Dad putting up a great fight

Hello everyone,

My father is 60 years old, he was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer a year ago this month. According to the doctor at that time, he was in stage 3A 3B and only had possibly two months to live. He has fought a very hard battle. I am so very proud of him. He did radiation which hardened his lung. And he did 14 chemos. He has gone from 225 pounds to 139 pounds. He hasn't had any type of treatment since Oct. He also had cancer of the bronchi, lymph node, and kidney. His last two petscans have come back with wonderful news. No sign of the kidney cancer, (which we were told would only go away with it being removed, that there wasn't anyway to treat it) and everything looks like the cancer is gone.

 My biggest concern is he is so weak. He is on constant oxygen, and just doesn't eat. What little he does eat, is not enough to substain life. He has his days where he gives up, and there have been more of those lately then I care to mention. He keeps getting fluid on the lungs. I have walked this road with him all the way, and I just don't know what else to do for him. He is on Essiac tea, which he loves, and it seems to do wonders for him. But does anyone know anything else we can try to get him some strength back? He has been drinking power shakes, and all the high calorie drinks, but he is still loosing weight. This is  a man who has never been down before, and now he is spiritually, mentally, and physcially.

Any information anyone could provide would be wonderful.

Thank you so very much.

C

 

 It's great to hear such positive news, thank you!

Here's something from my experience fighting lung cancer along side my mom.

My tips, from my experiences, to have a better chance to beat your cancer or give you or your loved ones a better quality of life.

*Know the medical system. If you don't know it, learn it quickly and stay sharp. Most lung cancer patients do not live long enough to learn through trial error. The mortality rate is so high that there's few left to speak out and call attention to system flaws, errors and gaps, and their families are either still in shock because it happened too quick, diagnosis came too late or they are just too mentally, physically, emotionally drained and exhausted, to have a hope in hell fighting another up hill battle, the epidemic of lung cancer.

*Make a point to communicate to your treatment team with a calm and respectful manner. They are more likely to hear you and any concerns you have. Some health professionals are suprisingly quick to conclude that you are just an emotional mess, and well the see that every day. That's not excusing that behavior by any means.

*Whenever possible communicate your concerns and frustrations with words chosen carefully before hand. I recommend writing them down and give a copy to your dr to keep in your chart, that way your concerns won't be forgotten so easily if you cannot fit it into one appointment. Use a respectful tone. Even though your team is well aware of the range of emotions and stress that come along with your cancer, but you will not leave your appointment feeling any better. Also keep copies in a journal handy for unexpected emergencies. They may be nothing or they maybe a clue to an unfamiliar doctor and save some time. I recommend always having a current copy of your chart with you at all times, especially if live in a rural/remote location.

*If you feel like you aren't being heard or your questions aren't being answered, calmly tell someone in your care team exactly that. Don't assume that your team will realize your source of frustration. They are oncologists, and nurses etc.... not mind readers.

*In fact don't assume anything about your care and treatments. A cancer centre/hospital are busy places, although an ideal, it's not yet  realistic to expect your team to catch everything that's going on, especially if you have prior health conditions. It is your responsiblity to bring your concerns that may or not be directly related to cancer, to their attention and make sure they are followed up. You cannot afford to feel like your just a nuisance, that what you are going through is common among cancer patients. You cannot afford to feel that you are not worth the trouble. You are fighting a battle and if you don't believe in what you are fighting for you will likely lose. Cancer patients must fight for themselves first, and loved ones 2nd. You should not get by saying I need to fight this for my kids etc...  that makes set backs so much worse on you and now you feel like you are weak and have let down to the people who love you. Many patients start to draw inward and push themselves away from the people they love because they feel like a burden and just want to make everything easier for their loved ones. I feel this is the point a patient can seal there own fate on some level whether the realize it or not. Let your loved ones be incentives to fight your cancer, not the motive.

*One last point for now, give your dr an idea of who you are as a person and your reasons to take on your fight. You are important, you are a person, you are not a number.

 

On 1/25/2008 Rhonda Needs Angels & Pra wrote:

 It's great to hear such positive news, thank you!

Here's something from my experience fighting lung cancer along side my mom.

My tips, from my experiences, to have a better chance to beat your cancer or give you or your loved ones a better quality of life.

*Know the medical system. If you don't know it, learn it quickly and stay sharp. Most lung cancer patients do not live long enough to learn through trial error. The mortality rate is so high that there's few left to speak out and call attention to system flaws, errors and gaps, and their families are either still in shock because it happened too quick, diagnosis came too late or they are just too mentally, physically, emotionally drained and exhausted, to have a hope in hell fighting another up hill battle, the epidemic of lung cancer.

*Make a point to communicate to your treatment team with a calm and respectful manner. They are more likely to hear you and any concerns you have. Some health professionals are suprisingly quick to conclude that you are just an emotional mess, and well the see that every day. That's not excusing that behavior by any means.

*Whenever possible communicate your concerns and frustrations with words chosen carefully before hand. I recommend writing them down and give a copy to your dr to keep in your chart, that way your concerns won't be forgotten so easily if you cannot fit it into one appointment. Use a respectful tone. Even though your team is well aware of the range of emotions and stress that come along with your cancer, but you will not leave your appointment feeling any better. Also keep copies in a journal handy for unexpected emergencies. They may be nothing or they maybe a clue to an unfamiliar doctor and save some time. I recommend always having a current copy of your chart with you at all times, especially if live in a rural/remote location.

*If you feel like you aren't being heard or your questions aren't being answered, calmly tell someone in your care team exactly that. Don't assume that your team will realize your source of frustration. They are oncologists, and nurses etc.... not mind readers.

*In fact don't assume anything about your care and treatments. A cancer centre/hospital are busy places, although an ideal, it's not yet  realistic to expect your team to catch everything that's going on, especially if you have prior health conditions. It is your responsiblity to bring your concerns that may or not be directly related to cancer, to their attention and make sure they are followed up. You cannot afford to feel like your just a nuisance, that what you are going through is common among cancer patients. You cannot afford to feel that you are not worth the trouble. You are fighting a battle and if you don't believe in what you are fighting for you will likely lose. Cancer patients must fight for themselves first, and loved ones 2nd. You should not get by saying I need to fight this for my kids etc...  that makes set backs so much worse on you and now you feel like you are weak and have let down to the people who love you. Many patients start to draw inward and push themselves away from the people they love because they feel like a burden and just want to make everything easier for their loved ones. I feel this is the point a patient can seal there own fate on some level whether the realize it or not. Let your loved ones be incentives to fight your cancer, not the motive.

*One last point for now, give your dr an idea of who you are as a person and your reasons to take on your fight. You are important, you are a person, you are not a number.

Thank you so much for the advice. My Step-mother carries a booklet with all the meds he has been on, and all the doctors he has had to seen over the past year. I had her start a booklet of all his doctors appointments, and what they said. Like his BP, weight, even to the point of what he has eaten for that day. Of course my Dad thinks I am a little nutty about this whole thing, but I am hoping that someday it may help someone else.

At first I think he was only fighting for his son. Then his son walked out and now I think he is fighting for himself. I tell him all the time that "You have cancer, but cancer doesn't have you". He says he has to much life left to live to give up.

Again thank you for the information.

C

Hi Bagara98 Please, please if the energy drinks you are talking about are the "Ensure" type......get your father off them. They are very high in sugar content and since "sugar feeds cancer" it can be dangerous for him to be taking them. If you check at a health food store they will be able to direct you to some powdered nutrional products that can be mixed with either water or juice and can supply a complete day's requirements of fruits and vegetables and protein. It is wonderful to know that the cancer is gone without further treatment and now it is important to rebuild his inner terrain and immune system. Often chemo plays havock with them. Perhaps this is why his energy levels and sense of "well being" are at a low ebb. I can suggest a few things here that might be of help to him as they have been for me and if you would like further information please send me a private message. Keep up the Essiac tea. It is highly recommeneded by most alternative healthcare givers as are: CURCUMIN http://www.goodhealth.nu/News_Articles/050111-curcumin-anti- AHCC http://www.ahccpublishedresearch.com/wwwroot-ahcc/studies/AH Avemar (Wheat Germ Extract) Avemar is the new wonder-alternative cancer treatment / adjuvant therapy for boosting the immune system and fighting cancer. "Research at UCLA has demonstrated that Avemar reduces glucose flow into the cancer cells.  Cancer cells can evade NK [natural killer] cells by masking their outer membrane with a special substance that the NK cells recognize as 'normal.'  Avemar suppresses the release of this masking substance -- allowing NK cells to better target and kill the cancer cells."  Avemar's immune-stimulating ability appears to be so powerful that it can be useful in helping to restore even the most severely compromised immune systems. 1000mg Pure Ascorbic Acid***** 2 x 5 times a day Betaine HCl & Pepsin***** 1 or 2 each meal depending on fat content CoQ10 ST100 ***** 1 breakfast 1 supper 1000mg Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C ***** 1 pkge in morning juice Fractionated Pectin***** 1 x a day empty stomach 1000IU Vitamin D3**** 1 breakfast 1 supper Wobenzym ***** 3 at a time up to 4 times a day (20mins before food) .*****Budwig diet recommendation.... Before breakfast 2 Tablespoons organic cottage cheese mixed with 1 Tablespoon organic flax seed oil and I tablespoon ground flaxseed (may also add in organic fruits or spices to make it more palatable) Actually, if you would like a copy of the Regimen I follow as recommended by my Naturopath and Medical/Alternative Doctor let me know. Best regards Sheila

On 1/25/2008 Bagara98 wrote:

Hello everyone,

My father is 60 years old, he was diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer a year ago this month. According to the doctor at that time, he was in stage 3A 3B and only had possibly two months to live. He has fought a very hard battle. I am so very proud of him. He did radiation which hardened his lung. And he did 14 chemos. He has gone from 225 pounds to 139 pounds. He hasn't had any type of treatment since Oct. He also had cancer of the bronchi, lymph node, and kidney. His last two petscans have come back with wonderful news. No sign of the kidney cancer, (which we were told would only go away with it being removed, that there wasn't anyway to treat it) and everything looks like the cancer is gone.

 My biggest concern is he is so weak. He is on constant oxygen, and just doesn't eat. What little he does eat, is not enough to substain life. He has his days where he gives up, and there have been more of those lately then I care to mention. He keeps getting fluid on the lungs. I have walked this road with him all the way, and I just don't know what else to do for him. He is on Essiac tea, which he loves, and it seems to do wonders for him. But does anyone know anything else we can try to get him some strength back? He has been drinking power shakes, and all the high calorie drinks, but he is still loosing weight. This is  a man who has never been down before, and now he is spiritually, mentally, and physcially.

Any information anyone could provide would be wonderful.

Thank you so very much.

C