Last Days?

Hello, my dad is in Stage IV of this terrible disease. He can hardly sleep atll.  He is on oxygen 24/7 is very weak and is hardly eating. He is also on Tarceva since Thursday. He is taking Morphine for pain in his shoulder.

He has developed a very bad cough that almost rattles and is incredibly "loose". The hospice nurse just left and she took some fluid from him that has built up. She said he doesn't have pneumonia but feels it is the beginning of the end for him. Any thoughts on what to expect? Is anyone familiar with this type of cough? He has always had a very bad cough but nothing like this. 

Any thoughts are truly appreciated.

Lorri

I'm sorry to hear about your dad.I'm sure this is very painful for
you to watch...I hope the Tarceva has time to work..it has been working
for me over the last three months. For me it helped me to be seen by a
cardiologist and have fluid drained from around the heart, which left
me a ot more comfortable with breathing and fluid buildup,coughing etc.
I dont know if this has anything to do with your fathers situation at
all, but at least you might ask if he has fluid around the heart as
well.

I wish you strength and  the very best ,Jane

Lorri,

My Grandmother is also in the IV stage of this terrible diease.  She is also on oxygen 24/7 and is making a "loose , gruggling" sound when she breaths and coughs.  We have been told that she is filling up fuild, since it is her wish to not have any more treatments and to not go back to the hospital she is going to stay at the rest home until her time is up.  Her hospice nurse came in on Saturday and started her on Morphine for the pain.  She can get it every 2 hours as need and it seems that after about an hour she is in a lot of pain again.  Today the nurse is going to increase her Morphine.  We were also told on Saturday that she will probably only going to be with us for 2 or 3 more days.  We have all accepted the fact that she is not going to get any better.  I will be praying for you and your family through this difficult time.

Jennifer

Just to let everyone know on April 16, 2008 at 8:55 p.m. my grandmother took her last breath.  All they day that day was a very bad day for her.  she was in a lot of pain, by noon she was not responding to us and would not open her eyes, she did move around alot like she could not get comfortable.  At 10:30 that morning her hospice nurse came in and i asked her how much longer she would be able to last the way she was, and I was told probably 24-48 more hours.  By 6:00 p.m. most of our family was there with here, we did a lot of praying and we asked the Lord to show us a way to get through it.  Around 7:00 p.m. Granny was completely "filled with fuild"  it was too the point where it was coming out of her mouth and she was having a really hard time breathing.  My mother who is a nurse helped to keep her mouth cleaned out but it got to much for her and we had to call her hospice nurse back in.  She was also running a really high fever and had been doing so for about 48 hours.  Our doctor who is also really close family friend came and gave her a shot of rosefuran.  By 8:45 p.m. we know that it was only a matter of minutes before Granny would be going home to be with the Lord.  As we all gathered around her and touched her we all told her that we loved her and would miss her but that it was ok for her to go.  The last 5 minutes that she was with us she DID NOT struggle to breath it was just so peaceful.  We had a beautful visiation & service.  At the visitation we should a slide show that i made when Granny was diagonsed with stage IV lung cancer.  It was pictures of her and her brothers and sister, and Granddaddy, and of all of her childern, grandchildern and great-grandchildern.  We cried, laughed, and enjoyed the company of everyone that came to visit, brought food, & flowers.  

A big Thank you goes to everyone that prayed for Granny and my family.  I will continue to keep you all in my thoughts and prays.

Jennifer