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More form a good swift kick in the backside


Guest NowakowDA

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Guest NowakowDA

Well' Friday was a strange day. I spent some time on the phone tracking down my mother's CT scan and chest x-ray. I finally found them at the Pulmonary clinic where she had her appointment. I made arrangements to pick them up Monday. I also found the tissue slides taken during the bronchoscopy. I'll pick them up Monday afternoon. I told my mother's primary care provider that I would have the material at the UNM Cancer by Tuesday morning. Her appointment is on Thursday. Michael Servilla her primary care provider got her an appointment at the UNM Cancer Center with what he called a chest doctor. I have since found out that this ”chest” doctor is an Associate Professor of Cardo-Thoracic Surgery at the University of New Mexico. He is a Fellow of the Royal Collage of Surgeons of Canada, a Fellow of the American Collage of Surgeons and a member of the American Board of Thoracic Surgeons. He practices at the UNM Cancer Center and the local VA hospital. I've got a butt load of questions for him. When my mom started going to Michael Servilla he was only a PA (physicians assistant) or a CNP (certified nurse practitioner). Now, he has graduated medical school, done his intern ship and is working on his residency. My mother was worried that infection in her lung might build up again that she had finished her antibiotic. I sent Michael an e-mail telling him of my mother's worries. He called my mother and gave her his beeper number. He told her that if her temperature went up of if she got scared she was to call him and he would come see her. He said he would keep his beeper turned on all weekend.

Mom sleeps a lot now. She's developed a slight cough and a little wheeze. Both of which Michael said are probably caused by the growth partially blocking one of her airways.

I found out what caused Mom's weight loss. She's not been eating enough. There were several days during the past two weeks where she didn't eat anything. This happened when she was hospitalized on the 22nd and 23rd of May and the day she had her bronchoscopy. The rest of the time she barely got 600 calories a day. Today I got her intake up to 900 calories.

My aunt who worked for thirty years as a tech in a pathology lab called last night. Her friend is a retired oncologist. She said that in addition to what ever treatment my mother gets there are several important things I need to do for her. One, keep her fed, well fed! Two, keep fluids in her. Three, let her sleep as much and as long as she wants to. She said that these three thing are very important the help my mother's system

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There are a few things you can do to help with the weight loss. There is a powder many have reccomended that I believe is called Weight Gainer 2000, available at health food stores. Also, you can give her Ensure when she cannot eat, comes in liquid or pudding and supplies all the necessary nutrients. If she doesn't care for the taste, Carnation Instant Breakfast will give you the same...

All the best to you and your mom

Rochelle

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I lost a lot of weight just before my dx (over 40lbs in less than 4 months) and, during that time, nothing tasted good at all. Someone here recomended the Weight Gainer 2200 (can be found at Rite Aid and health food stores) and it worked like a charm. I made up "power" shakes with it. Here's the recipie.

Fill a blender with your favorite ice cream (mine is chocolate chip mint).

Add some milk (I use chocolate soy milk due to lactose intolorance).

Blend until smooth.

Add two scoops of Weight Gainer 2200 in your favorit flavor (I like chocolate fudge (do we detect a pattern here? :))

Mix it all up and add more milk to fill the blender.

Drink and enjoy!

One blender full of that would last me all day and my weight loss stopped and I gained back almost all the weight I lost.

After awhile food started tasting good again so I stopped the shakes (except for when I wanted one just 'cause it tasted good! :)).

Dean

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Guest NowakowDA

Right now I'm flying blind. I've been told my mother has NSCLC in the upper lobe of her right lung. The pulmonary specialist who did the bronchoscopy said the tissue looked inflamed and would bleed a little if he pressed it with the scope. When I asked if it had spread outside of the right lung he said he thought it was confined to the right lung. As for lymph involvement he told me he thought that there might be some “mid” lymph node involvement but that was all. He saw her chest x-ray and the CT scan they did when Mom was in the emergency room on Saturday night May 22nd. The only other procedure that has been done was the bronchoscopy performed on Friday May 28th. All I've got to go on is that the pathology report said she has NSCLS in the upper right lobe. What sub type of NSCLC is it, I do not know. What size is it, I do not know. The only MD that has ventured a guess was the Internal Medicine Specialist who was working the ward the night my mother hospitalized. This doctor said after reading the x-ray and CT scan that the mass looked about 2cm. When I asked the pulmonary specialist what kind of treatment was possible for my mother all he said was “radiation”. I asked if surgery was an option, and all he did was shake his head. He did not tell me “why” surgery was not an option. All he did say is that without any kind of treatment my mother had from six months to one year. With treatment, the prognosis was opened ended. He did say that radiation treatment would shrink the mass and take the pressure of the partially obstructed airway, but it would not kill the tumor.

So here I am. Her appointment with the UNM Cancer Center is not until Thursday June 10th. Right now all I know is that my mother has NSCLC. So I've got some questions that I would to throw out to the group. If you have any opinions, thoughts or remarks, please post them.

First. What would cause a NSCLC of about 2 cm in the upper right lobe to be considered “inoperable”?

Second. If it was inoperable, would they recommend both chemo and radiation and not just radiation?

Third. What kind of side affects can my mother expect from the radiation? I know about the fatigue, but are there any others that she should be concerned with. My mother has a hiatal hernia and to be careful when it comes to eating.

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Guest HerSon

Surgery is sometimes ruled out in elderly patients if it appears to be too risky for them to have it. Also if the NSCLC lung cancer is above stage IIIA, and has spread to other areas or organs. I know how you feel as I just went through this with my mom who was 81. She was only given radiation for pallative reasons. Just try to be strong, and see how the tests come out.

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"Inoperable" can also be due to the location of the tumor...

Do you know where the radiation is to be concentrated? My radiation was to the mediastinum causing some irritation (emphasize that word) to my esophagus and some problems with swallowing late into the treatment. Fatigue is a side effect and the doctor checked my blood weekly, as well...not sure what he was looking for, but he never found it because treatment went without a hitch.

I hope you get some answers soon! We all know the waiting is the hardest part...

Take care,

Becky

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