Don't know what to do

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newgirl10901
newgirl10901 Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Caregivers #1
My father is 63 and he has ben diagnosed with lung cancer that has metatisized to several locations in his body. He is weak and thin and has problems going to the bathroom. He has had radiation and that went well. My question is should he go through CHEMO??? It is so hard on the body that I would rather see him not do it and enjoy the remainder of his life. But our we giving up?? I don't knw what to do.

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  • daughtercares
    daughtercares Member Posts: 9
    #2
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    Hi newgirl,
    My father is 65 and was diagnosed with renal cancer (kidney cancer that has spread). He had part of his lung removed, but the cancer came back. He is now on Interlukin and Interferon. We are hoping for the best. I heard chemo wasn't the option of choice for my father's type of cancer. My father is also weak and has been getting thinner because of his treatments. You should take him to a nutritionist that can recommend foods to eat and to gain his strength a bit. I'm not sure how far along your father's cancer is and if chemo will help. You should definitely seek multiple opinions. Good luck.
  • daughtercares
    daughtercares Member Posts: 9
    #3
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    Hi newgirl,
    My father is 65 and was diagnosed with renal cancer (kidney cancer that has spread). He had part of his lung removed, but the cancer came back. He is now on Interlukin and Interferon. We are hoping for the best. I heard chemo wasn't the option of choice for my father's type of cancer. My father is also weak and has been getting thinner because of his treatments. You should take him to a nutritionist that can recommend foods to eat and to gain his strength a bit. I'm not sure how far along your father's cancer is and if chemo will help. You should definitely seek multiple opinions. Good luck.
  • barbinsos
    barbinsos Member Posts: 1
    #4
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    Hi newgirl,
    I am so sorry for what you are going through. My mother, who is 78, has been going through chemotherapy for 2 years for lung cancer. looking back on her experience I can offer a few suggestions that may help.
    talk to the oncologist about what can realistically be expected of the treatment.. the side effects and how this will impact your father's health and energy level. my mom has been through three different types of chemo- one was a breeze with almost no side effects, one weakened her so much she needed repeated bllo transfusions. also, as the doctor about any follow-up to the chemo. my mother had to get DAILY shots (for 14 days a month) to boost her white blood count to be able to get the treatment, and this meant daily visits to the doctors office- this exhausted her more than the treatment.. find out how much time the chemo sessions will take.. some treatments only last an hour or so, others for several hours.. and, push the doctor to be honest with you about the quality of life your father can expect if he does, and doesn't go through treatmnet- lung cancer is an awful diease and I think that many of the treatments only prolong the inevitable. My mother's treatment has enabled her to live 2 years that she might not have, some of that time was good and some was not. She is now off treatment and in hospice care here at home.. overall, I'm glad for the good times, sorry that she had to suffer through the bad, but- she did the treatment for as long as she wanted to, so I guess, ultimately, she wasn't ready to go yet. But, now she is. I hope these suggestions help you.. my only other one is to do as many nice things for yourself as you can..never forget that this is hard on you too.

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