Lung Cancer Stage 3B
Comments
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My mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in December 2007 which is inoperable too. She has been receiving radiation to the brain and started radiation on her lung this week. She seems to be responding well to the treatment other than her hair which fell out this past week. She will be starting chemo in a few weeks Taxol and Cisplatin are what the doctors plan on using for her treatment. The only side effect she has experienced from radiation is tiredness so far. The doctors told me that everyone responds differently to the treatments. I am scared also. Hopefully, the chemo will work and she won't have any serious side effects from it. I will let you know how she makes out.0
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There is always light at the end of the tunnel.
I had alung removed a year an a half ago. I am still here. Try an get him to drink insure or any juce I took flax seed oil I don't know if any of it does any good but it is up to him an I can under stand why he does not want to eat.
but don't give up on him.
Greg0 -
My Mom was diagnosed with stage 3 Non-small cell lung cancer in July. Her first 4 sessions of chemo did nothing. She has been through two sessions with another type of drug. I, too, am concerned about her severe lack of appetite. She would on some days only drink a carnation instant breakfast (she says it tastes better than ensure), a yogurt and a pudding. She has been very weak as well. She is always so tired. She went to her oncologist this week as the doctors can prescribe something to boost the appetite. Not sure if it is doing any good yet or not. Powerade or gatorade is supposed to be good if you can get your Dad to drink it0
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I did anthor thing . I could not stand the smell of any food. So my wife got cheap banquet TV dinners like mac an chesse I would stuff them as fast as I could an leave the table they did not always stay down But it is worth a try.dsm1lkw said:My Mom was diagnosed with stage 3 Non-small cell lung cancer in July. Her first 4 sessions of chemo did nothing. She has been through two sessions with another type of drug. I, too, am concerned about her severe lack of appetite. She would on some days only drink a carnation instant breakfast (she says it tastes better than ensure), a yogurt and a pudding. She has been very weak as well. She is always so tired. She went to her oncologist this week as the doctors can prescribe something to boost the appetite. Not sure if it is doing any good yet or not. Powerade or gatorade is supposed to be good if you can get your Dad to drink it
Greg0 -
Greg, is it common that my Mom would lay around for days or weeks feeling so tired that she is not able to have visitors?Greggriggs said:I did anthor thing . I could not stand the smell of any food. So my wife got cheap banquet TV dinners like mac an chesse I would stuff them as fast as I could an leave the table they did not always stay down But it is worth a try.
Greg0 -
Greg want to thank you. I bought the banquet dinner and my dad ate it. DSM1KW - My father is so weak he can't even move from the couch. I have no idea what is normal. I am thinking about putting him in the hospital. He says he won't go but he may not have a choice. Does your mom sleep all day???0
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hi, I have small cell lung cancer, also inoperable, had radiation, cisplatnum and vp-16 (etopacide) and got very ill and ended up in hospital. I was then switched to carboplatnum, taxol and vp-16 , all bad sides effects of vomiting constatly for 7-10 days at smell of anything , including food, soap, deodorant, anything. I could not eat but started with toast , and homemade vanilla milkshakes(very small) . I forced them down, also some rice krispies. I lost average of 40 pounds each cycle and would put it back on by the next cycle. My cycles were three days of chemo and radiation 6 times a week for six and one half weeks to chest , side and back. I am here and out of treatment for 6 years and soon to be 7 years this may. I know there is light at the end of the tunnel, just tell him to hang in there and don't give up, I was 50 when diagnosed and soon to be 57. Bless you and in my prayers, Mike0
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Hope your Mom is betterdsm1lkw said:Greg, is it common that my Mom would lay around for days or weeks feeling so tired that she is not able to have visitors?
Dsm I don't remember almost a year I guess your mind blocks a lot out. I remember in bed outa bed an tired I am still tired Your blood takes a long time to come back. You think you have it licked an wam it gets you agin . Has the doc did blood work on your mom to see if her red count is to low?? Boffst Try putting Ice cream in his insure make a milk shake out of it . Or like Dsm carnation instant breakfast with ice cream .
Hope things are better for your Mom Dsm An your Dad boffst.
Mike when am I going to forget this an get on with my life???
Greg0 -
Hope your Mom is betterdsm1lkw said:Greg, is it common that my Mom would lay around for days or weeks feeling so tired that she is not able to have visitors?
Dsm I don't remember almost a year I guess your mind blocks a lot out. I remember in bed outa bed an tired I am still tired Your blood takes a long time to come back. You think you have it licked an wam it gets you agin . Has the doc did blood work on your mom to see if her red count is to low?? Boffst Try putting Ice cream in his insure make a milk shake out of it . Or like Dsm carnation instant breakfast with ice cream .
Hope things are better for your Mom Dsm An your Dad boffst.
Mike when am I going to forget this an get on with my life???
Greg0 -
Boffst, My Mom is in Florida and I am in IA so I am not sure how much she is sleeping. Her voice has been very hoarse so it has been difficult to get her on the phone but she is not even returning emails, it is like she is withdrawing. She has asked her Dr. about anti-depressants but I don't think prescribed any but I think she needs them. I was in FL in the beginnig of January and we had to put my Mom in the hospital for 4 days because she was barely eating and drinking and we were concerned (and rightly so) that she was dehydrated. She had been so weak that her hands were shaking. Lindaboffst said:Greg want to thank you. I bought the banquet dinner and my dad ate it. DSM1KW - My father is so weak he can't even move from the couch. I have no idea what is normal. I am thinking about putting him in the hospital. He says he won't go but he may not have a choice. Does your mom sleep all day???
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My mom finished the radiation treatments to her brain last week. The doctors started the radiation on her lung. The radiation seems to be working from what I can tell. She was swollen about two weeks ago from the tumor in her lung pushing against her vena cava vein. Since the radiation to her lung the swelling has disappeared, so I am assuming that the radiation has shrunk the tumor somewhat. She lost all her hair, but seems to be doing well. She still has not started chemo and is waiting for the doctors to tell her when she will be starting it. How is your Dad doing?boffst said:Thank you for responding. Good to know the radiation doesn't have crazy side effects. Please let me know how your mom makes out. Greg, my father is drinking ensure. I will never give up and either will he. Good luck.
Darlene0 -
Hi.
I'm a seven year survivor of NSCLC, 3B. My personal web page is found here, under "Grateful Survivor".
My tumor was approximately 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm x 7 cm, and located in the upper lobe of my right lung. I was diagnosed in May of '01, at age 67, as incurable/inoperable. I received three 3-day chemo treatments of Cisplatin and Etopiside, at three week intervals. At the same time, I received 55 consecutive daily radiation treatments, five days a week, with weekends off.
By October, '01, my tumor had been shrunk by 75%, and it was removed surgically. Post-op, I received ten more radiation treatments, and twelve weekly chemo treatments of Carboplatin and Taxol.
By April, '02 I was able to travel to Las Vegas (I live in MA) for some well-earned partying!
I've been cancer free since. My whole experience lasted ten months. At the time, it seemed like a hundred years! My point is that cancer can be beaten,- not easily, but it's possible.
The pre-op chemo treatments were very aggressive, and were harder to take as time passed. The radiation did some (mostly) temporary damage, but I'm here today, - alive and kicking!
You and your father must keep a positive attitude, and do what it takes.
As a caregiver, you must take care of yourself, also. Try to arrange for someone to give you a break, now and then.
If I can be of help, e-mail me through this website.
My prayers and best wishes to you and your father.
Ernie0 -
Lung Cancer stage 3bboffst said:Greg want to thank you. I bought the banquet dinner and my dad ate it. DSM1KW - My father is so weak he can't even move from the couch. I have no idea what is normal. I am thinking about putting him in the hospital. He says he won't go but he may not have a choice. Does your mom sleep all day???
I was down to 88 lbs after surgury aND HOSPITAL FOR 6 DAYS. I was much more concerned about it than my Dr's seemed to be. During chemo, I know I had an awful time eating, for many reasons, and was told to eat whatever tasted good and lots of it. Was a struggle for my dear husband to come up with things to try. Some of what used to be my favorite foods tasted like they were made from cardboard and smelled really awful. I couldn't tolerate Ensure, but found that I could drink Boost if I added about 1/3 water and ice to it. I drank lots of green tea and decaf coke. I ended up eating a lot of fish and brocolli as they didn't taste so awful. Me being a type "a" personality, I couldn't believe how bone tired I was. I actually got so just lying around sleeping felt ok to me. I tried very hard (and still trying) to listen to my body and do whatever it said it needed.
I hope your Dad is doing better with all of it and that you did not have to hospitalize him.0 -
Lung Cancer Stage 3bPlymouthean said:Hi.
I'm a seven year survivor of NSCLC, 3B. My personal web page is found here, under "Grateful Survivor".
My tumor was approximately 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm x 7 cm, and located in the upper lobe of my right lung. I was diagnosed in May of '01, at age 67, as incurable/inoperable. I received three 3-day chemo treatments of Cisplatin and Etopiside, at three week intervals. At the same time, I received 55 consecutive daily radiation treatments, five days a week, with weekends off.
By October, '01, my tumor had been shrunk by 75%, and it was removed surgically. Post-op, I received ten more radiation treatments, and twelve weekly chemo treatments of Carboplatin and Taxol.
By April, '02 I was able to travel to Las Vegas (I live in MA) for some well-earned partying!
I've been cancer free since. My whole experience lasted ten months. At the time, it seemed like a hundred years! My point is that cancer can be beaten,- not easily, but it's possible.
The pre-op chemo treatments were very aggressive, and were harder to take as time passed. The radiation did some (mostly) temporary damage, but I'm here today, - alive and kicking!
You and your father must keep a positive attitude, and do what it takes.
As a caregiver, you must take care of yourself, also. Try to arrange for someone to give you a break, now and then.
If I can be of help, e-mail me through this website.
My prayers and best wishes to you and your father.
Ernie
Congratulations on being a 7-year survivor! I was also stage 3b with a tumor in similar size to yours and similar pre-op treatment (chemo and radiation). The upper lobe of my left lung was removed. The oncologist said it would be my decision to receive post-operative chemo. I was concerned that I had lost 13 pounds (weighed 81 pounds), so I requested a 2nd opinion. Upon receiving a recommendation (2nd opinion) from the head of oncology at UCLA, I did not receive post-operative chemo treatments. I did have acid reflux caused by the radiation treatments, which caused me to cough. After surgery, the coughing was so painful that many times I didn't eat, which caused me to lose weight. It has been a year and 4 1/2 month since the the radiation treatment. The medication I took for acid reflux caused diarrhrea so I stopped taking it. My acid reflux has improved significantly. I now take digestive enzymes, which seems to help. Did you have any complications such as acid reflux from the radiation treatments? Also, do you eat any special foods or take supplements to stay in good health? I try to drink fresh vegetable and fruit juice (carrots, cabbage, celery, orange, apple) every other day and I take a multivitamin. Any recommendations will help.0 -
Light at End of Tunnel
I was diagnosed in July, 2008 with small cell lung cancer. I had 6 months of Cisplating and Etoposide, and by the end of the 6th treatment, the tumor and other mets areas (rib and lymph node) are almost normal. Yes, chemo is rough, but he needs to find foods that taste good to him and eat. Right after chemo, (up to 1 week after), alot of foods tasted bad, but I could tolerate certain things, like scrambled eggs. A diet high in protein is good--try to get as much protein in him as you can. Also, soup, jello, and certain fruits I was able to tolerate well. As a nutritional boost, my doctor recommended a drink called "Ensure", but I didn't use it much. Attitude is everything! He must eat if he wants to recover from the chemo treatments. He needs to rest, but should try to be active each day for a short time and then gradually increase activities. I am now back to work full-time, and I was just diagnosed 6 months ago. He can overcome the side effects, but he does need to fight it.
Best of Luck......0 -
My mom
my mom is cancer free today and she now weights 108 lbs. In nov of 2007 we found out she had 3b lung cancer, she was 174 lbs. my mom lost over 80 lbs before she started gaining weight again. Its hard to get back up once you get down but you can get back up if you want to. so dont give up on your dad, be there for him, listen to him, and encourge him the best way you can. Dont let him see all your fears but dont hide them all from him. just let him know you will be there for him and you love him.0 -
NON SMALL CELL STAGE 3b LUNG CANCERsherryjoyce said:My mom
my mom is cancer free today and she now weights 108 lbs. In nov of 2007 we found out she had 3b lung cancer, she was 174 lbs. my mom lost over 80 lbs before she started gaining weight again. Its hard to get back up once you get down but you can get back up if you want to. so dont give up on your dad, be there for him, listen to him, and encourge him the best way you can. Dont let him see all your fears but dont hide them all from him. just let him know you will be there for him and you love him.
My sister has this cancer. They told us she has a less than 20% chance of survival. She starts
her chemo next Wednesday. She goes for 6-7 hours of chemo.Is this coming to give her any type of quality of life. She's 54 years old and I don't want her to suffer for the remaining time she has left.0 -
My dad - my herosherryjoyce said:My mom
my mom is cancer free today and she now weights 108 lbs. In nov of 2007 we found out she had 3b lung cancer, she was 174 lbs. my mom lost over 80 lbs before she started gaining weight again. Its hard to get back up once you get down but you can get back up if you want to. so dont give up on your dad, be there for him, listen to him, and encourge him the best way you can. Dont let him see all your fears but dont hide them all from him. just let him know you will be there for him and you love him.
Good Morning,
I was thrilled to read about your mom! May God continue to bless and keep her!
My dad was diagnosed with Stage 3b lung cancer on Jan. 21, 2009. My world stood
still. Just as we were beginning to accept the diagnosis we found out that he also
has metastatic scapula cancer to his right shoulder. He had his first chemo
treatment last Friday and has done very well. He is extremely weak though but he
has such a good appetite. We are a Christian family and we are praying for a
miracle! My moto is "Whatever it takes!" I know that there will be good days
and difficult days - but we will get thru them with the help and grace of the
Lord Almighty! My faith is strong and when I read stories such as yours, my
faith is even stronger!
This is the first time that I have ever written to anyone online. I just wanted
you to know that I appreciate you sharing the wonderful news about your mom! I
pray that I too will be able to share the same wonderful news about my dad in the
coming months ahead.
May all of your days be blessed!0 -
NON SMALL CELL STAGE 3B LUNG CANCERSALEMHOGAN said:NON SMALL CELL STAGE 3b LUNG CANCER
My sister has this cancer. They told us she has a less than 20% chance of survival. She starts
her chemo next Wednesday. She goes for 6-7 hours of chemo.Is this coming to give her any type of quality of life. She's 54 years old and I don't want her to suffer for the remaining time she has left.
I was touched by your posting, & want you to know that I too have non small cell stage 3B lung cancer, & am alive and doing very well after 3 years. They can no longer see any cancer activity on my PET scans, but are hesistant to say that I am cured. I continue with chemo treatments every 3 weeks, & have been on Alimta (a type of chemo with minimal side effects)for almost 2 1/2 years. My cancer was inoperable because of the size & location of the mass, so I was treated aggressively with radiation & 3 different types of chemo. The hardest part was the first few weeks of treatment, but please know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I lost my hair during treatments but got a wig & went back to work after 12 weeks of treatments. Please don't put too much stock in statistics. Yes, your sister can have a great quality of life. I am proof that it is possible. I wish your sister the best, & will keep her in my thoughts & prayers.0
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