Fatigue?

Hello. I was looking at information about NSCLC and somehow ended up here. My dad was diagnosed with Stage IV NSCLC this past January. Our family just learned of the news on March 30. He had about 10 radiation treatments for the tumors in his right and left frontal lobe of his brain. I went to go visit on the 30th of March while he was getting his only chemo treatment. I am guessing because he is 80 years old, that the doctor decided to do just the Tarceva. In all honestly, I am only 25 years old and am not ready to let go. I read all these stories of Stage IV patients who live years, and am hoping and praying that my father will be amongst them.

The doctor told me that the average life span is approximately 7-8 months. The thought that freightens me is that he found out in January. He has a lot of hopes, and I actually moved up my wedding from September to June because he really wants to be there for the wedding. I am praying that he will be around long enough to see his grandchildren. The most frusturating part is that I live halfway across the country.

My mom is caring for him, but he has lost his appetite and is extremely tired. He can only do things in the morning for a couple of hours, and then he's just too exhausted to do anything else. People say so many different things, and it's really hard to put the puzzle together. Is it better for him to have a regular exercise regimen or should we just allow him to rest? My mom is trying a great deal to cook for him a healthy diet, but he only eats what he wants to eat. Should we just allow him to eat whatever he wants?  One last question (sorry)- has anyone heard of cytoplankton? It supposedly does wonders, but I'm really skeptical yet I'm almost willing to try anything if it will make things better. I know that the cancer won't be cured, but at the same time, the last thing I want is for him to be in pain and suffer. By the grace of God, he doesn't feel any pain, he's just fatigued. Is there anything to help him with the fatigue? Up until right before the chemo, he kept busy. He is a retired minister, but he would still help out at the church. The doctor said that he isn't to do anymore sermons or even prayerst at the church. His whole life has been centered around his ministry, and I feel that restriciting that will actually make things worse.

Sorry about the long and random post. I guess I'm scared and confused, and am having a hard time trying to piece things together. Please, I could use all the information I can get. And for those of you out there who are actually dealing with NSCLC- Keep fighting and my prayers are with you.

 God Bless!

My husband (36, nonsmoker) has NSCLC (sarcomatoid carcinoma).

the best advice I got was from one of the oncology nurses:  Let him eat what he will eat, when he will eat it.  Put smaller portions on a small plate so that he can feel sucessful, rather than only getting a few bites off of a large plate.  And try not to worry about it.  He preferences are going to change during this.  My dh currently hates sweets.  Used to LOVE them. 

If he feels like he can exercise, then he should, but if he doesn't respect his decision.  He knows how he feels better than anyone else.  My dh went on a 20 mile bike ride 3 weeks before his diagnosis in November 06.  Since then he has only managed to walk part way around the block once.  Chemo is very exhausting, and it messes up your blood counts.  It seems to me like it is like being dumped for a full hike at high altitude with no preparation.

As for 'cytoplankton' I think you may have misheard a medicine or the person telling you did. (I think whales eat cytoplankton :-)  Do you mean Cisplatin or Carboplatin?  Both of these are the most commonly prescribed platin based chemo meds for lung cancer.  They are harsh but have better success rates when combined with taxol.  You might also hear about Avastin and Tarceva.   

Good luck to you and your family.  Hang in there.