My dad's the one with sarcomatoid carcinoma and within the week, there's been a diagnosis, lots of attempts at getting his breathing stable and now the call has come from the oncologist that every doctor has done all they can, and he is to be released this week to come home. The oncologist said that chemotherapy, with all the terrible side effects, etc., will not help the situation and give him more time, but will probably lessen the time he has, due to the very rare type of his lung cancer (only 1 in 500 lung cancer patients has this extremely rare type of lung cancer). My dad looks great for 80, sounds great, has a great sense of humor, the nurses love him, everyone looks at him and thinks..."This guy can't be dying--he looks like he did a couple of months ago when he was working in the garden, washing the windows, etc." But the truth is, he is beyond help, and the only thing that's happening is that he's on oxygen 24/7 and a breathing treatment every six hours and still can't keep from breathing really heavily. His blood is registering at 98% oxygenation, doctors don't hear wheezing, it's a puzzlement. The cancer is in lots of little pockets around the inside of the chest wall and outside of the lung and are just creating more and more fluid and there's really not just one area to take care of---they're all over the surfaces. So dad's coming home. Hospice is arranging hospital bed and equipment to come tomorrow, they're giving us an introductory talk at the hospital today and Dad will probably come home on Tuesday. Question---will the hospice staff have some kind of idea how long dad may have, or what kinds of symptoms may come up as the weeks go by? I know that they see dying patients every day, and may know more of the nitty-gritty of the day-by-day life of these patients and their families. What kind of help, specifically, have you received from hospice care, how often, etc.?
My husband went out this morning and bought a new birdfeeder and filled it with seed, installing it right outside the patio doorway so that my dad can watch the birds and shake his fist at the squirrels that try to climb the post. He's been known to have his b.b. gun at the ready to scare the squirrels, but I doubt that my mom will allow that in the family room! My dad and mom, married 53 years, have such a great sense of humor, and love each other to pieces. It's really tough when this happens, but my dad keeps saying that "dying is a part of life," and he seems at peace with it. We had all been praying that he wouldn't suffer too much or too long, and maybe that prayer will be coming true. It's a blessing to be able to be here and help, since I live out of state, and a blessing to have found this website. Thanks for anything anyone wants to share. Sincerely, Barbzie (Len and Stel's daughter)
Barbzie - A friend of mine lost her father to lung cancer. When he opted for no chemotherapy or treatment, hospice got involved and helped her every day with his care (he stayed at her home). It sounds as if her father was in worse condition than your father as he needed a O2 converter that would go higher than 5 in her home to even get his oxygen saturation up to 90. At any rate, she said they helped her every step of the way and they were able to explain what was happening when he would get confused, etc. She had only the best to say about hospice. Your father sounds like a real character (reminds me of my dad who really took a shot with his BB gun at a squirrel eating the bird seed in his back yard - but he forgot to open the patio door first and shot a hole in the glass door - this was just a few days after he replaced the patio door when a rock hit it when he was mowing). Oh, they can be so funny. My prayers are with you and your family.
dotdot
I have nothing but good things to say about the care my brother receieved while in hospice care. My brother Jim recieved the best of care both physically and spiritually prior to his passing on 7/27/2005.
The people at the hospice are truley caring feeling individuals, they want nothing more than to relieve pain and suffering while their "guests" transitions from this world to the next.
Pain and anxiety control was the priorty. Jim did not linger long as he was only in hospice care for less then 10 days. I feel in my heart he was mostly pain free.
Jim had beaten lung cancer. It spread to his brain, colon and liver. He beat all of these cancers. He finally lost to it what the cancer attacked his kidneys, liver, pancreas all at the same time.
My sincere hopes and prayers for your father.
Jim was 56 years young when he lost his final battle the this illness.
God Bless
Barbzie,
I lost my mom on July 28, 2005. She was 76. My dad is 82. They were married 62 years. It is never easy to say goodbye. The movie "The Notebook" was so wonderful. That's the way it is when people have been together for a long time. Their thoughts are each others thoughts. I guess that's what God meant when he said that when you get married you become 1. My mother made us laugh up to 3 days before she died. She was experiencing some signs of Alzheimers. The doctor came by and leaned over her bed to check her heart and she turned her head abruptly and said, Oh, your breath stinks. We like to died. But that doctor was so precious, he said thanks for telling me, and my daughter handed him a slice of gum and passed it around the room like everybody could have used a piece. She was a trip. We miss her so much. The best thing to do is make your dad as comfortable as possible, but also be there for your mother. She will need her family during this time. Your father sounds like a wonderful person. I will keep your family in my prayers.