Stage 4 lung cancer and chemo

ginnpat

We are new here. My wife was having problems getting enough oxygen. Our PCP put her on 24/7 oxygen and referred her to an EENT after CT showed enlarged lymph node and small mass in her right lung. He did a Bronchoscopy and took some cells from the affected lymph node. It was small cell cancer. Went to an Oncologist he did a PET scan and lymph node and lung lit up along with a spot near each kidney and one on the liver. He said she was in Stage 4 and the only treatment available at this point was Chemotherapy. She is on a schedule that is 3 days of Chemo then 18 without and repeat. Her first one didn't really make her feel bad at all. #2 she was not feeling real well and super tired for a week. #3 is coming up Tuesday. We are both wondering will this one make her feel even worse. We are both scared about the unknown? She has a very upbeat attitude about this so far. The doc said there is no cure but without treatment she would only live months, with, possibly 1 or 2 years. Would like to know how this has affected others and kinda what to expect with #3.

jorola

it is hard to say

probably but she may surprise you. I know this response is well after the fact now - how is she doing?

katowe68

Stage 4 Lung CA

Hi I have Stage 4 lung cancer and I am receiving Keytruda for treatment.  It has minimal side effects.  I am doing well.  As far as the fear of it all, I just pray and cry and cry and pray.  Some days I am strong and others not.  I suggest that you look at the smaller picture and take one day at a time.  Even though the doc said 2 years, he/she does not know.  I am going into my second year.  I can only hold on to God, that's all I have.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.

ginnpat

jorola said:

it is hard to say

probably but she may surprise you. I know this response is well after the fact now - how is she doing?

Chemo

Well the 3rd treatment hit her a little harder. It has been 8 days now and she is feeling somewhat better. Had a real bout with constipation then diarreah. Hoping she is over that today. She goes in the 15th for a CT to see if the treatments have done anything. Hoping for good news. She hasn't been eating a lot sleeping a lot. Thanks for getting back to us.

ginnpat

katowe68 said:

Stage 4 Lung CA

Hi I have Stage 4 lung cancer and I am receiving Keytruda for treatment.  It has minimal side effects.  I am doing well.  As far as the fear of it all, I just pray and cry and cry and pray.  Some days I am strong and others not.  I suggest that you look at the smaller picture and take one day at a time.  Even though the doc said 2 years, he/she does not know.  I am going into my second year.  I can only hold on to God, that's all I have.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.

We know just what you mean.

We know just what you mean. This really blindsided us. Not how we planned on spending our retirement. I am disabled also and this is a real strain but I'm doing it. We had some help from my daughter once but the newness wore off I guess. She lives 300 miles away. My Grandaughter who we raised is married to a career USAF guy. They got a humanitarian transfer closer to here then Texas but don't know how much she will be here to help either. She has a new baby 2months old now. She flew up and spent a week here. He has to report to his new assignment on Sept 30th so we'll see how that goes. We are going to try to make a trip to Walmart tomorrow. I lost both legs below the knee 10 years back and have a bad heart, have had surgery but outcome no good so it makes things difficult. I realize she is not herself but sometimes all the criticism gets to me but I try not to. We are doing our best. I don't believe we can get home help we are not on medicaid plus we are 3 miles inside a county that has no palliative care available. We have no family here all 300 miles away on the other side of the mountains. We don't want to move because all of our healthcare is here and have been with the same docs for over 20 years plus it is about double in the cost of living over near Seattle compared to here. Prayer and crying is it for us. If she is really bad she calls her sister who is also stage 4 different cancer started as breast had both removed along with lymphnodes and was in Remission but it reared it's ugly head again this time in her back so they talk and cry together.

jorola

Call the CSN number for help

They may be able to link you to services in your area that can help you. Call 1-800-227-2345 and they are there 24/7. They also have people who can just answer questions about cancer, treatment and a variety of cancer related topics. Please call. I hate to see you two struggle so.

ginnpat

jorola said:

Call the CSN number for help

They may be able to link you to services in your area that can help you. Call 1-800-227-2345 and they are there 24/7. They also have people who can just answer questions about cancer, treatment and a variety of cancer related topics. Please call. I hate to see you two struggle so.

OK will give them a shout and

OK will give them a shout and see what I can find out. We have to go to Walmart today and just hoping she feels good enough to do it. When You go out when you are on Chemo do you wear a mask and gloves when you were in public? I guess they call this the vadir stage or something like that when your immune system is at its lowest point 7-10 days after last Chemo treatment which she is 9 days today. Don't want to risk her getting an infection of some type. She wants to go to help because I don't know where stuff is and I'm in pretty bad health also. They put a pig valve in my heart 6 years ago and it leaks as bad as the old one because of calcificatioon where they had to sew it plus getting around on prosthetic legs is not the easiest. We just do what we can. Thanks for the reply.

jorola

A mask won't hurt nor antibacteria gel hand wash

Yes some people's immune systems are really affected by the chemo. My husband fortunately did well but my uncle did not when it came to that. It ceratinly can't hurt to take precautions but remember touching objects others have touched is a more common way to pick up something so yes either gloves or antibacterial sanitizer is something good to have. I truly hope CSN help line can link to some support because the both of you can really use it. Thinking of you both.

ginnpat

jorola said:

A mask won't hurt nor antibacteria gel hand wash

Yes some people's immune systems are really affected by the chemo. My husband fortunately did well but my uncle did not when it came to that. It ceratinly can't hurt to take precautions but remember touching objects others have touched is a more common way to pick up something so yes either gloves or antibacterial sanitizer is something good to have. I truly hope CSN help line can link to some support because the both of you can really use it. Thinking of you both.

I am almost afraid to ask

I am almost afraid to ask this but how is your husband doing. She is already at a point that she is going to ask them next time if this is the way she is going to feel for the rest of her life. If it is she is having her doubts about continuing. He already told her that without the treatment she would be gone in a matter of months, with the treatment 1 to 2 years or possibly longer. She has had a worse time with each treatment. This is 9 days now and she said she hates making me do the shopping which I have never done she has done it for 35 years and doesn't like making me go out in the heat and the smoke. I have COPD also and had a nodule removed from my right lung with Cyberknife but it was no biggie. I told her I would rather do this then not have her around, She is having a real problem accepting that.

dlb208

Stage 4 in remission

Try immunotherapy! I have heard the "cure" word used more than once with Keytruda. I took Opdivo and have been in remission 2 yrs after being given an 18 month prognosis.

jorola

My husband is alive and well

He is has been NED - no evidence of disease - for 3.5 years now. He was stage 3b squamous non small cell lung cancer. Initially he was given 8 months to live. After harsh chemo and radiation treatments, as he was 40 when diagnosed and otherwise strong and healthy, he is now cancer free. Will that last forever? Who knows? We just live life to the fullest every day and are thankful for every day we do have.

jorola

dlb208 said:

Stage 4 in remission

Try immunotherapy! I have heard the "cure" word used more than once with Keytruda. I took Opdivo and have been in remission 2 yrs after being given an 18 month prognosis.

Immunotherapy may work - if you are the right type

There are tests you have to go through, easy ones though, to see if your type of cancer is the right type that the immunotherapy will work on. It does not work on all lung cancers.

ginnpat

jorola said:

My husband is alive and well

He is has been NED - no evidence of disease - for 3.5 years now. He was stage 3b squamous non small cell lung cancer. Initially he was given 8 months to live. After harsh chemo and radiation treatments, as he was 40 when diagnosed and otherwise strong and healthy, he is now cancer free. Will that last forever? Who knows? We just live life to the fullest every day and are thankful for every day we do have.

Well the doctor was real

Well the doctor was real straight forward with us. He said there is no cure. She has small cell lung cancer he said the type you get from smoking. I don't know for sure how much Medicare will cover or what they will cover. We are at their mercy since I retired. We spent nearly all of our savings when I got sick in 2007 and lost both legs below the knee, plus paying $1500 a month to keep my wife insured after I turned 65 for 2 1/2 years. The rairoad found me a new job because they didn't want to chance me being an engineer anymore for fear I could get hurt so they found me a desk job that included driving about half of it. Funny they never thought twice about having me drive crews around but mostly I was at a desk, a dispatcher of the other vans most of the time. We have a good supplement also through the RR which picks up anything that Medicare approves but but only up to the amount that Medicare allows. Luckily here doctors accept Medicare as full payment. She couldn't get into anyplace like Cancer Treatments of America I've seen advertised, they don't accept what MC pays. But where we go is a highly rated Cancer Center here. I just don't understand why if some of these places have better ways of treating you they don't make it available to older people that have MC. I got off the subject there sorry. We are both just so screwed up over this. We both completely forgot our 35th anniversary day before yesterday

 

We'll find out something more by the end of the week hopefully. We told them she would try new treatments that they are testing if others fail. I don't know if Medicare has a cap on how long they will continue paying or not. The type of chemo she is on is cisplat/etoposide if anyone is familiar with that?

ginnpat

jorola said:

My husband is alive and well

He is has been NED - no evidence of disease - for 3.5 years now. He was stage 3b squamous non small cell lung cancer. Initially he was given 8 months to live. After harsh chemo and radiation treatments, as he was 40 when diagnosed and otherwise strong and healthy, he is now cancer free. Will that last forever? Who knows? We just live life to the fullest every day and are thankful for every day we do have.

Good News

They checked 5 spots and all were reduced in size by nearly 1/2 here they are: first number what they were 2nd is what they are now

R Lower Lobe Lung

3cm-1.2cm

1st Lymph Node

1.6cm_.4cm

2nd Lymph Node

2cm-.5cm

Liver

3cm-1cm

2 small spots near kidneys

Non Detectable 

So promising results, going for 9 more chemo treatments, have had 9 so far. The last 3 put her down about 10 days, worst so far.

 

jorola

Great news!!

Here's hoping the treatments don't get any harder but continue to do their thing and shrink that crap to nothing!

jwl

My husband diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer...non small cell

Hello, I am new to this site, and discussion group.  In fact I have NEVER joined a discussion group before.  Never really had the need.  Now I am reaching out to all of you who are experiencing this ugly disease that is so rampant.  My husband was diagnosed a month ago with stage 4 lung cancer.  It has metastasized to many of his bones and adreanl glands.  I am heartbroken.  He is 64 and just retired less than a year ago.  He had the largest lesions radiated just recently and had his first chemo treatment yesterday.  So far no side effects, but Doc said that could occur within 1 to 2 days later.  My biggest concern and worry is that he is NOT eating....very little appetite.  He tries, but has no desire to eat, so it's very difficult.  Is there someone who could give me some advice on this?  I offer him many options.  He drinks Ensure, will have a smoothy now and then, but it's hard to get down.

Thank you in advanace for your help with this.

jorola

Best to let the doctor know

Sadly this happens a lot with many cancer patients. There are some meds that can be given to stimulate his appetite - some come with even nastier side effects and may not be worth it. However loss of appetite usually comes later and not soo early. He really needs to eat as much as he can especially protein to beef up for when he truly cannot eat. So yes make sure he see his dr about this. Hope things get better.

jwl

jorola said:

Best to let the doctor know

Sadly this happens a lot with many cancer patients. There are some meds that can be given to stimulate his appetite - some come with even nastier side effects and may not be worth it. However loss of appetite usually comes later and not soo early. He really needs to eat as much as he can especially protein to beef up for when he truly cannot eat. So yes make sure he see his dr about this. Hope things get better.

Thank you for your reply jorola

Yes, I think this is all too common with cancer treatment.  He began having nausea and vomiting with radiation.  The docs were stumped as to why.  I'm doing all I can do, but mostly he tunes me out.  I have to be strong...but oh my goodness, this is the most difficult thing I have ever dealt with....but life for him has got to be unbearable.  I am so sad.  

jwl

tameling

jwl said:

My husband diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer...non small cell

Hello, I am new to this site, and discussion group.  In fact I have NEVER joined a discussion group before.  Never really had the need.  Now I am reaching out to all of you who are experiencing this ugly disease that is so rampant.  My husband was diagnosed a month ago with stage 4 lung cancer.  It has metastasized to many of his bones and adreanl glands.  I am heartbroken.  He is 64 and just retired less than a year ago.  He had the largest lesions radiated just recently and had his first chemo treatment yesterday.  So far no side effects, but Doc said that could occur within 1 to 2 days later.  My biggest concern and worry is that he is NOT eating....very little appetite.  He tries, but has no desire to eat, so it's very difficult.  Is there someone who could give me some advice on this?  I offer him many options.  He drinks Ensure, will have a smoothy now and then, but it's hard to get down.

Thank you in advanace for your help with this.

Loss of appetite

I urge you to discuss using marijuana in its various forms with your oncologist. A marijuana derivative, Marinol, is a FDA approved prescription medication available everywhere. Unfortuantely, Marinol, while legal, is not as effective or useful as actual marijuana for a number of reasons.  Marinol has side effects that marijuana does not. Marinol is expensive when not covered by insurance. Users of Marijuana have the ability to adjust the dose precisely, and it can be consumed in many different ways: using an electronic vape, smoking a joint, or consuming a wide variety of edibles, such as baked goods, candies, pills or liquid drops.  I have directlly observed the benefits of Marijuana and its derivatives on friends and family who have suffered from loss of appetite, nausea and insomnia resulting from cancer.  There are many medical academis research and clinical trials validating the efficacy of Marinol and Marijuana. 

jorola

Caregiving is tough as ....

Remember you can only do what you can do. And actually you need to remember to take care of yourself first. If you don',t you can't care for anyone if you are burnt out, sick or exhausted. Go easy on yourself and enlist help anywhere you can. If you are not sure of any resources available near you can call CSN at  1-800-227-2345 - they have people answering 24/7 and can help with connect you with resources ok? Also pop by that chatroom as say hi. The busy times are 12 noon and 8/830 pm EST. Take care.

Calibraska Lady

katowe68 said:

Stage 4 Lung CA

Hi I have Stage 4 lung cancer and I am receiving Keytruda for treatment.  It has minimal side effects.  I am doing well.  As far as the fear of it all, I just pray and cry and cry and pray.  Some days I am strong and others not.  I suggest that you look at the smaller picture and take one day at a time.  Even though the doc said 2 years, he/she does not know.  I am going into my second year.  I can only hold on to God, that's all I have.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Keytruda

Hi,

may I ask, what were your pdl-1 values and how is the Keytruda working?  My husband just started chemo with Keytruda, but so far no shrinkage.