Jim's pneumonia

linda1120
linda1120 Member Posts: 389
in Esophageal Cancer #1
I wanted to thank all of you for your prayers for Jim with his pneumonia. He is on the second anti-biotic now and I see a tiny bit of improvement. He has had hydration for five days and the chemo nurses have been monitoring him and a nurse practioner. He has run a low grade fever and is extremely weak. He coughs a lot and coughs up phlegm with blood in it. The coughing is making his MIE healing difficult. We are so grateful that he is cancer free, but he is so discouraged. Has anyone else dealt with pneumonia after surgery? I think it is going to take a long time to recover from the MIE with this complication.

Linda

Comments

  • sal314
    sal314 Member Posts: 599 Member
    #2
    So Sorry
    that Jim is having such difficulties with the pneumonia and healing. Hopefully the second anti-biotic will kick in and he will start feeling better. Feeling so ill makes having a positive outlook that much harder. But it's a positive sign that you see some improvement, no matter how tiny! You have to begin somewhere:)

    I'll continue to pray for continued healing, strength and that God gives you both peace as you continue on your journey.

    Blessings,
    Sally
  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #3
    The Healing
    Hello Linda
    Thank you for your recent update on Jim. Glad things are looking better little by little. You do want him to cough. Coughing up all of the fluid is important. Has he had any procedures to remove the fluid from his chest? A chest tube inserted through his side to drain fluids. My mom just went through having fluid on her left lung after her bypass surgery in December. The low grade fever is normal, because of the pneumonia. Yes his MIE healing will take longer, but remember slow and easy win the race! The great news is....CANCER FREE!!!. He will recover from this pneumonia. Look into getting him a pneumonia shot for this year. Hugs to you both. Keep us posted.
    Tina in Va
  • mrsbotch
    mrsbotch Member Posts: 349
    #4
    Cancer free
    Cander free are 2 beautiful words Linda. I pray that Jim will get stronger each day. If he can overcome the beast of EC he can certainly get thru pneumonia.


    We are all here for you

    Barb
  • spensir
    spensir Member Posts: 44
    #5
    Thinking of you
    Hello Linda and Jim I have been thinking of you and wondering how it is going for you. I know the daily struggles are difficult at time. I pray for you daily. Shirley
  • jroq
    jroq Member Posts: 1
    #6
    spensir said:

    Thinking of you
    Hello Linda and Jim I have been thinking of you and wondering how it is going for you. I know the daily struggles are difficult at time. I pray for you daily. Shirley

    Keep Strong. Every Small Victory Counts
    Jim/Linda

    My dad is a two time cancer survivor. First bout diagnosed in 2007 stage3 lung cancer. Second 2010 that spread to the adreanal gland. We survived all that with a pilgramage with my mom to Fatima Portugal.

    He has been in the ICU since Jan. 16 with double Pneumonia. We have seen our share of "1 step foward... 2 steps back" roller coaster. He has survived the criticle stages, and now it is time for the real healing to begin. He has been through the whole nine yards of treatment with 4 antibiotics, heart meds to stablize blood presure, dialysis due to acute renal failure from septic shock, a ventilator to help him breath, a stroke, a collaped lung and on and off low grade fever... the list goes on. But we are seeing improvments as time goes by. Pneumonia takes time to heal, at a snails pace. We are greatful he is awake and alert after being in a coma for a week. The Pneumonia is starting to clear up slowly. We are hopeful that things are turning around and everything will fall into place. Have faith that he will be healed. If he is cancer free like my dad, then he can conquer this with no doubt. Stay positive. You and jim are in my prayers.
  • linda1120
    linda1120 Member Posts: 389
    #7
    jroq said:

    Keep Strong. Every Small Victory Counts
    Jim/Linda

    My dad is a two time cancer survivor. First bout diagnosed in 2007 stage3 lung cancer. Second 2010 that spread to the adreanal gland. We survived all that with a pilgramage with my mom to Fatima Portugal.

    He has been in the ICU since Jan. 16 with double Pneumonia. We have seen our share of "1 step foward... 2 steps back" roller coaster. He has survived the criticle stages, and now it is time for the real healing to begin. He has been through the whole nine yards of treatment with 4 antibiotics, heart meds to stablize blood presure, dialysis due to acute renal failure from septic shock, a ventilator to help him breath, a stroke, a collaped lung and on and off low grade fever... the list goes on. But we are seeing improvments as time goes by. Pneumonia takes time to heal, at a snails pace. We are greatful he is awake and alert after being in a coma for a week. The Pneumonia is starting to clear up slowly. We are hopeful that things are turning around and everything will fall into place. Have faith that he will be healed. If he is cancer free like my dad, then he can conquer this with no doubt. Stay positive. You and jim are in my prayers.

    Thank you and a update
    Thank you jroc for your very kind post regarding Jim's pneumonia. It sounds like your father has really been through a lot, but is definitely a fighter.

    Here is an update on Jim's progress: The second medication is tackling the pneumonia. He is definitely getting better, but is still very weak. As far as recovering from the MIE, he is doing very well. His insides are still very tender, and I am sure the constant coughing and gagging from the pneumonia didn't help.

    Jim is having a bit of an issue with being down. I think the hardest thing for him is that he has always been the macho guy that is strong and can take care of everything, including me. He knows he can't do that now and it is such a change for him. I am very supportive and tell him it takes a pretty strong man to go through chemo, radiation, hospitalizations, surgery, and then pneumonia! He has to work through this and I know being a cancer survivor that it does affect you emotionally. Yesterday I told him to knock it off, he is CANCER FREE! He just looked at me and then responded positively. I think once he gets back to semi-normal living he will be fine. I share the stories from the site and point out how fortunate he is to have been able to have had surgery. I am not letting him get on the "pity pot!" to often. His emotions are on that roller coaster and hearing the inoperable stories and the people who are passing have really hit him hard.

    He isn't eating, other than the occasional yogurt or instant breakfast, and one day 1/2 of a scrambled egg. He doesn't have any problems with eating and keeping it down. He just doesn't have any appetite. Even smells bother him and I have to be careful what I cook. The feeding tube food was upped to 1900+ calories per day to help him gain a few pounds that he lost during surgery. His weight has been holding and I am thrilled with that. We are so grateful for that feeding tube.

    Again thank you, and I pray your father will continue to get stronger! Cancer free is the best part for all three of us!

    Linda
  • sal314
    sal314 Member Posts: 599 Member
    #8
    linda1120 said:

    Thank you and a update
    Thank you jroc for your very kind post regarding Jim's pneumonia. It sounds like your father has really been through a lot, but is definitely a fighter.

    Here is an update on Jim's progress: The second medication is tackling the pneumonia. He is definitely getting better, but is still very weak. As far as recovering from the MIE, he is doing very well. His insides are still very tender, and I am sure the constant coughing and gagging from the pneumonia didn't help.

    Jim is having a bit of an issue with being down. I think the hardest thing for him is that he has always been the macho guy that is strong and can take care of everything, including me. He knows he can't do that now and it is such a change for him. I am very supportive and tell him it takes a pretty strong man to go through chemo, radiation, hospitalizations, surgery, and then pneumonia! He has to work through this and I know being a cancer survivor that it does affect you emotionally. Yesterday I told him to knock it off, he is CANCER FREE! He just looked at me and then responded positively. I think once he gets back to semi-normal living he will be fine. I share the stories from the site and point out how fortunate he is to have been able to have had surgery. I am not letting him get on the "pity pot!" to often. His emotions are on that roller coaster and hearing the inoperable stories and the people who are passing have really hit him hard.

    He isn't eating, other than the occasional yogurt or instant breakfast, and one day 1/2 of a scrambled egg. He doesn't have any problems with eating and keeping it down. He just doesn't have any appetite. Even smells bother him and I have to be careful what I cook. The feeding tube food was upped to 1900+ calories per day to help him gain a few pounds that he lost during surgery. His weight has been holding and I am thrilled with that. We are so grateful for that feeding tube.

    Again thank you, and I pray your father will continue to get stronger! Cancer free is the best part for all three of us!

    Linda

    Thanks for the Update Linda
    Continuing prayers for Jim to get stronger every day. I know too how cancer can put you in a depression (I'm a bc survivor). It's just so hard. Have you thought about trying a mild antidepressant? Sometimes just a little bit can really help. My dad was on one and I think it helped him. He too was a "macho man" and just fought so hard to go on with his "normal life". Towards the end, when he was getting weaker and having trouble walking up the steep 17 steps of stairs, literally pulling himself step by step from the handrail, my mom would talk to him and tell him he didn't have to do this, they can stay down stairs, his response was (in a rather nasty tone) "I understand that!" He just wouldn't give an inch in respect to his ability (or inability) to do things. Ugh.

    Anyway, sometimes you have to just put a man gently in his place and they kinda snap out of it, which sound like the case with Jim (at least for the moment). Please keep us updated on his progress. I think and pray for you guys often.

    Blessings,
    Sally
  • unclaw2002
    unclaw2002 Member Posts: 599
    #9
    linda1120 said:

    Thank you and a update
    Thank you jroc for your very kind post regarding Jim's pneumonia. It sounds like your father has really been through a lot, but is definitely a fighter.

    Here is an update on Jim's progress: The second medication is tackling the pneumonia. He is definitely getting better, but is still very weak. As far as recovering from the MIE, he is doing very well. His insides are still very tender, and I am sure the constant coughing and gagging from the pneumonia didn't help.

    Jim is having a bit of an issue with being down. I think the hardest thing for him is that he has always been the macho guy that is strong and can take care of everything, including me. He knows he can't do that now and it is such a change for him. I am very supportive and tell him it takes a pretty strong man to go through chemo, radiation, hospitalizations, surgery, and then pneumonia! He has to work through this and I know being a cancer survivor that it does affect you emotionally. Yesterday I told him to knock it off, he is CANCER FREE! He just looked at me and then responded positively. I think once he gets back to semi-normal living he will be fine. I share the stories from the site and point out how fortunate he is to have been able to have had surgery. I am not letting him get on the "pity pot!" to often. His emotions are on that roller coaster and hearing the inoperable stories and the people who are passing have really hit him hard.

    He isn't eating, other than the occasional yogurt or instant breakfast, and one day 1/2 of a scrambled egg. He doesn't have any problems with eating and keeping it down. He just doesn't have any appetite. Even smells bother him and I have to be careful what I cook. The feeding tube food was upped to 1900+ calories per day to help him gain a few pounds that he lost during surgery. His weight has been holding and I am thrilled with that. We are so grateful for that feeding tube.

    Again thank you, and I pray your father will continue to get stronger! Cancer free is the best part for all three of us!

    Linda

    Linda and Jim,
    Thanks for
    Linda and Jim,

    Thanks for the update. Remind Jim he is past the really hard part . . . I kmow easy to say but Really chemo, complications,surgery, etc. etc. A little pneumonia isnt going to get someone doen who has fought through all that. I'm sure he is tired and saying ok God, enough already can I catch a break. And as you told him he did. He is cancer free.

    I will keep you two in my thoughts and prayers and I am sure that you two are going to especially enjoy spring this year.

    Lots of hugs,
    Cindy

Discussion Boards