My father was diagnosed with Stage 4 upper laryngeal cancer in March of 2007.
He is 71 years old and smoked for over 30 years. He stopped about 7 years ago.
He underwent 4 cycles of chemo in this span, had surgery to remove his 3 nodes on the neck and will start radiation soon. He has weighed 100 lbs for the last 15 years and is 5 ft 6 inches. He is diabetic.
He did well with his chemo. Getting drips in the morning and then eating lunch and then rushing to teach his 3 hour class at the local university. Luckily he did not have the nausea and the other side effects. His platelets always went down and the doctor waited a couple of weeks for them to come up before his next chemo treatment. He always needed procrit because he started getting anemic. And his feet would hurt all night. And with the
Bone marrow working overtime, he would be in excruciating pain and would not sleep at all. Tylenol and codine helped through all those nights.
Our doctor wanted to save his voicebox. So they opted for 3-4 cycles of chemo first. This was with cisplatin, 5FU and taxol. We did not anticipate surgery but the ENT surgeon insisted. And now we are waiting for the neck incision to heal before we start radiation.
From the last few months, I have learnt that we have to take it one day at a time. The side effects that we read about may or may not affect our loved one. We can only be informed about them and know how best to handle it.
Diet and keeping the weight on for my father has been the main ordeal. He does not have any more weight to lose. We gave him loads of soups with vegetables. My mother bought all the bright purple vegetables she could find at the store. And made soups with heavy cream, asparagus, carrots, eggplants, zucchinis and squash. We use cottage cheese for the protein. Whey protein powder from the whole foods is great. Sprinkle it on cereal, put it in shakes. Also, peanut butter has been great. We are vegetarians and our choice has been limited. But we are hanging in there…
The surgery removed 3 nodes, one of which was cancerous. He has a PEG in his stomach now to prepare for the radiation therapy. We have had many complications with his PEG and diabetes and rushed him to the ER almost every 2-3 days. He is OK now. He is scared about radiation. And if he will be able to swallow. It will be painful. I know the worst is yet to come.
I write this to tell my dad’s story and to share his experiences. I know what you all are going through as we watch our loved ones suffer.