Life after treatment-help for a caregiver.

lcreech22
lcreech22 Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
My mom was diagnosed with lung cancer in Feb. She has done pretty well through chemo and radiation to her lungs and her brain. After her last round of radiation, I thought she would start feeling better and things would go back to a somewhat normal. However, about a month after her radiation she started getting really bad headaches and bed nausea. This has gone on for a month now. She finally went to her family doctor who first told her she had a bladder infection, put her on antibotics, then called back a week later and told her she didn't have an infection and just gave her some nausea pills. She bearly eats anything. Yesterday she ate a few peanuts and a couple of bites of a grilled cheese, so she is very weak. All she wants to do is sit in her chair or sleep.

To make matters worse, my stepdad also has cancer and is undergoing radiation two hours away at the VA hospital throughout the week. He comes home Friday afternoons and has to be back Sunday evening. I have came home for a few weeks to help out, but I don't know what to do. During treatment, we had a routine. She actually ate better during chemo then she is now. Then it seemed like I could keep her busy and keep her spirits up. Now it almost seems like she has given up. I know she feels horrible and has no energy to do anything. Plus I suspect she is depressed but she won't talk to anyone or take an antidepressent pill.

Any suggestions? I don't want to drive her crazy by constantly pushing her to get up and do something, but I can't just sit back and watch her be depressed.

If anyone out there reading this is in the same situation as my mom, what would you want someone to do for you?

Comments

  • Miss Bella
    Miss Bella Member Posts: 19
    #2
    Call her radiation onc.
    Call her radiation onc. Radiation is the gift that keeps on giving.What are they expecting from her brain radiation. Was it WBR?? There are late coming side effects. This is not something for her family dr to deal with.


    Wishing you all the best.
  • lcreech22
    lcreech22 Member Posts: 2
    #3
    Miss Bella said:

    Call her radiation onc.
    Call her radiation onc. Radiation is the gift that keeps on giving.What are they expecting from her brain radiation. Was it WBR?? There are late coming side effects. This is not something for her family dr to deal with.


    Wishing you all the best.

    I called him and he said she should not be experiencing any side effects from brain radiation at this point. That was my first thought too. I am not sure what WBR is, but they gave her brain radiation as a precaution since her lung cancer had not spread yet. Her radiation onc. ordered a MRI of her brain Friday, so we are just waiting for the results. We also spoke with her main oncologist, but he seemed to think it was something unrelated as well. Maybe it is just a virus that has lasted a long time because her immune system is so week? I don't know, but since my post earlier this morning, she got up and ate one and a half ham biscuits. It is the most I have seen her eat at once in weeks!! Maybe in time she will start feeling better.
  • skipper85
    skipper85 Member Posts: 229
    #4
    lcreech22 said:

    I called him and he said she should not be experiencing any side effects from brain radiation at this point. That was my first thought too. I am not sure what WBR is, but they gave her brain radiation as a precaution since her lung cancer had not spread yet. Her radiation onc. ordered a MRI of her brain Friday, so we are just waiting for the results. We also spoke with her main oncologist, but he seemed to think it was something unrelated as well. Maybe it is just a virus that has lasted a long time because her immune system is so week? I don't know, but since my post earlier this morning, she got up and ate one and a half ham biscuits. It is the most I have seen her eat at once in weeks!! Maybe in time she will start feeling better.

    Give Her Ensure Plus

    My husband lost a lot of weight after radiation. Everything tasted like cardboard (he had throat cancer and so he had lots of radiation to the head) and he just didn't want to eat. Your Mom has to try to eat whether she is hungry or not and the most nutritious thing for her to have right now is the Ensure Plus. She actually could live on that if she needed to. It has all the nutrients she needs to build herself up. It takes a while after radiation to get back the appetite and sometimes tastebuds if they were affected. The more you can get her to eat (even if it's only constant snacking and drinking the Ensure) the better she is going to feel and want to eat.

    Don't give up on your Mom. She will start feeling better as soon as she gets the nutrition she needs. If it is becoming a real issue your onc can probably prescribe an appetite enhancer.

    Good luck. Lots of ((Hugs)).

    Skipper85

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