newbie ---any one online?

pherbolario
pherbolario Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
Hi, im new here...my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer 3b. Since operation is not possible, he had his first chemo last week. Today, a new treatment was administerd and was not explianed to my mom and my dad. Can anyone tell me how a normal procedure is done.

Comments

  • catcon49
    catcon49 Member Posts: 398
    #2
    Sorry to hear about your
    Sorry to hear about your father. i had lung cancer not as advanced as your father. But from what I understand sometimes treatment will shrink the cancer so they can operate. Don't be afraid to ask the doctor to explain to you in terms that you can understand. There are alot of great people on this site who know alot more about this than I do.
  • BILL914
    BILL914 Member Posts: 21 Member
    #3
    MY PROCEDURE
    Back in Aug 2004, I was diag with STAGE 3A. I was told that surgery was not an option. I went through 6 weeks of daily radiation and 6 weeks of weekly chemo. At the end, the doctors changed their mind and said that I responded so well that they would do the surgery. In Dec 2004, they removed my entire left lung. Im still hanging in there, in fact, I work full time and am writing this reply from work. Stay positive and good luck.
  • pherbolario
    pherbolario Member Posts: 3
    #4
    BILL914 said:

    MY PROCEDURE
    Back in Aug 2004, I was diag with STAGE 3A. I was told that surgery was not an option. I went through 6 weeks of daily radiation and 6 weeks of weekly chemo. At the end, the doctors changed their mind and said that I responded so well that they would do the surgery. In Dec 2004, they removed my entire left lung. Im still hanging in there, in fact, I work full time and am writing this reply from work. Stay positive and good luck.

    Hi, it's so nice to hear
    Hi, it's so nice to hear that you are doing well. I just wish that medical options here in my country is the same as yours. Doctors here doesnt even explain what they do and just surprise you with the bills. The first chemo of my dad cost us a lot, doctors here doesnt even issue us receipts or acknowldegemnt receipt. They dont even accept health cards. I guess we'll just finish the first cycle and see what happens later. I hope that my dad can recover from this, just like you.
  • Diane03
    Diane03 Member Posts: 42
    #5
    pherbolario said:

    Hi, it's so nice to hear
    Hi, it's so nice to hear that you are doing well. I just wish that medical options here in my country is the same as yours. Doctors here doesnt even explain what they do and just surprise you with the bills. The first chemo of my dad cost us a lot, doctors here doesnt even issue us receipts or acknowldegemnt receipt. They dont even accept health cards. I guess we'll just finish the first cycle and see what happens later. I hope that my dad can recover from this, just like you.

    treatment
    What Country? Here, in the U.S. things are explained. You might have to ask to have them explained in terms you can understand, but if you ask questions, you expect answers. Sorry things are going so rough for you and your family
  • Greggriggs
    Greggriggs Member Posts: 132
    #6
    BILL914 said:

    MY PROCEDURE
    Back in Aug 2004, I was diag with STAGE 3A. I was told that surgery was not an option. I went through 6 weeks of daily radiation and 6 weeks of weekly chemo. At the end, the doctors changed their mind and said that I responded so well that they would do the surgery. In Dec 2004, they removed my entire left lung. Im still hanging in there, in fact, I work full time and am writing this reply from work. Stay positive and good luck.

    Same procedure
    In 2006 I was diag non samll cell left lung .I did not receive Rads or chemo they removed my left lung complete and like you Bill I am still here . I did Carbo an Taxol 10 weeks after the surgery.

    Bill did the pain ever stop from the sugery ?
    Greg
  • Greggriggs
    Greggriggs Member Posts: 132
    #7
    BILL914 said:

    MY PROCEDURE
    Back in Aug 2004, I was diag with STAGE 3A. I was told that surgery was not an option. I went through 6 weeks of daily radiation and 6 weeks of weekly chemo. At the end, the doctors changed their mind and said that I responded so well that they would do the surgery. In Dec 2004, they removed my entire left lung. Im still hanging in there, in fact, I work full time and am writing this reply from work. Stay positive and good luck.

    Same procedure
    In 2006 I was diag non samll cell left lung .I did not receive Rads or chemo they removed my left lung complete and like you Bill I am still here . I did Carbo an Taxol 10 weeks after the surgery.

    Bill did the pain ever stop from the sugery ?
    Greg
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #8
    Take notes
    It sounds as though you are not able to accompany dad on his visits to the doctors? If this is not the case, I would strongly advise that you make yourself available for these appointments, so that you can ask questions yourself. Otherwise, you are not legally going to get much out of his doctors.

    If you cannot be there, then I would encourage mom to take a notepad and pen, write down all of the questions that you and she and dad and other family members have, and present them to doc next time she and dad visit.

    The doctors cannot read minds, unfortunately, so they do not know what we do not know but want to know, unless we ask them.

    I would further advise that mom then record the answers, and that between visits she and the family write down any new questions that are prompted from the first responses, and so on.

    It is, as you know, critical to dad's well-being, to mom's, to yours, to the entire family's, that you know what is going on and why.

    This is a simple thing I describe above, but believe me, it is recommended highly by nearly anyone I know on this site.

    Of course, mom and/or dad cannot be afraid to ask those questions either: the doctors work for them!

    Best wishes and take care,

    Joe
  • Mawoni
    Mawoni Member Posts: 20
    #9
    Greggriggs said:

    Same procedure
    In 2006 I was diag non samll cell left lung .I did not receive Rads or chemo they removed my left lung complete and like you Bill I am still here . I did Carbo an Taxol 10 weeks after the surgery.

    Bill did the pain ever stop from the sugery ?
    Greg

    same procedure
    I had surgery to remove upper lobe of right lung (non small cell adenocarcinoma stage 3b), then 12 week course of chemo started 4 weeks after surgery. I finished chemo treatment late Sep 2008. I, too, am wondering if the surgery pain ever goes away. My surgeon tells me I am still dealing with ribs that had to be cut and nerve ending pain. He says some people breeze right through and others experience pain for a very long time. I can't imagine ever being able to work again (I'm only 60) and there are so many things I just can not do any longer without causing pain flareup. Since chemo ended and I was declared "clear", I am experiencing bad depression. Guess that could be from finally facing what my future might be like, if the pain never stops? I would guess lots of folks find this part frustrating. It's like you have to start thinking about things that all the activity of actively treating the cancer has kept you too busy to think about.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #10
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

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