A positive note....

8 weeks ago I asked if anyone had experience with an older patient and how they handled chemo and radiation. My father is 91 and went through 6 weeks of chemo(oral) and radiation. His diagnosis was Stage 2/Stage 3. He came through like a champ. He had two days in the hospital because he became dehydrated but was able to keep eating the entire time. I had him drinking Ensure and kept his weight within 4 pounds of his start date. They keep telling us it's not curable and perhaps the future will not be bright, but I am pleased to have him each and every day and it is important to stay hopeful despite the diagnosis. Thanks to those who gave me a positive message.

 

On 10/18/2009 Candy929 wrote:

8 weeks ago I asked if anyone had experience with an older patient and how they handled chemo and radiation. My father is 91 and went through 6 weeks of chemo(oral) and radiation. His diagnosis was Stage 2/Stage 3. He came through like a champ. He had two days in the hospital because he became dehydrated but was able to keep eating the entire time. I had him drinking Ensure and kept his weight within 4 pounds of his start date. They keep telling us it's not curable and perhaps the future will not be bright, but I am pleased to have him each and every day and it is important to stay hopeful despite the diagnosis. Thanks to those who gave me a positive message.

I can tell why your Dad did well, sensing your bright and cheery attitude.  He must be a lot the same.    It's great to hear of someone 91 being able to handle the chemo/rad and come out well on the other side.    My children do the same cheery support for me, the Stage IV lung cancer patient, and it's almost physical the support it is.   The docs can't cure, but you think of it as a chronic disease and the docs try for quality of life along with prolonging life as long as possible.   We all have to go some time.   Glad you can enjoy each day with your dad.   Hope he can keep eating correctly, get some exercise and find lots of things to do that he likes.   God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives.

Nice to hear from you.  I have a very good friend who was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer when I was diagnosed with EC.  We are both 5+ years beyond diagnosis.   I am cancer-free and his cancer is "inactive" and waiting for another PET/CT scan.  He was given Tarceva and feels that God used the Tarceva to get him this far and in this good a shape.  He is doing well now.  Have you tried Tarceva? 

Thanks for posting such an encouraging message.  I, also, am happy to hear that a 91 year old is doing so well after cancer treatment.  It makes it easier to encourage other older seniors.

 

On 10/21/2009 doingfine wrote:

Nice to hear from you.  I have a very good friend who was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer when I was diagnosed with EC.  We are both 5+ years beyond diagnosis.   I am cancer-free and his cancer is "inactive" and waiting for another PET/CT scan.  He was given Tarceva and feels that God used the Tarceva to get him this far and in this good a shape.  He is doing well now.  Have you tried Tarceva? 

I was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer about 14 months ago, 64 years, female, nonsmoker, caucasian.  Started out with Tarceva, and was "planning" on 3 to 5 years of management with that.  It took my backbone tumor and a large lung tumor down to nothing, the backbone healed.  My oncologist was about to kick the wall when he came in after 6 months and said one of my tumors was growing again.  He kept me on Tarceva another 2 months because I had so few side effects and he wanted to keep Tarceva going as long as possible.    Then I went on intravenous chemo Carboplatin + Alimta.   Have had 4 rounds, with nausea that was unpleasant, but it has taken the main tumor that was growing again on the lung way down.   Have another ct-scan next week and there are plans that I will take a vacation from treatment until tumors start growing again.  I may have 6 months to a year if they are very slow at getting started up again.    I'm wondering what you mean by "inactive."   It sounds like what my encologist and I are hoping for:    slow growing and giving my body a chance to get healthy again after the poisons of chemo.   I have always felt just fine with my cancer, would not know I had it, except for the side effects of the treatments and the ct-scans.  Of course, I would have probably been deceased about 6 months after diagnosis if I had not had treatment.   I'm very thankful for the management of my disease so far.  Of course, my lung cancer was inoperable as are all metastacized lung cancers (Stage IV).    They won't put the body through the trauma of surgery because the other tiny or large spots will just keep growing and you can't give a chemo while your body is recovering from surgery, etc.   So good to hear about your friend and that your cancer is cured.

I love this note. I'm new to the message board. My pop is 83. We are still fighting. He has a peg(tube in belly) which is pumpin ensure in. The way i see it is If god him self has not taken him or my pop away(from the old age) Who is to say the future is not Bright. Try to enjoy every minute with your dad and Im a do the same. We are there rock for know and if we think positive they will do the same.   God bless you and your love ones. THANK YOU FOR SHARING.   Suzie2009