Jump to content

New Diagnosis for my Mom


Julienyc

Recommended Posts

My mother was just recently diagnosed (Jan 5, 2007) with stage IV NSCLC with metastisis to her brain. She has the primary lesion in her left lung and smaller diffuse lesions in her right. On the 15th of January she proceeded a craniotomy to remove a 1.3 size tumor from her frontal-temporal lobe. Surgery was a huge success and her brain looks clear at this time. She has just begun whole brain radiation this past week (1st week done!!) and we are on our way. Her plan of care at this time is for 15 sessions of whole brain radiation followed by 6 sessions of chemo to begin after her radiation on 2/27/07 (a combo of Taxol/Carboplatin). At this time PET scan indicates that it has not spread to additional organs which is a relief. My mom is such a vibrant, happy woman and truly makes an impact on everyone she meets. She is healthy in all respects except for this cancer. I am so concerned about how the chemo will affect her- she is so scared of being sick or experiencing nausea... I know this should probably be the worst of our concerns but my fear is that she will give up if she can't handle the conditions. Anyone have suggestions to prepare for the worst case scenario? She is already drinking lots of liquids and she exercises daily.

The case becomes further complicated because I live in NY and my mom and dad live in Florida. We have very little family so I have been flying down every week to be with her. Luckily, she has good support of friends in Florida... we are all optimistic that she will respond well to treatment... the stories listed really give me hope... I am relieved to make contact with others who are struggling and have struggled with this disease.

I always thought my family genes were pretty hearty but now relize that lung cancer runs in the family. My mom's father died of cancer when she was 13... and now it's back. Both were heavy smokers, although my mom has not had a cigarette in almost 30 years. She is only 58 years old... I still ahve a hard time reconciling that living with cancer is my new reality... it just hasn't sunken in yet...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to you, Julie from NYC. We have all been in that very scaary place you are in at the present, so many here will be able to offer you encouragement and informatin as you travel along this new journey of yours. I am sorry you have the need to be here, but the support you will find here will empower you. Let us know details when you do.

Kasey

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome Julie. If your mom is exercising and drinking lots of water, that is good. They gave me dexamethasone to help fight the nausea. I also used compazine. I would take it on the day of my infusion and a few days after. I did not wait to feel sick before I took it. I got through chemo without too much problem. I remember the biggest impact was fatigue. I made sure I walked every day before I napped.

I hope your mom gets through the chemo ok and has excellent results.

Don M

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Julie and welcome.

I am sorry you have reason to find a site such as this, but glad you have joined us.

It sounds like your Mom has a great treatment plan in place. I am sure that before she begins chemo her doctors will discuss anti nausea meds with her and if not then she can and should ask about them. Drinking PLENTY of fluids is very important as well as dehydration is not fun.

I am sure that others will have more suggestions and advice for you. There are so many knowledgeable and caring folks here that are more than willing to offer you advice, support and hope.

Please keep us posted on things and let us know how we can help.

Christine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Julie,

Sorry to hear about your mother. ait sounds as though she will do just fine with chemo. One thing I would mention, is that the WBR combined with the decadron they usually give can be difficult. Many people aree very tired, and the steroida can cause weakness. Besides having some help during this time, it's good if your Mom is prepared. I got no warning beforehand and I was really afraid.

Where in FL is your Mom? I'm in Tampa area and go to Moffitt. I'm quite happy with Moffitt.

Best wishes.

Mary

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome Julie...

Sorry you had to find us, but glad you did. Your mother's story sounds alot like my mom's and she's still here (and doing pretty well) almost two years later!! My mother opted for SRS (stereotactic radio surgery) rather than traditional surgery and has had to go back for more treatment. I'm hoping that your mom gets through her radiation and chemo with ease!

You're both in my prayers...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, Julie:

Since your mom is in good health (other than the cancer) and has a positive attitude, I think she'll do just fine on the chemo. I recently finished 6 cycles of Taxol/Carbo/Avastin at 21-day intervals and now am on Avastin only. You can check my profile at the bottom for a description of the side effects I experienced, and as you can see, nausea was never one of them.

At one time nausea was a common side effect of chemo, and it brought on all sorts of serious complications such as rapid weight loss and severe dehydration. But today, with new antinausea medications and a proactive approach by oncologists, chemo nurses, and patients, nausea can usually be controlled or avoided completely. It's very important to stay ahead of the game and take the prescribed medications on schedule "whether you need them or not" and to promptly call the onc if a problem is developing. This is not the time to be heroic -- make the call! Though I never needed to call about nausea, I did for a couple of other problems, and I was never given cause to feel I was overreacting or being a nuisance. On the contrary, they seemed to be glad I called when I did so the problem could be handled before it got worse.

Aloha,

Ned

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Julie,

Welcome - My Mom was diagnosed in november of this year, and the fears you describe sound oh so familiar!!! My Mom's 83 years old, and I feared the worst - wondering if we were going to make her life too miserable during the treatment to make it worth it.

Well, she's been throuth 28 of 30 radiation treatments (5 days a week for 6 weeks) and 3 of 4 3 day cycles of chemo and, other than some minor fatigue and pain in her throat( from the radiation), she's been doing gret. She's still going out to dinner with friends, going to the theater (occasionally) and doing much of what she did before her diagnosis.

It sounds like your mom has a similar positive attitude, and my wish for you is that her experience through treatment is as smooth as has been for my mom.

good luck

Jen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Julie,

So sorry to hear about your mom's diagnosis. It is certainly a tough road to travel on. I was also concerned about the nausea thing when I started chemo last Oct. I told my doctor how sick I got from taking pain medications and to me chemo is on the whole other end of the medication spectrum. They gave me 4 different anti-nausea medications. The first line meds were Zofran and Ativan. I also had Gralla suppositories and Compazine. The biggest thing to watch out for is to take something the moment you even feel just a little bit sick and not let it get out of control. The Zofran and Ativan worked great for me and I didn't need to take the other meds. I can honestly say I didn't experience any nausea throughout my 5 cycles of chemo. I wish the best for you mom!

Rachel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome Julie.

I am sorry you have a need ot be here, but have come to the right place.

I am also In Florida- Ft. Lauderdale, so if i am near to your parents and can help with any info I would be glad to- PM me anytime.

As for the nausea, my mom has had some after chemo (but only for the first few days), but the Onc has been very good about meds for this, and there are lots available. My mom uses Kytril and Ativan with much success.

It sounds like the Drs have a great plan set up and will keep your family in my prayers that all goes well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

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