maral Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 My dad just got diagnosed with stage 4 non small cell lung cancer. It's already spread to his liver and spine...i am absolutely devastated. My dad is only 61...we are just waiting now for him to start treatment. I know I should be taking it one day at a time but it is hard to not think about what the future holds... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Sorry to hear about your Dad. Does he have a plan of care set up? I hope so. Glad you found us. Is he having symptoms. Back pain? Please keep us posted. This site is full of information. Hope we can help. Donna G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denzie Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Stage 4 lung cancer doesn't have to be an automatic or immediate death sentence. Mine was diagnosed 5+ years ago. Do you know if they tested for mutations? Also, there are several types on nsclc. Do you know which he has? With more info we can guide you to better recommendations. CindyA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denzie Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 This will help with some information. http://www.lungevity.org/about-lung-cancer/lung-cancer-101 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maral Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 Donna G, we are currently working on the plan. We are waiting for him to start treatment this week. He is having a lot of back pain which he is on morphine for. Seems to be working as long as he takes it regularly. Otherwise it's harder to get his pain under control. Denzie, thank you for your reply. Hearing your story gives me hope! My brother was the one that went with my parents to the appointment with the oncologist so I will ask him these questions. They were told that the chemo will be targeting only the tumour cells but I am not sure on what meds he'll be on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyA Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Hi Maral, Welcome to the message boards. I'm sorry to read about your dad. This is a great place to ask questions, and seek advice. LUNGevity has a lot of resources to offer you. Here is a good link to get started with. http://www.lungevity.org/support-survivorship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andylewis Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Hello Maral, Sorry to here about your dad. What doctor said after the check up? Which treatment he is going to take ? My father had gone throught this situation. Please keep me updated about your dad's health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Maral, Welcome here. You've got a lot on your plate! Denzie and Cindy have suggested informative links to read into your father's lung cancer. When they biopsy his tumor, ensure they check for the possibility of mutations. See this video that explains the importance of mutations and the emerging treatments that have been shown to be very effective in treating non small cell lung cancer patients - Stay connected with us. There are many here that are long tenured lung cancer survivors and we are here to help. Stay the course. Tom CindyA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maral Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 Thank you for all of your replies and kind words. We just got a call from the oncologist office for my dads appointment and it's not until January 11. This seems like way too long to wait to see someone about starting treatment. We live in Canada and I know the healthcare system is different. I will call today to see if there's any way to get an appointment sooner. How long do you think is reasonable to wait before starting treatment? I worry since my dad has deteriorated so much in the last few weeks that if we wait another 3 weeks it would be too long. His pain is not well controlled, he is not eating he is getting weaker everyday.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Maral, What is a reasonable wait time before treatment starts? Tomorrow is not too soon but realistically, about a month was consistent with my experience. Mine was a US healthcare experience and it took about a month to get all the testing and radiation shield complete before I started my first line treatment process. But in your discussion with the schedulers, I'd mention his not eating and pain symptoms. Stay the course. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maral Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 I was able to get my dad an appointment to see a Radiation doctor for this afternoon. I am very thankful to the person I spoke with on the phone who was able to get him in so quickly. Fingers crossed that we can get this pain under better control! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Good News! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyA Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Hi Maral, How is your dad feeling this week? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maral Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 Hi CindyA, My dad is not feeling well at all. His pain is still not well controlled. It's hard to say if the radiation helped at all. He is keeping a pain journal now and we are waiting for Monday when we have our initial appointment with the oncologist. This wait had been very difficult. My dad is very depressed right now and I hope that his outlook will improve once he starts treatment. Thank you for asking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Maral, Sorry to hear about your father's pain. Do I correctly understand he's had radiation and is it to his spine? A pain journal is a great idea. It will help the oncologist understand the extent and intensity and prescribe the appropriate medication. I once left my oncologist office with several sheets of prescriptions for pain medication that included stuff I was actually afraid to take. But, he told me that if I am suffering active pain, there is little danger the addictive nature of narcotics will affect me. It was something to do with the narcotic blocking the nerves transmitting pain and therefore not acting on other portions of my nervous system and brain function. Ensure he tells his oncologist about depression. If it deepens, he should see a general practitioner and discuss remedies. Stay the course. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maral Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 Hi Tom, Yes he did have one dose of radiation to his spine. They did couple of the most painful spots. What a waiting game this is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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