Always Tired

Hi,
My name is Susan. My husband was diagnosed with lung cancer during a routine chest e-ray at the emergency room. By the next week he was undergoing brain surgery for a tumor that was found in his brain. The doctors then gave him 15 treatments of brain radiation. They then told him he should get in touch with Hospice. We were both not willing to give up so we went to Sloan Kettering in N. Y. and after many tests they felt that the original site was the lung cancer and that he could benefit from chemo. He started his chemo a few months ago. He has completed 7 treatments so far. A CT scan was done after the first 4 and his cancer has gone down a little and so he decided to continue. He will have another CT scan after the 8th treatment. He will then decide by what it says whether or not he will continue. My question to everyone is, what can be done about being too tired - he forces himself to get going sometimes. He doesn't feel sick, just very tired. His red, white and platelet count are normal and so is his nutrition level. He is not losing any weight but eats a lot less than he used to. He just doesn't move around to burn it off. Has anything helped someone out there? He was given 6 months to live and that was Oct. 2002.

Thank you and God bless,
Susan

Hi, I don't know if this will help, but I will tell you about it anyway. I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in May 01. A year after surgery and chemo 6x I was still tired and afraid that the cancer may be back. After rereading a book by Nan Lu,a chinese TCM doctor, I decided to take up qigong. It a slow exercise, something you can learn from a book or tapes. The web-page is Chilel.com - I believe that even if you don't take up qigong, doing a set of stretching exercises, deep breathing (You can find the instructions from A Healer Within and Spontaneous Healing, both very popular books)will be very beneficial. I think it helps oxygen to reach all parts of our body, so we feel revitalised. I forgot to mention just a week after I started on Chilel qigong, my fatigue was gone. Take care, Joanna

Hi Susan,
My name is Sara & my dad had lung cancer. Although my dad lost his battle DOESN'T mean that your husband won't win his battle. Being tired is very common with lung cancer; it kind of goes with the disease. Ask your doctor about Procrit. This drug is supposed to help with fatigue from chemotherapy patients but may help your husband with his tiredness or there may be a drug that could be right for him. *** The most important thing that your husband should not do that my dad had a habit of doing is over-working himself. It’s great that he tries to push himself to do something as long as he doesn't OVER DO IT, because it could do more harm than good. I hope that this helps & if you need any info or support I'm here. You can write to me anytime on the message board here. Best wishes and hang in there & don't give up! I know what you are going through!!!

My wife's lungs have many tumors in them, she is tired most of the time, but her biggest problem is coughing, does anyone know what can be done to reduce the coughing?

She started with breast cancer and it spread to the lungs.

The oncologist has given her tussin syrups and she uses cough drops constantly without much relief.

Thank you for any help that will give her relief.

Hi, Eugene
I also have breast cancer that has gone to my lungs. I had a cough that would not go away, I would cough all day and all night. I tried the tussin and cough drops. I don't know if mine had anything to do with the cancer or just postnasal drip. My primary dr. put me on Rhinocort nose spray - that really helped. I noticed a difference in about a week or so. Tell your wife to stay positive and if I can help in any other way just e-mail.

Donna

Hi Susan, My name is Ann M. My husband Joseph was diagnosed with lung cancer after going to a doctor for headaches and dizziness (we were thinking labrynthitis). A MRI showed that he had metastatic lesions in his brain and further testing determined that he has Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (adenocarcinoma) with the primary lesion being an inoperable mediastinal mass. He also had 15 whole brain radiation treatments and just finished his 3rd chemo treatment of carboplatin and taxol. About 3 weeks ago, his energy level hit an all time low...to the point of sleeping at least 20 hours a day! His blood counts are also just fine--he never feels sick--he just needs to be horizontal most of the time. With his diagnosis and the doctor's poor prognosis, I wasn't sure if it was just a phase of the chemo or whether it was the beginning of the end as we are at the 3-month point post diagnosis. However, this week, he has perked up a little and actually started eating real food instead of existing on cereal and ensure. This is a whole new world to me so I know how frustrated and scared you feel. No one seems to have real clear answers to any of my questions. I am hoping that the good people here on this message board will be able to help both of us.