My husband diagnosed in Feb.

sks311
sks311 Member Posts: 9
My husband is 56 and was diagnosed in Feb. with stage IV NSCLC. He has had rad to the brain and is on chemo. Taking carboplatin and navelbine. He was taking cisplatin but was taken off it had 3 cycles of it and now has had 2 cycles of carboplatin. He is extemely tired, having vision problems and very dizzy. Had to have a shot of aranesp this last week. He just feels lousy most of the time. He haswent from a viral man to a very sick man in a few months. We have very strong faith in the Lord. We live in a small town in Southwest North Dakota and have to travel 180 miles one way weekly to go to Bismarck for his chemo treatments. We go back on the 31st of May for CT then see oncologist on the 1st for results, he will decide if he will continue for 2 more cycles or start maintence chemo. I haven't wrote on this site but read it alot since I discovered it about a month ago. Has anyone had the side effect of extreme fatigue and he says he walks around in a fog. He hasn't been able to drive at all as he can't concentrate and has vision problems. His mets were to the brain,Lymph nodes,right rib. He also is insulin dependant diabetic. The dex. wreaks havoc on his sugars. Thanks, Sherrie

Comments

  • KLScoville
    KLScoville Member Posts: 161 Member
    same boat
    Hello Sherrie,

    I am exactly in the same boat you are. Hubby 54 diagnosed February 2011, was a welder now he is couch bound. Only difference is my husband is not taking any chemo. He has mets all along his torso and on his aorta, he gets confused and very tired. The only thing he is doing is radiation on his jaw (spread in the nodules there, both sides) and in his belly for the tumor pressing against his spine (done with those treatments) 9 more treatments on the mouth. He was having problems with his balance and fog like effects. And talk about having diabetes on top of all this. Watch out for your husband developing thrush. My husband is also an insulin dependent diabetic and his sugar is way out of wack! Keep an eye on his sugar because the thrush is like a yeast infection in the mouth and it loves sugar. They may give him magic mouthwash or/and swish and swallow to help with thrush if he develops it.

    My prayers are with you and your husband.
    ~Kelly
  • David0039
    David0039 Member Posts: 4

    same boat
    Hello Sherrie,

    I am exactly in the same boat you are. Hubby 54 diagnosed February 2011, was a welder now he is couch bound. Only difference is my husband is not taking any chemo. He has mets all along his torso and on his aorta, he gets confused and very tired. The only thing he is doing is radiation on his jaw (spread in the nodules there, both sides) and in his belly for the tumor pressing against his spine (done with those treatments) 9 more treatments on the mouth. He was having problems with his balance and fog like effects. And talk about having diabetes on top of all this. Watch out for your husband developing thrush. My husband is also an insulin dependent diabetic and his sugar is way out of wack! Keep an eye on his sugar because the thrush is like a yeast infection in the mouth and it loves sugar. They may give him magic mouthwash or/and swish and swallow to help with thrush if he develops it.

    My prayers are with you and your husband.
    ~Kelly

    new here
    Hello I am not sure about the side effects of the cemo or radiation.i was diagnosed in april with nsclc stage 3 and had my rml and 2 lymphnodes removed may 10 was home the 14th and have no energy i walk around the yard a little and get right back in the recliner usually to sleep for a few hours i only hope the tierdness gets better before i start cemo.
  • sks311
    sks311 Member Posts: 9

    same boat
    Hello Sherrie,

    I am exactly in the same boat you are. Hubby 54 diagnosed February 2011, was a welder now he is couch bound. Only difference is my husband is not taking any chemo. He has mets all along his torso and on his aorta, he gets confused and very tired. The only thing he is doing is radiation on his jaw (spread in the nodules there, both sides) and in his belly for the tumor pressing against his spine (done with those treatments) 9 more treatments on the mouth. He was having problems with his balance and fog like effects. And talk about having diabetes on top of all this. Watch out for your husband developing thrush. My husband is also an insulin dependent diabetic and his sugar is way out of wack! Keep an eye on his sugar because the thrush is like a yeast infection in the mouth and it loves sugar. They may give him magic mouthwash or/and swish and swallow to help with thrush if he develops it.

    My prayers are with you and your husband.
    ~Kelly

    He has the "swish and
    He has the "swish and swallow' has not had any thrush to date. My husband has worked in the oil field for 33 years and is not able to go to work anymore. He is going to complete his chemo. He had radiation to the 2 tumors in the brain,this worked fairly well as the last MRI has shown that oneof the tumors has dissaperared and the other one has shrunk by 80% so this has made us feel really good. THe large tumor in the left lung has shrunk by almost half, the node are shrinking so everything has improved alot and has made the chemo worth the side effects. We really hope that this will put the cancer in remission when we are done. He is so very tired and very sick most of the time. His sugars are running pretty high the Dr. has put him on a sliding scale for his diabetes. He take 36 units of Lantus in the mornings and a sliding scale with Novalog during the day and night. He is on steroid that makes his sugars high. I am sorry for you and your husband thatyou are going through this. What makes him not want to take any kind of treatment? My husband is trying anything to fight this as we have a son going to get married in October and have 5 grandkids. We have two sons, a daughter-in-law and the grandkids and many things to do still. Please know you are in my prayers.
    Sherrie
  • sks311
    sks311 Member Posts: 9

    same boat
    Hello Sherrie,

    I am exactly in the same boat you are. Hubby 54 diagnosed February 2011, was a welder now he is couch bound. Only difference is my husband is not taking any chemo. He has mets all along his torso and on his aorta, he gets confused and very tired. The only thing he is doing is radiation on his jaw (spread in the nodules there, both sides) and in his belly for the tumor pressing against his spine (done with those treatments) 9 more treatments on the mouth. He was having problems with his balance and fog like effects. And talk about having diabetes on top of all this. Watch out for your husband developing thrush. My husband is also an insulin dependent diabetic and his sugar is way out of wack! Keep an eye on his sugar because the thrush is like a yeast infection in the mouth and it loves sugar. They may give him magic mouthwash or/and swish and swallow to help with thrush if he develops it.

    My prayers are with you and your husband.
    ~Kelly

    He has the "swish and
    He has the "swish and swallow' has not had any thrush to date. My husband has worked in the oil field for 33 years and is not able to go to work anymore. He is going to complete his chemo. He had radiation to the 2 tumors in the brain,this worked fairly well as the last MRI has shown that oneof the tumors has dissaperared and the other one has shrunk by 80% so this has made us feel really good. THe large tumor in the left lung has shrunk by almost half, the node are shrinking so everything has improved alot and has made the chemo worth the side effects. We really hope that this will put the cancer in remission when we are done. He is so very tired and very sick most of the time. His sugars are running pretty high the Dr. has put him on a sliding scale for his diabetes. He take 36 units of Lantus in the mornings and a sliding scale with Novalog during the day and night. He is on steroid that makes his sugars high. I am sorry for you and your husband thatyou are going through this. What makes him not want to take any kind of treatment? My husband is trying anything to fight this as we have a son going to get married in October and have 5 grandkids. We have two sons, a daughter-in-law and the grandkids and many things to do still. Please know you are in my prayers.
    Sherrie
  • David0039
    David0039 Member Posts: 4

    same boat
    Hello Sherrie,

    I am exactly in the same boat you are. Hubby 54 diagnosed February 2011, was a welder now he is couch bound. Only difference is my husband is not taking any chemo. He has mets all along his torso and on his aorta, he gets confused and very tired. The only thing he is doing is radiation on his jaw (spread in the nodules there, both sides) and in his belly for the tumor pressing against his spine (done with those treatments) 9 more treatments on the mouth. He was having problems with his balance and fog like effects. And talk about having diabetes on top of all this. Watch out for your husband developing thrush. My husband is also an insulin dependent diabetic and his sugar is way out of wack! Keep an eye on his sugar because the thrush is like a yeast infection in the mouth and it loves sugar. They may give him magic mouthwash or/and swish and swallow to help with thrush if he develops it.

    My prayers are with you and your husband.
    ~Kelly

    new here
    Hello I am not sure about the side effects of the cemo or radiation.i was diagnosed in april with nsclc stage 3 and had my rml and 2 lymphnodes removed may 10 was home the 14th and have no energy i walk around the yard a little and get right back in the recliner usually to sleep for a few hours i only hope the tierdness gets better before i start cemo.
  • sks311
    sks311 Member Posts: 9

    same boat
    Hello Sherrie,

    I am exactly in the same boat you are. Hubby 54 diagnosed February 2011, was a welder now he is couch bound. Only difference is my husband is not taking any chemo. He has mets all along his torso and on his aorta, he gets confused and very tired. The only thing he is doing is radiation on his jaw (spread in the nodules there, both sides) and in his belly for the tumor pressing against his spine (done with those treatments) 9 more treatments on the mouth. He was having problems with his balance and fog like effects. And talk about having diabetes on top of all this. Watch out for your husband developing thrush. My husband is also an insulin dependent diabetic and his sugar is way out of wack! Keep an eye on his sugar because the thrush is like a yeast infection in the mouth and it loves sugar. They may give him magic mouthwash or/and swish and swallow to help with thrush if he develops it.

    My prayers are with you and your husband.
    ~Kelly

    He has the "swish and
    He has the "swish and swallow' has not had any thrush to date. My husband has worked in the oil field for 33 years and is not able to go to work anymore. He is going to complete his chemo. He had radiation to the 2 tumors in the brain,this worked fairly well as the last MRI has shown that one of the tumors has dissaperared and the other one has shrunk by 80% so this has made us feel really good. THe large tumor in the left lung has shrunk by almost half, the node are shrinking so everything has improved alot and has made the chemo worth the side effects. We really hope that this will put the cancer in remission when we are done. He is so very tired and very sick most of the time. His sugars are running pretty high the Dr. has put him on a sliding scale for his diabetes. He take 36 units of Lantus in the mornings and a sliding scale with Novalog during the day and night. He is on steroid that makes his sugars high. I am sorry for you and your husband that you are going through this. What makes him not want to take any kind of treatment? My husband is trying anything to fight this as we have a son going to get married in October and have 5 grandkids. We have two sons, a daughter-in-law and the grandkids and many things to do still. Please know you are in my prayers.
    Sherrie
  • sks311
    sks311 Member Posts: 9
    sks311 said:

    He has the "swish and
    He has the "swish and swallow' has not had any thrush to date. My husband has worked in the oil field for 33 years and is not able to go to work anymore. He is going to complete his chemo. He had radiation to the 2 tumors in the brain,this worked fairly well as the last MRI has shown that one of the tumors has dissaperared and the other one has shrunk by 80% so this has made us feel really good. THe large tumor in the left lung has shrunk by almost half, the node are shrinking so everything has improved alot and has made the chemo worth the side effects. We really hope that this will put the cancer in remission when we are done. He is so very tired and very sick most of the time. His sugars are running pretty high the Dr. has put him on a sliding scale for his diabetes. He take 36 units of Lantus in the mornings and a sliding scale with Novalog during the day and night. He is on steroid that makes his sugars high. I am sorry for you and your husband that you are going through this. What makes him not want to take any kind of treatment? My husband is trying anything to fight this as we have a son going to get married in October and have 5 grandkids. We have two sons, a daughter-in-law and the grandkids and many things to do still. Please know you are in my prayers.
    Sherrie

    Not sure why this posted
    Not sure why this posted three times will try and watch it from now on.
  • sks311
    sks311 Member Posts: 9
    David0039 said:

    new here
    Hello I am not sure about the side effects of the cemo or radiation.i was diagnosed in april with nsclc stage 3 and had my rml and 2 lymphnodes removed may 10 was home the 14th and have no energy i walk around the yard a little and get right back in the recliner usually to sleep for a few hours i only hope the tierdness gets better before i start cemo.

    I hope your tiredness gets
    I hope your tiredness gets better, my husband has about two days out of seven that he feels half human! He goes for two weeks and then has a week off, this coming week is his off week, and we hope that he has a much better week. When do you start chemo?
  • David0039
    David0039 Member Posts: 4
    sks311 said:

    I hope your tiredness gets
    I hope your tiredness gets better, my husband has about two days out of seven that he feels half human! He goes for two weeks and then has a week off, this coming week is his off week, and we hope that he has a much better week. When do you start chemo?

    new here
    Hope your husband gets better also. my post op exam is tuesday i guess after that the onc will set the schedual for my cemo..
  • Ex_Rock_n_Roller
    Ex_Rock_n_Roller Member Posts: 281 Member
    Extreme fatigue: Yes.
    "Has anyone had the side effect of extreme fatigue and he says he walks around in a fog"

    I was diagnosed 3B NSCLC in April 2010, the only spread being to one lymph node on the opposite side of my chest from the main mass, had two courses of Cisplatin and Etoposide along with concurrent radiation to my chest only, and the biggest side effect I had was in fact feeling like a Mack truck had rolled over me. In fact, I distinctly remember being out in the back yard on a sunny day sometime late last June (i.e. a "perfect day to be alive" kind of day), and telling my wife, "You know, if I had to live forever feeling like this, it's 50/50 whether I could handle it." That was really the only time I felt that way, it was all due to the grinding fatigue, and as I recall, I also had a headache.

    Long story short, I now feel great. I didn't have as heavy a hit in terms of areas affected as your hubby, but I think it's safe to say that if he is fortunate enough to get some remission out of this, tell him to hang in, because the "carrying a grand piano around on your back" feeling will get better.

    All the best to you both from here.
  • sks311
    sks311 Member Posts: 9

    Extreme fatigue: Yes.
    "Has anyone had the side effect of extreme fatigue and he says he walks around in a fog"

    I was diagnosed 3B NSCLC in April 2010, the only spread being to one lymph node on the opposite side of my chest from the main mass, had two courses of Cisplatin and Etoposide along with concurrent radiation to my chest only, and the biggest side effect I had was in fact feeling like a Mack truck had rolled over me. In fact, I distinctly remember being out in the back yard on a sunny day sometime late last June (i.e. a "perfect day to be alive" kind of day), and telling my wife, "You know, if I had to live forever feeling like this, it's 50/50 whether I could handle it." That was really the only time I felt that way, it was all due to the grinding fatigue, and as I recall, I also had a headache.

    Long story short, I now feel great. I didn't have as heavy a hit in terms of areas affected as your hubby, but I think it's safe to say that if he is fortunate enough to get some remission out of this, tell him to hang in, because the "carrying a grand piano around on your back" feeling will get better.

    All the best to you both from here.

    Thank you for that great
    Thank you for that great post. This will give him tremendous hope. He too, carries a mack truck.

    The day we left to go for his chemo, he had a really good day and felt better than he had since we began this journey, he had his sense of humor, and was just my "old Ralph" I want that man back so much. It was a great day, he was able to converse all the way there, which is 180 miles away. He didn't even take a nap.

    How long after treatment did it take you to get back to your old self? He isn't able to drive and in our area that is hard for him, there is no such thing as public transit around here. He hasn't been able to work at all through any of this, were you able to work or drive. His concentration is very poor at best, I tell him "I think it is chemo fog" He can't seem to follow through with a task, like for instance gasing up the vehicle I will put in the card and get it started, he will hang the hose up but forget to put the cap on and close the lid. This is from a man that has worked 33 years in the oilfiled. He is a production superintendent, and he can't follow a simple task, so very frustrating for him and nothing I can do to make that better.

    He is a survivor and a fighter so we know with all our hearts he will put this in remission.

    Thanks, Sherrie
  • Ex_Rock_n_Roller
    Ex_Rock_n_Roller Member Posts: 281 Member
    sks311 said:

    Thank you for that great
    Thank you for that great post. This will give him tremendous hope. He too, carries a mack truck.

    The day we left to go for his chemo, he had a really good day and felt better than he had since we began this journey, he had his sense of humor, and was just my "old Ralph" I want that man back so much. It was a great day, he was able to converse all the way there, which is 180 miles away. He didn't even take a nap.

    How long after treatment did it take you to get back to your old self? He isn't able to drive and in our area that is hard for him, there is no such thing as public transit around here. He hasn't been able to work at all through any of this, were you able to work or drive. His concentration is very poor at best, I tell him "I think it is chemo fog" He can't seem to follow through with a task, like for instance gasing up the vehicle I will put in the card and get it started, he will hang the hose up but forget to put the cap on and close the lid. This is from a man that has worked 33 years in the oilfiled. He is a production superintendent, and he can't follow a simple task, so very frustrating for him and nothing I can do to make that better.

    He is a survivor and a fighter so we know with all our hearts he will put this in remission.

    Thanks, Sherrie

    Hope he's feeling better ...
    I'm thinking it took me about a month after the end of radiation (chemo ended a week earlier) to get most of my old self back. By that time I was able to take a road trip and do some hiking. I too avoided driving most of the time, although I think there were only about two weeks where I really wouldn't have trusted myself behind the wheel no way no how.

    They set me up so I could work from home, but I have to say, there were a few weeks when the amount of time I was putting in was pretty limited. I'm a quality manager, so most of the time I could just watch my e-mail for crazy stuff going on, and if anything was, fire off a few, "Yo idiot! This thing you're planning to do is STOOPID!" messages from the comfort of my back porch. I would also go in to work at night and get some stuff done when I had the latitude to lay back and catch my breath, not to mention avoiding the risk of getting infected by whoever was walking around with a bug (which I luckily avoided entirely).

    He shouldn't be worried about work, though. His job is to kick back, build strength, and hang in until he starts to feel better. He's done the work for decades; he should put his mind in neutral and chill out. Easier said than done, I know, but you have to get in that frame of mind.

    We're pulling for him!
  • hope4u
    hope4u Member Posts: 1
    sks311 said:

    He has the "swish and
    He has the "swish and swallow' has not had any thrush to date. My husband has worked in the oil field for 33 years and is not able to go to work anymore. He is going to complete his chemo. He had radiation to the 2 tumors in the brain,this worked fairly well as the last MRI has shown that oneof the tumors has dissaperared and the other one has shrunk by 80% so this has made us feel really good. THe large tumor in the left lung has shrunk by almost half, the node are shrinking so everything has improved alot and has made the chemo worth the side effects. We really hope that this will put the cancer in remission when we are done. He is so very tired and very sick most of the time. His sugars are running pretty high the Dr. has put him on a sliding scale for his diabetes. He take 36 units of Lantus in the mornings and a sliding scale with Novalog during the day and night. He is on steroid that makes his sugars high. I am sorry for you and your husband thatyou are going through this. What makes him not want to take any kind of treatment? My husband is trying anything to fight this as we have a son going to get married in October and have 5 grandkids. We have two sons, a daughter-in-law and the grandkids and many things to do still. Please know you are in my prayers.
    Sherrie

    what type of chemo treatment
    what type of chemo treatment was he on?