It was another one of those days. Dad was really depressed, anxious and in pain. He is more distended, has more yeast infections, more swelling. His claustrophobia is worse. They tried to get him up today and he went to his knees. I had a long talk with the nurse and she talked with the Dr. We are going with Hospice and take him home. We got his pain meds increased. Dad wanted a catheter and he will be getting that. They are going to do a swallow study to see why he is so full. The Dr. thinks the cancer is throughout his abdomen and maybe his brain. I was wrong about his diagnosis date. It was July 18 not June 27. June 27 he went to the Dr for something else. It has only been 7 weeks.

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Dad was diagnosed the end of July 18 with SCLC RLL. Initial tests showed no mets. He had a lot of pain in L arm- finally they did an Xray-mets with FX. Lobectomy called off and he went to have rod inserted.He is just starting use it. O2 level drops to 87% . He had a week or so of hallucinations to the point he became combative. Aug. 8 -Sept 7-We called 911. DX- double pneumonia and ^ calcium. He developed clots in both legs and threw a clot to his lungs. Developed chest pain and difficulty swallowing; tumor growth. Then numbness from his abdomen down. He lost the ability to walk. He developed an intestinal infection which led to yeast infections in many areas.Depression. We quit meds except comfort meds. Sept 8- home with hospice- happy. Sept.10 unresponsive except to pain. Sept 14- he passed away.

Oh shrimp. It has all happened to quickly for all involved. I cannot imagine what you have all been going through. Prayers that your dad can be moved home and cared for properly. And that there are some good days ahead and more memories to be made.

Sandra

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See my survival story at http://lungevity.org/l_community/viewtopic.php?t=39390

43 years old at diagnosis, wife and mother of 2 wonderful children (1 of each, 12 and 13).

March 2007-cough that wouldn't clear, gets progressively worse, can't sleep on left side by July 2007
August 2007-cloudy x-ray
Aug 27-finally a CT scan, and hospitalized, 3 litres of fluid on lung. Fluid drained, hospital stay, bronchs, mediastinoscopy, thorascopy. Had been told cancer earlier, not in fluid though. Tests done to confirm staging. Staging confirmed as Stage III A, later changed to III B.
Oct 4-PET scan for radiation planning.
Oct 17-Nov 28-30 radiation treatments
Oct 17 to Jan 11-4 rounds of chemo, cisplatin and etoposide
Jan 28-Ct scan/chest x-ray
Feb 12-doc said re CT scan "results are excellent, could possibly be a complete positive response!" Don't think it gets much better than that. I won't say NED yet....
Mar 18/08-NED!!!!! based on updated CT scan. Small pleural effusion left,difficult to tell, but rest is NED. And also cleared for START, liposome vaccine clinical trial.
April 3-1st day of vaccine, every week for 8 weeks, less frequently after that
-May 8-PET scan results, bone mets!!! Lungs still clear. Begin radiation/chemo planning. Off of clinical trial after 5 treatments.
-May 27 and 30, 2 radiation treatments, 14 greys total
-June 10-July 21-first 3 alimta infusion, also receiving zometa infusions separately
-CT scan results July 21-lungs still clear, back a mess, referred to a neurosurgeon for possible surgery
-Aug 13-1st gemzar infusion (stopped alimta, was intolerant and gemzar thought to be more effective)
Aug 16-MRI as reported pain in right leg, results were probable nerve damage from spine mets
-Aug20-end of first cycle of gemzar. Treatments stopped as was intolerant, too many side effects.
Sept 25-bone scan ordered by pain doc
Oct 3-started Tarceva, 150 mg
Oct 23 PET scan results-progression in spine and left lung with lymph node involvement-CRAP!!!!!
Nov 5-Tarceva down to 125 mg
Jan 20-failed bone cement procedure, pain worse
Jan 23-admitted to hospital for 10 days: full kidney failure, later discovered infection in chest which was lanced, identified dropped foot, off of Tarceva since Jan 20
Mar 31-1st of 10 radiation treatments to the spine
May 12-started navalbine

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will". -Mahatma Gandhi

"When the going gets tough, the tough get waterproof mascara" (assuming you have eyelashes left after chemo!)

I am so sorry it is time for hospice to come in. They should be able to get your dad comfortable and they will be a big help to the family also. Let us know how it goes in getting him released and back home.
Rochelle

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Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
John Lennon

"Never, never, never give up." Winston Churchill

"I rang for ice, but this is ridiculous." -Madeline Talmadge-Astor, as she was being helped off the Titanic

"Losing love is like a window in your heart, everybody sees you're blown apart, everybody sees the wind blow". Paul Simon

Husband John has NSCLC-Vena Cava Syndrome Stage 3B, Dx 6/02
Carbo/Taxol,Radiation
Taxotere
Gemzar
Iressa started 3/03
10/03 Stable CT scan
1/04 CT Still stable.
3/04 PET Scan, Still stable.
7/04 Still stable
1/05 Still stable
1/30/05 Iressa discontinued Started Tarceva, still stable 7/05
1/06 Slight increase in tumor, stopping Tarceva.
1/27/06 Started Alimta
5/5/06 Avastin added to Alimta
6/14/06 Stable, continue w/ Avastin
1/29/07 Shrinkage! Continue w/ Avasin.
7/07- Something new on the CT scan, doing a bronc 7/25/07 to see what it is. 8/21/07 begins brachytherapy. Next treatment postponed until 9/6/7 due to an infection which is making him too ill for the procedure. 9/13/07 Diagnosed with Aspergillus. Has brachytherapy 9/20/07. Developed a pericardial effusion, 10/30/07 has a pericardial window to drain the fluid. Procedure goes well but he passes away 10/31/07 due to a pulmonary hemorrhage.
Pic is me and daughter Jillian aka The Jillinator.
Visit Walk the Walk:
www.michiganlungcancerwalk.org

I am sorry it has gone so badly for you all in such a short time. Hospice will make it better.

Don M

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10-31-03 CT. My profile was getting too long so I moved it to my story.

http://www.lungevity.org/l_community/vi ... hp?t=37417

Hospice came in today. We were going to take him today, but the Dr.wanted to wait until Monday. They are arranging for all the equipment. Dad has a small temperature tonight. He thought he owned a hotel. His bowels are incontinent now. He says this is no way to live and his pain tolerance is way down. He doesn't want to live anymore

_________________
Dad was diagnosed the end of July 18 with SCLC RLL. Initial tests showed no mets. He had a lot of pain in L arm- finally they did an Xray-mets with FX. Lobectomy called off and he went to have rod inserted.He is just starting use it. O2 level drops to 87% . He had a week or so of hallucinations to the point he became combative. Aug. 8 -Sept 7-We called 911. DX- double pneumonia and ^ calcium. He developed clots in both legs and threw a clot to his lungs. Developed chest pain and difficulty swallowing; tumor growth. Then numbness from his abdomen down. He lost the ability to walk. He developed an intestinal infection which led to yeast infections in many areas.Depression. We quit meds except comfort meds. Sept 8- home with hospice- happy. Sept.10 unresponsive except to pain. Sept 14- he passed away.

Shrimp. I am so sorry that your dad feels that way. Best to wait I guess until all the necessary equipment can be moved. And then he can be at home where he deserves to be and hopefully there are precious moments yet to come.

Sandra