Please remember that these discussion boards are a public forum, which means open to the public (i.e. non-CSN members) and the content can be found via internet search engines. Members are strongly advised not to share personal identifiers such as real names, email address, telephone number, street address, etc. This information can be used to identify you and link you to the content you provide. Other areas of CSN are restricted to members only and cannot be found by search engines.

Caregivers

Dealing with role reversal
Hi, My Mom has had lung cancer for over 2 years and although they say she is in remission I have my concerns. She takes too many Xanax abd Vicadin and I don't know what else? She smokes too, she said she quit after siezures last week, but I think she is sneaking them. Anyway, I moved in to take care of her, and she is very…
need sounding board, advice?
I'm new at this so please bear with me. In Nov. 2003 my husband was diagnosed with a rare form of nasal/sinus cancer( the Dr.s didn't even give it a long fancy name:) He was treated with radiation & chemo and in June 2004, the tumor was gone. This past March , a routine pet scan detected a tumor about 1/2 inch in diameter…
Do you worry about yourselves?
Although my main focus these days is doing everything I can to help my mom beat this disease, if I stop long enough to think, I often start to wonder and worry about what this means for my future. My mom was in her early 40s when she was first diagnosed and while I have some suspicions that there were some contributing…
Shocked by cousin's diagnosis
Hi there, I am from the coloc cancer site....going throught my chemo regimen and appreciating all of the great people on my site. Well, last night , I received the unfortunate news that my young cousin (25) has testicular cancer. One removed and then found tumors of a more aggessive type in the other. CTscans and Lung…
can't get insurance coverage
My 25 year old son has recently completed his treatment for testicular cancer. He is still a college student since the cancer interrupted his studies. He is now ineligible for my medical insurance since he turned 25. I can cover him for one year under COBRA, which is very expensive, but no insurance companies will pick him…
Where to start?
My girlfriend and I are 5 months into our situation. She has lung cancer... with a few spots outside the lung, her liver and spleen. She is 53 years old. Otherwise healthy, did not smoke. We fish, have horses... in general very active. She has an 83 year old mother that lives not too far away. A son who is closer but less…
new to the site
I am caring for my 77 year old florida father in the north east. He was diagnosed with colon cancer with mets. in June 04. We have started chemo and have had a hard time. He had an adverse reaction to the 5fu and had to have to stents placed in his heart. Now he is on a different chemo and is very depressed from the side…
small cell lung and liver cancer
my mom has been in remisssion for 4 months now. she was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. we were told her small cell lung cancer is back and now she also has 2 spots on her liver. her health has been very poor due to pnuemonia and various other things so the dr. says it wouldn't do much good to have chemo again. is…
I need help before I crack
I am an almost 31 yr old woman taking care of her 74 yr old uncle who was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2003. He went through the chemo for that last year and seemed to be doing great. But then in December, his tests came back and showed that he had cancer in a lymph node. He had another surgery (first was in Dec…
flu lasting a month , any advice?
hi all, my love goes out to all of you. My mom is 77, 6 years into ovarian, ups and downs, ya know. She got the flu a month ago, and is taking forever to get her strength back...the worst now is tired, weak, lead heavy legs. Any advice? Its not the worst thing in the world, I realize, but I try to do what I can for her…
Newbie, dad with prostate ca mets
Where to start... not sure. My dad, who is a vietnam vet and yes exposed to agent orange was diagnosed with prostate cancer this past Oct. He had surgery in Nov, and on follow up appointment they discovered it had mets to the bone. They are treating him with Lupron, but basically have said there really isn't anything to…
brain tumor survivors
I want to talk to others that had radiaion to their heads.
I feel...lost
My mother is suffering from malignant melanoma. She has to have surgery to remove lymph nodes in her groin. I was wondering if anyone knew the life expectancy for this situation. My sister and I are both expecting and I want to know how long my mom will be around.
Loss of your love one
It has been 4 months since my husband of 12 years passed away. My children are 10 and 11 years old. I am trying to stay strong to be able to give emotional support to my children. For 21 months I stayed by my husband side trying to be a compentent caregiver. He is in a better place now, but I am so lost without him. I…
Guilt To Live With Now
Hi, I just lost my mother in March 2004. I was her primary care giver also the one child who remained with her at home throughout her life. My Mom had lung cancer and even though we never got to take the brain CAT scan we believe it moved to the brain. MY story is this. The last month she lived I was sitting up all night…
Angels Gather Here
I want to praise Dr.Erwin Robin and his staff for taking care of me ,being diagnosed in April 2003 with stageIV stomach cancer Dr. Robin and his people got me into remmision with chemo and nothing else but their support. At this point I am having a reccurance in my stomach and have talked to 2 different surgeons with 2…
First Chemo treament while recovering from pneumonia?
I'm hoping someone can provide some feedback based on their caregiving experience. I haven't been able to find information about this anywhere, and I don't want to jump to conclusions about my mother's caregivers. So - my 58 year old mother was admitted to the hospital on Jan 24 for pneumonia. She'd probably already had it…
first posting
i've never posted anything anywhere, but came across this site today. my wife has been fighting cervical cancer for 2.5 years now. they just told her - despite 3 surgeries, aggressive radiation, and aggressive chemo, that it has returned. she has never once complained about her treatments or her situation. she is only 32.…
Mom's Feeding Tube
My Mom has been diagnosed with gallbladder cancer. They are going to remover 75% of her liver, and other items. In order for them to do the surgery - she has to be healthy and not jaundiced. They have inserted a feeding tube and it goes directly into her lower intestine - however, she is to have 5 - 250mL cans of this…
Writing a book, advice?
Hi there! I am brand new to this site, but not to providing emotional support to someone with cancer. My uncle has been living with squamous cell carcinoma for about twenty years now, though I've only known him for five. He had a laryngectomy about fifteen years ago, so I learned about his experience with cancer…
Mesothelioma support
My father has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Wow what a terrible thing to hear. I would love to hear from anyone dealing with or a caregiver for mesothelioma. He had his first chemo yesterday. He is 73 and not a candidate for surgery. We are hoping for the best. He is taking Alimta. Anyone out there with info…
New Hear and Struggling
My wife, she is 36 and I am 39, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in Spetember 2003. The surgery to remove her right breast and Lymph nodes revealed that 25 nodes were affected. She went thru 16 weeks of Chemo and 8 radiation treatments, and within a week of finishing it metastisized to her brain. The Dr. initially called…
Eating
My wife is 52 and I am 46. She was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer on August 9th of this year. She has had many problems. Her one and only chemo treatment almost killed her by opening a hole in her colon. After that hospital stay she devoloped a bed sore. For the last four or five days she has been eaten nothing and…
Brain lesions
My mother, who is 41, just told me that she has a brain lesion, which as a result causes seizures. I don't know much about the subject, and haven't found any information that satisfies my concern and curiousity. If any knows of any extensive information please let me know. thank you.
Intimacy and Sexuality
My wife is a 7 year cancer survivor. Unfortunately, we have not been able to be intimate for more than that seven year period. I have extreme guilt about my personal desires and need to have the closeness of her. Fantasies are the only way I remain faithful to my wedding vows. I know this has got to be common in male…
6 mos prognoses_breast to spine
My dear ma has just been given 6 mos after fighting for 9 years. She's had everything from chemo to hormone to now radiation on a tumor in her spine. I'm moving in to help her as her caregiver. She is now on hospice. I'm scared of making such a big move, but have no doubt that this is the best thing for her. Any sage…
Advice anyone?
Hi, as I read through these messages, it gives me a sense of relief that neither I nor my husband are unique in our feelings. My husband was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease in March of this year and underwent chemo and rad. He has now been disease free since July. Unfortunately, we are both still suffering. I feel as if…
how do i get back to me
at 23 I was put in the caregivers role. My partner was very ill. Today after three years of treatment and terrible side effects he is doing great. However I am not doing so well. I have no idea who I am. i feel lost and it is eating me alive. the focus of my life was on him for the entire time. I tried to express my…
Any Iressa experience out there?
My Mom has stage iv lung cancer, inoperable, and has concluded that the best rout for her is to basically treat the pain and "go with it." Now one of her doctors who was involved in the FDA clinical trials is recommending that she start taking Iressa. Anybody have any experience, positive or negative, with this drug? My…
help...no insurance coverage.
my mother is from overseas 62 yrs old and was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma after multiple sugical procedures, she developed multi organ complications. Thank God she is really strong and fighting. Iam her primary caregiver and was recently discharged home because she is not qualified to any hospice program because of…

Caregivers

Discussion List

Discussion Boards