Cancer Survivors Network - Small cell lung cancer - Comments

My husband was diagnosed

Rhonda13 — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:05:02 -0400

My husband was diagnosed with sclc March 3, 2010. He has just finished his 2 course of chemo, his treatments are 3 days of chemo and 21 off. He has done exceptionally well, feels better, chemo shrinks tumors. His cancer has metasized to the liver and lymph nodes. My husband is a fighter. We have been on a emotional roller coaster since diagnosis. Only god knows the outcome of everyones cancer, pray, enjoy each day with your mother. I will pray for you and your mother.

hi

nipcat — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:57:41 -0500

hi I also have limited Sclc I had chemo and radiation at the same time I also had brain radiation for precaution in may till September my pet scan in September showed no sign of cancer tomorrow I get a another pet scan
i wish you good luck

hi

nipcat — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:57:38 -0500

Hi, Patpat ! I had

Sunshine 66 — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:40:18 -0500

Hi, Patpat !
I had radiation on my chest for 30 days & I was told that it would make me feel tired & to just lay down & rest ! The radiation did make me feel tired & I just rested & tried to rejuvinate myself ! Dont worry about your dad feeling tired ,he is 20 years older than me
so he already has an excuse ! I hope this helps answer your question. I hope your dad gets feeling better ! This is New Years Eve ! I hope we all have a New Year filled with Hope & Miracles ! Happy New Year !!!

My father too.......

Patpat — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:59:31 -0500

My father has diagnosed the SCLC as well...he is 75 years old...his breath is weak and not advisable for chemo right now. Only can do is radiotheraphy on the tumor on the chest...but he feel tired....is this natural if he tired ? any side effect for radio? can anyone tell me? I am very worry on him now.....

Thanks for the advice,

DMP — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:01:56 -0500

Thanks for the advice, Sunshine! When the time comes, I will just sharpen the blade and cut it all off! I have my "do-rags" stashed yet from the summer motorcycle riding days this past summer - they ought to come in handy!

Hair loss !

Sunshine 66 — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:22:17 -0500

HI, lAURA88 !
My hair started falling out about a week and a half after I started Chemo . My hair was past my butt . I hadn't had it cut in over 20 years ! My daughter would trim an inch or two every six month or once a year .That was because I had a hard time getting her to take tme out of her busy life to trim it ! I brushed my hair into a braid & went to the beauty salon & had the stylist cut my hair just a little above my shoulders. I told her that I wanted my hair cut in a bob hairstyle & I ended up looking like 'Rosanna Danna Banna '! ha ha!
(If you remember on Saturday nite live !) It looked more like a Wedge cut ! That is the reason I never liked going to a beauty salon because they never listen to what I say that I want, They just decide to give you what they want . Anyway I ended up leaving with my braid that was a little over 19 inches long ! I plan on donating it later on !I just wanted to hold onto it for awhile because it was such a shock to have to cut it! A week after I had it cut it started getting matted and when I tried to brush my hair it just stated coming out to the point that I just had some fine hair all over my head. I combed ny hair altogethet & made a little ponytail in the middle of the back of my head,. My boyfriend finally talked me into having someone shave it all off with an electric shaver because when I would wear a wig sometimes some of my hair might hang down from under the wig. To answer your question , I didnt have any more hair fall out after the first chemo treatment. & I had 4 or 5 more chemo treatments after that ! The last one I had was the first week of Audust 2009 & this is December 24, 2009 & my hair has grown back in evenly about one inch ! Iam glad that I went ahead & had it shaved all over one length ! Good luck to you ! & Merry Christmas !!

I was diagnosed in January

CCAOG — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:05:42 -0500

I was diagnosed in January with extensive sclc in my right lung, it had attached to my heart sac. I went thru radiation, which was really a breeze, nothing more than a sunburn. The chemo on the other hand was a little different, but not terrible. I got carboplatin and taxol. They gave me so much benedril before the chemo treatment, I slept thru most of it. All the needles and I.V's tore my arms up. It seems that for every chemo treatment they took blood twice. I was getting once a week treatments at that time (during radiation). I got nausea just a few times, took a pill, and it was gone in about 20 minutes. The biggest problem I had was the generally awful feeling and drowsiness. When my radiation was over I went on vacation to the Keys and went fishing with my family. We caught a lot of Mahi Mahi by the way. I'm still eating it. When I got back I got 6 double size treatments 3 weeks apart. After the 3rd one I couldn't stay awake. I was sleeping 16 to 18 hours a day. It took about three weeks after the treatments to start to feel normal again. My last chemo was in August. I had my next scan on my birthday in September, I'm 52 now, and I was in remission. HIP HIP HOORAY. I have however started getting fluid in that lung and had it drained out. They did a lab on it and found cancer cells in it, so I'm looking at more chemo and maybe another procedure to drain the lung completly and "glue the outer lining to the chest wall so that the fluid won't have any place to build up. It's all done with needles though. It won't be to bad I hope,I am a little worryed about the chemo though. Tell your mom that with a good support team and a good attitude (which is the biggest thing) she can get thru this. Good luck and GOD Bless.

PCI

Sunshine 66 — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:50:03 -0500

Happy Holidays ,Everone !
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I hope that the spirit of Christ is with all of you !
I have Limited Sclc & I have had chemo treatments & Radiation to my chest & now I am trying to decide wheather to do the PCI to the brain just as a preventative measure. I am gong to have a MRI on Dec. 29, 2009 to see if I am still clear of any cancer to my brain. My Doctor told me that if I decide to do the radiation that I will lose my hair again ! ( I just got my hair grown out to about an inch now since I had Chemo ! ) He said that I could have permnant hair loss in spots after the PCI . I would like to know if anyone else has had an experience that when their hair grew back in ?
I am prraying for a miracle this Christmas for us all ! God bless you !!Merry Christmas !

Cisplatin and Alimpta - side effects

Hauslohn — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:29:34 -0500

My husband is also undergoing Chemo with Cisplatin and Alimpta - he is midway between his 3rd and 4th dose ( every 3 wks like you) and he is almost at the end of 6 weeks of radiation. If I read you correctly the side effects last longer as the Chemo goes on - and for him too, after the 3rd dose the negative effects lasted longer than after the 2nd dose.... will it get worse progressively until he finishes the 6 rounds of Chemo? Do the toxic effects accumulate ... is anything recommended to help with that.?
Thanks

Checking in

mcbriz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:51:57 -0500

Starrynight - So sorry to hear about the progression of your mom's illness. My mother was also diagnosed in May, and my thoughts are with you as I read your update. Please let us know how she (and you) are doing.

moms loosing the fight

starrynight — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:22:31 -0500

mom is in the hospital. she pulled her picc line out tuesday morning. so they have called in hospice to take over her care. with the way everything is going she should pass sometime around thanksgiving. my dad is lost and really doesn't know what to do. mom has been his rock all these years.

mom has sclc as of may 09

starrynight — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:15:27 -0500

mom got the word back in may. things looked up for awhile then went down hill real fast.right now she got sent home from a treatment center the end of last month. we were told they could not do anything more for her.they told us she had 2 to 4 weeks to live the way she was going. she is on the tpn bag and pain meds that is all. after many problems at the center of things going wrong. not getting what she needed and stuff at the time. we are left with the feeling if she had just stayed here for treatment things might be diffrent. they had to take out her port and put in a picc line. she got staph in the port. they told us the picc line would only last for 2 weeks and then need to come out.so here we are now with all that has taken place over the last 5 months for the out come to be what they told her to begin with. which was 2 months with nothing and with chemo and radiation 6 to 11 months. she wont sleep at all or eat anything. hospice will not take her because of the tpn bag. and home health really don't have what she needs right now. she is still fighting and will not give up but her body is failing. just don't know where to turn for help?

Thank you Purpleeins

Laura88 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:48:48 -0500

Purpleeins -- you were Stage 4 seven years ago? I am stage 3B and not a surgical candidate. Now that I'm through with chemo/radiation and surgery is not an option I'm not sure what happens to me!! I have my first scan 11/12 and I'm very scared. I guess there's always more chemo, right? But I know no more radiation for me. I certainly do pray like I never thought possible, but this is the epitome of being frightened. It helps so much to hear someone say they are a 7 year survivor!! It helps to hear it's possible. Thanks so much.

side effects

purpleeins — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:38:55 -0500

I am a seven year non-small cell lung cancer survivor(was 46 yrs old when diagnosed)following a diagnosis of stage 4, 2 wks to live! One important item I have learned is that everyone is different. Some patients experience similar symptoms like being tired, sick, losing hair, eyelashes (no less as if drawing eyebrows isn't bad enough!)Must try in the midst of all this illness to find humor (difficult at this point I know)but if I can help with any questions, most willing to share my experiences-been the route cat-scans, MRI's, Pet scans, radiation, chemo, surgery (they removed the left lung & plural lining)done chemo therapy infusion. very fortunate to be here-lots of faith in the man upstairs and my doctors...best of luck, if I can help please contact me. Bless you all, if I had to do it all over again, I'd be first in line!!! Purpleeins...

Small cell lung cancer

pajami62 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:23:49 -0400

My mom has been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. We have started the Chemo treatments with Carboplatin & etoposide. It's a 21 day cycle, 3 days of chemo, 18 days off. The first chemo is done and we are on day 5 of the 18 off. Yesterday we brought her home from the hospital after a 10 day stay that had so many ups and downs I finally slept last night for six hours. My mom had no side effects from the chemo, except for the mouth sores. I'm trying to stay ahead of the cancer, can anyone tell me if the future treatments will have more side effects? When will the hair loss start? What is quality of life, during the 18 days like? Right now she is happy to be home, but I think she is feeling that she needs to stay inside, that she can't do anything...fun.