing we fear. I would just like to buy her more good quality time. She isn't ready to throw in the towel and of course neither are we. I don't think we will ever be ready. This is just so hard. I hate being a caregiver to my parent, I feel like somewhere our roles reversed. Mama leans on me and so does daddy. Not that I mind doing anything for them and I'm quite happy they are here to do for, but I so wish it was not because they are sick. If things don't get better I fear that I must move in with them. I wouldn't want to move them out of their home or enviroment for my convience. My grown daughter was in a bad accident on April 13, she was hit by a drunk driver. The driver died. Shannon still isn't walking, she is living with me and my husband along with her 12 year old son. She is a divorced school teacher and hasn't been to work since the accident. Between her and my mama they keep me so busy. My husband will take over here at home when I go to live with my parents at the end. Just please remember us in your prayers. We can use the prayers. Hugs Lillie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny G. Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 Lilllie, I am so sorry for what you are going through. You certainly have your hands full. Have they done radiation on your mom? This can sometimes alleviate the problems that are causing the pain. I hope that you will find the strength to see you through this. Jenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 Lillie, my wife is on morphine for pain, MS Contin. She takes it in the norming and again at night. It is slow release. You can increase the dosage with the doctor's approval, as she needs. Also, my wife can take a "breakthrough" pain medication in between -- such as Norco, Vicotin, etc. as she needs. She would be non-functional otherwise. Good luck. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy RN Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 I understand exactly what you are going thru. My mom had lung cancer and died in 1994. I was so pulled between helping care for her and my young family. Hubby was wonderful. Now I am going thru the same cancer. I was diagnosed in Feb of 2001 with sclc and started on cisplatin and camptosar for 9 mos. I was in remission for 1 yr afterwards. Then is reoccured and was on carboplatin and vp-16 for 6 mos. I am now back in remission for almost a month. As for pain I really don't have much except stress headaches and I have several different pain pills for them. The ms contin 10 mg is the best one for bedtime for me. I wake without the headache usually. So sorry you are in this position. Feel free to post anytime. Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lillie Posted August 31, 2003 Author Share Posted August 31, 2003 Thank you all for your replies. They really do help to just know that somebody has suggestions that may help and I will print these out for future reference. To the one that asked about radiation...No mama has not had radiation, she had breast cancer 6 years ago on the right side her sclc is on the right side with mets to the liver she can not be radiated there again:( been there done that and can't revi sit. thank you for the tips on the pain meds. I hate this, I hate my mama is dying and there is NOTHING I can do to buy her more good quality time. I want to scream I want to pitch a hissy fit but what will it do? Hugs And Thanks Lillie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO_Sugar Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Lillie, Sometimes it does help to scream and have a hissy fit. I did the night I was dx'd and got it out of my system. Now my Dr.'s always laugh at me because I have such a positive attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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