Mom diagnosed with lung cancer

Everyone is different
Hi, Everyone reacts differently and the treatments are so varied it would be impossible to tell you exactly what to expect. What type of lung cancer does you mom have and what type of chemo is she receiving?

Without knowing more of the specifics about your mom's cancer I can only tell you what my experiences were. I received chemo (cisplatin) and 35 sessions of radiation (5 days per week for 7 weeks). Your mother will probably be tired and want to sleep after her chemo sessions, she may also experience nausea but the doctors should prescribe her something for that even before she starts chemo.

Chemo side effects aren't pleasant but from my experience the radiation side effects were worse. I am not trying to scare you as these treatments are quite doable, just not pleasant :-) The radiation may cause redness or burns at the radiation site but they have creams for this also, ask the nurses at her radiation oncologist's office and they should give you tubes of cream that are safe to use. Not all creams are safe to use as they may increase the burning instead of relieving it. One cream that is excellent and my doctors gave me plenty of free tubes is Aquafor.

It is very important that your mom drink plenty of water, especially if she is receiving cisplatin, this is necessary to flush the chemo out of her system and for her to stay hydrated. My doctors recommened that I drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. She also needs to eat as much as possible to maintain her weight and her strength. Once she is further into her treatments she may start to lose her appetite but it is important that she try to eat as much as she can. I can't stress enough the importance of keeping herself hydrated.

If you could post again and let us know what type of lung cancer she has and what type of chemo and radiation she is receiving there are many on this site that will have more info for you on what to expect and what you can do to help her.

It is also important for your mom to try to stay positive and optimistic, her attitude (and yours) will help play a big part in her recovery.

It's scary to hear the diagnosis of cancer but the treatments are very doable. Please stay strong for your mom and encourage her in any way you can.

Take care and please post again, there are many survivors here who want to help.

Best wishes to you, your mom and your family.
Glenna