Losing Hope

Kerry23
Kerry23 Member Posts: 17
in Lung Cancer #1
Hi,
I started with 1A Lung Cancer and had lower right lobectomy. Two weeks later, I had terrible indigestion when I realized all my autoimmune (Scleroderma) symptoms came back. They postponed Chemo, now I am a 3 B. It seems every time I go, I hear more bad news. The cells are spreading in lymph nodes since the surgery 7 weeks ago. I am down to 89lbs and I can tell by my doctor's face that he doesn't look to optimistic either. I really feel like I am not going to beat this thing.
Chemo starts Thursday and I am extremely frightened of it's effects. I am having symptoms of Chemo without Chemo.
Thanks for listening

Comments

  • costello782
    costello782 Member Posts: 19
    #2
    Hi Kerry,
    My husband was
    Hi Kerry,

    My husband was diagnosed with stage IV NSCLC this past March. I can relate with bad news. It seemed like that is all we received. We have met with dieticians that recommended a high protein diet. He is up to 100 grams per day and has underwent two rounds of chemo so far. He actually gained 7 lbs! Are you having difficulty eating? Keep positive and have faith because that is half of the battle with this horrible disease.
  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #3
    Kerry
    Kerry, I'm so sorry for what your experiencing. Do you visit the Inspire web site, there are a lot of stage III and IV long term survivors there. I know there are nausea drugs to help with the eating. I hope you will look at Inspire for some suggestions. I was a 1a and had a lower right lobectomy. This was my second primary cancer, and the 1st was anal cancer. I know how scary it is, but I know there is a lot than can be done. I wish you well. Lori
  • dennycee
    dennycee Member Posts: 857 Member
    #4
    There are some days when
    There are some days when hope seems like an empty word that has meaning for anyone but you. I've been there. I lost 50 pounds before my diagnosis. I came back and you must believe you can too.

    Stage 3 means that the disease is still curable. Hold on to that. When chemo starts they will be giving you steroids to help prevent nausea. The steroids made me ravenous. Hopefully they will work for you that way. Add Boost or Ensure to your diet daily, twice a day if you can. Forget about cutting things you love out of your diet, I had ice cream sundae therapy every evening. Yes, cancer cells use sugars faster but they will take it from any source they can find. They are not picky.

    Were they able to get the scleroderma symptoms under control? Do you know yet what chemo agents they will be using? Did they take a large enough biopsy sample to test for mutations?
  • Dapsterd
    Dapsterd Member Posts: 291
    #5
    Update??
    Hello Kerry123----we are here 4 u (best we can be anyway!!)

    Hope u r alright?

    Dave
  • Kerry23
    Kerry23 Member Posts: 17
    #6
    Dapsterd said:

    Update??
    Hello Kerry123----we are here 4 u (best we can be anyway!!)

    Hope u r alright?

    Dave

    losing hope
    I feel a little better knowing that there is some "Hope" but due to autoimmune, I can't have radiation. Not yet anyway. I appreciate everyone's concern. I hope I do gain weight but 50lbs, I don't think that it is possible. Like I said, I am nauseous everyday without Chemo. Is the first day of Chemo hell? Am I going to feel anything? I go around lunchtime.
    I do have inspire account, just don't want to talk about it until I can get through this. I feel this stuff spreading. I can tell by pressure and breathing. It is weird. What was your story Dapster?
  • Kerry23
    Kerry23 Member Posts: 17
    #7
    Kerry23 said:

    losing hope
    I feel a little better knowing that there is some "Hope" but due to autoimmune, I can't have radiation. Not yet anyway. I appreciate everyone's concern. I hope I do gain weight but 50lbs, I don't think that it is possible. Like I said, I am nauseous everyday without Chemo. Is the first day of Chemo hell? Am I going to feel anything? I go around lunchtime.
    I do have inspire account, just don't want to talk about it until I can get through this. I feel this stuff spreading. I can tell by pressure and breathing. It is weird. What was your story Dapster?

    sugar
    Due to yeast problems from the past, I really am not allowed to eat sugary products so I have to stay with that diet, has anyone heard that Cabbage kills Cancer, how true is that?
  • arlekim
    arlekim Member Posts: 47
    #8
    Kerry23 said:

    sugar
    Due to yeast problems from the past, I really am not allowed to eat sugary products so I have to stay with that diet, has anyone heard that Cabbage kills Cancer, how true is that?

    Hola
    Kerry, I hope u start feeling better soon. I don't know about cabbage killing cancer, but I can tell you that "old wives tales" from my country the Dominican Republic, use a lot of home remedies n I've heard one of my older aunts tell my mother to include shredded cabbage In my salad... Now, (among many other home remedies) I eat this everyday. I was diagnosed w/ stage 1a Endocarcinoma lung cancer..


    Will keep you in my prayers...

    P.S
    I can't keep down the ensure so mami makes me beat juice which includes beats n a small amount of calcium, melasa n she liquifies it n I drink about 1-2 oz.. Don't know if this will help anyone but I gain a few pnds already...

    Marcia
  • Ex_Rock_n_Roller
    Ex_Rock_n_Roller Member Posts: 281 Member
    #9
    Kerry, sorry to hear about ...
    ... the state you are in. You can only do what you can do, but try to maintain some hope. Re. the chemo, you might be surprised. What with the anti-nauseau stuff available nowadays, you may well feel better once they start the chemo than you do off it. I came into my first day and looked at the volunteer guy who offered me a box lunch in the middle of chemo as though he had two heads. What, are you kidding me, man? Turns out, I had no problem wolfing down the lunch then and every day thereafter, at least until I got deep into radiation (which is another story). They've got a lot of good drugs out there.

    Are you getting any advice from nutritionists about what you could or should eat? Some of this stuff (sugar vs. yeast, cabbage diet, etc.) sounds a little bit like unsubstantiated folklore. If you haven't, make sure you get advice from the pro nutrition people on site. I know in my case, they wanted me to gain some serious weight, and told me to totally forget about any "surgeon-general-approved" or prudent diets, and just pile it on, with whatever I felt like eating.

    Donuts, cheeseburgers, whatever I had a craving for and could keep down. Didn't seem to hurt me any, and definitely helped to keep the weight on. Don't take my word, but also don't jump to your own conclusions on this.

    All the best,
    Steve
  • Dapsterd
    Dapsterd Member Posts: 291
    #10
    Kerry23 said:

    losing hope
    I feel a little better knowing that there is some "Hope" but due to autoimmune, I can't have radiation. Not yet anyway. I appreciate everyone's concern. I hope I do gain weight but 50lbs, I don't think that it is possible. Like I said, I am nauseous everyday without Chemo. Is the first day of Chemo hell? Am I going to feel anything? I go around lunchtime.
    I do have inspire account, just don't want to talk about it until I can get through this. I feel this stuff spreading. I can tell by pressure and breathing. It is weird. What was your story Dapster?

    Kale
    Hello Kerry123....I know what u r going through. I have Stage IV with brain mets, surgery, gamma knife, regular radiation, chemo...I have khyposplasty 2moro on my t6/t7 vertabrae that got screwed up during lung radiation. Currently NED they claim?? !!

    Kale is said to be great for cancer...it takes awhile to get used to the taste and flavor, kind of like spinach and cabbage combined!

    Best wishes..>Dave
  • dennycee
    dennycee Member Posts: 857 Member
    #11
    Kerry23 said:

    sugar
    Due to yeast problems from the past, I really am not allowed to eat sugary products so I have to stay with that diet, has anyone heard that Cabbage kills Cancer, how true is that?

    Hi Kerri,
    There may be
    Hi Kerri,
    There may be something in cabbage that helps fight it but if cabbage killed cancer we would all be cured and there would be no need for radiation or chemo.
  • kit2600
    kit2600 Member Posts: 12
    #12
    Ex_Rock_n_Roller said:

    Kerry, sorry to hear about ...
    ... the state you are in. You can only do what you can do, but try to maintain some hope. Re. the chemo, you might be surprised. What with the anti-nauseau stuff available nowadays, you may well feel better once they start the chemo than you do off it. I came into my first day and looked at the volunteer guy who offered me a box lunch in the middle of chemo as though he had two heads. What, are you kidding me, man? Turns out, I had no problem wolfing down the lunch then and every day thereafter, at least until I got deep into radiation (which is another story). They've got a lot of good drugs out there.

    Are you getting any advice from nutritionists about what you could or should eat? Some of this stuff (sugar vs. yeast, cabbage diet, etc.) sounds a little bit like unsubstantiated folklore. If you haven't, make sure you get advice from the pro nutrition people on site. I know in my case, they wanted me to gain some serious weight, and told me to totally forget about any "surgeon-general-approved" or prudent diets, and just pile it on, with whatever I felt like eating.

    Donuts, cheeseburgers, whatever I had a craving for and could keep down. Didn't seem to hurt me any, and definitely helped to keep the weight on. Don't take my word, but also don't jump to your own conclusions on this.

    All the best,
    Steve

    Kerry,understanding that feeling
    sclc limited.went in with high hopes,even when told 50% making it 2 yrs.treatment lasted 3 months longer then they said.He also lost over 50 lb with took him to 129.then he done pci.treatments ended aug.2011.he has only gained 6 pounds back although he has been eating good for last 6 months.He has had 3 test showing no activity.but has poor quality of life,can't even get him to church but a couple of times a month,he is too week.We still thank God everyday that he's here.I believe this is from the treatments.The cancer was found before sympons so he was a strong man working every day,we feeled that would go in his faver.But we won't give up hope.Although he told me Monday that he felt he was coming to his end.Maybe everyone feels that at times.Just hope you will get up tomorrow feeling strong and continue your fight.praying for you.It is hard to see people go though this harsh of treatments.try to smile everyday at something
  • medi_2
    medi_2 Member Posts: 505 Member
    #13
    Ex_Rock_n_Roller said:

    Kerry, sorry to hear about ...
    ... the state you are in. You can only do what you can do, but try to maintain some hope. Re. the chemo, you might be surprised. What with the anti-nauseau stuff available nowadays, you may well feel better once they start the chemo than you do off it. I came into my first day and looked at the volunteer guy who offered me a box lunch in the middle of chemo as though he had two heads. What, are you kidding me, man? Turns out, I had no problem wolfing down the lunch then and every day thereafter, at least until I got deep into radiation (which is another story). They've got a lot of good drugs out there.

    Are you getting any advice from nutritionists about what you could or should eat? Some of this stuff (sugar vs. yeast, cabbage diet, etc.) sounds a little bit like unsubstantiated folklore. If you haven't, make sure you get advice from the pro nutrition people on site. I know in my case, they wanted me to gain some serious weight, and told me to totally forget about any "surgeon-general-approved" or prudent diets, and just pile it on, with whatever I felt like eating.

    Donuts, cheeseburgers, whatever I had a craving for and could keep down. Didn't seem to hurt me any, and definitely helped to keep the weight on. Don't take my word, but also don't jump to your own conclusions on this.

    All the best,
    Steve

    !
    You got Lunch???
    ;)

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