CancerCompass message board discussion started by wendy7 on 2/5/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20651,0.htm Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ I have not been on in awhile because so much has happened since Christmas. Rick developed a fever right after Christmas and was put in the hospital. Initially ,they thought it was pneumonia He was having shortness of breath but they thought that it might be due to the 5 weeks of radiation that he finished right around Christmas. After 4 days in a local hospital, we went home. They did drain 1 lung as there was alot of fluid around it. We then got the news that the fluid had cancerous cells in it. They called it malignant pleural effusion. Our oncologist here had all ready called Mass General where Rick had had his esophagael surgery in August. They wanted us to come back there. We did and we were told that Rick is now a Stage 4 since the cancer has mets to the lungs. Obviously, the outcome is not good. They are saying a few months.They do not believe that he had pneumonia. They inserted a chest tube to drain some more fluid from that lung. They then put some talc powder over the lung which is to stop fluid from gathering around the lung. While that was going on, he got Myrsa and was pretty sick from that. What was suppose to be a 3 or 4 day trip, turned out to be 11 days in the hospital. He was very sick. What I am wondering is-1. He is so short of breath. Just walking a couple of steps gets him out of breath. They are saying that he has been out of it for over a month and it is just going to take time. He needs to get up every hour and walk to get his strength back. We do now have oxygen. Has anyone experienced this? Also has a constant cough 2. Thank goodness they put a J tube in after his surgery but his stomach is very firm and extended-Has anyone experienced that? 3. We started pallative chemo on Friday-Has anyone done that?   Thanks for all your ideas and help!!! wendy7 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT So sorry to hear what the last few months have brought you.  This disease is so horrible.My mom had esoph. cancer, and was then diagnosed with small cell lung cancer a few months later. At first they thought the EC had mets. to the lung, but the biopsy showed it was another primary.  Anyway, in July they did the talc procedure to control the fluid. As much as I hate to say this, she had pain from it until the end (Dec). At times it was a little better, but she pretty much took pain meds every day the whole time. It causes a lot of scar tissue, which in turn causes the pain. Yes, it did keep the fluid under control, but the pain was the trade off.Wishing you peace in the coming days and months. 2cats Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT So sorry to hear about your mother. I hope you do not mind me asking you a couple of questions. Did she have shortness of breath and if she did did anything help with that? Did she have the talc done on both lungs? Rick had it only done on 1 lung which seems to be doing good but his other lung has been drained but they are hesitant to do the talc on that one. It is now filling up with fluid again. This stinks!  Thanks for your help! Wendy wendy7 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 2/5/2008 wendy7 wrote:I have not been on in awhile because so much has happened since Christmas. Rick developed a fever right after Christmas and was put in the hospital. Initially ,they thought it was pneumonia He was having shortness of breath but they thought that it might be due to the 5 weeks of radiation that he finished right around Christmas. After 4 days in a local hospital, we went home. They did drain 1 lung as there was alot of fluid around it. We then got the news that the fluid had cancerous cells in it. They called it malignant pleural effusion. Our oncologist here had all ready called Mass General where Rick had had his esophagael surgery in August. They wanted us to come back there. We did and we were told that Rick is now a Stage 4 since the cancer has mets to the lungs. Obviously, the outcome is not good. They are saying a few months.They do not believe that he had pneumonia. They inserted a chest tube to drain some more fluid from that lung. They then put some talc powder over the lung which is to stop fluid from gathering around the lung. While that was going on, he got Myrsa and was pretty sick from that. What was suppose to be a 3 or 4 day trip, turned out to be 11 days in the hospital. He was very sick. What I am wondering is-1. He is so short of breath. Just walking a couple of steps gets him out of breath. They are saying that he has been out of it for over a month and it is just going to take time. He needs to get up every hour and walk to get his strength back. We do now have oxygen. Has anyone experienced this? Also has a constant cough 2. Thank goodness they put a J tube in after his surgery but his stomach is very firm and extended-Has anyone experienced that? 3. We started pallative chemo on Friday-Has anyone done that?   Thanks for all your ideas and help!!!Hi Wendy,I am so sorry to hear about Rick and all that you've been through lately. I don't know if I can offer any help but I might can offer some encouragement. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer in Feb. 07 after having a clear mammogram in December. The day before she was scheduled to have a double mastectomy she was admitted for shortness of breath. It was discovered that both of her lungs were filled with cancerous fluid. The cancer had mets to the lung, liver, and bones. She began palliative chemo right away but seem to stay in the hospital because of the fluid. She had the extreme shortness of breath and cough like Rick does. Her oncologist referred her to a larger hospital in our state. It was there that they inserted an indwelling, pleural catheter. My father-in-law would drain the catheter every two days and this alleviated her symptoms. She was on oxygen for several months but no longer needs it now. The cough is gone, too. At first he would drain about 550 ml every two days. He now drains every 5 days and gets less than half the original amount. Having this catheter has been wonderful! I guess as the chemo began to help the fluid build up was less and less. Also, if for some reason they filled up quickly, then he could drain him.She was given a prognosis of a few weeks. We just celebrated her one year anniversary as a cancer survivor yesterday! Overall she has responded well to chemo. The spots on the bones are the most resistant. She just finished up 18 days of radiation done on a mass in her right lung and has done beautifully. In fact, they live two hours from us and come to visit a few times a month-they are here for a few days now. She has had some bumps in the road but we wouldn't take anything for the last year! She has had a good quality of life and is continuing to do so.God has blessed doctors and medical professionals with the ability to do alot of things but he has not given them the ability to reign over life and death. To repeat a saying I have heard several times. Rick is a statistic of 1! There is still hope-even for stage IV cancer patients. I hope that Rick's health will improve quickly and I will keep you in my prayers. GeorgesGirl Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wendy,I dont mind questions at all. Not sure how well I can answer, but I'll try.  She was having 1-2 liters of fluid drained every 3-4 days. It was horrible. When she was full of fluid she couldnt breath.  The did the talc on one side. It helped with the fluid, but she was still some what short of breath. She was fine when she was sitting, but if she tried to do much of anything at all she would get winded. 2cats Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT So Sorry to hear what is happening. I can offer some kind of advice. My popa has stomach cancer but we are still in treatment there have not been any scans yet. My father in law, pop-pop, was diagnosed w/ lung cancer in May 07. He had surgery and chemo. In sept it came back and he had pneumonia. HE was given 3-6 months. During those exact 5 months he was in and out of the hospital many times. HE caught mrsa and that was the begginning of the end. They had to drain his lungs and give antibiotics. He came home for 1 day and was readmitted. A few days later, the day we were supposed to bringhim home, we were told he would not make the ride home and today would be his day. He had already fallen to sleep and his heart had left us, but he was a fighter and kept on breathing. He was on morphine and 2 days later he passed. We tried alternative chemos and they did not work. Make sure that when or if he has left the hospital that ALL the mrsa is gone. Tehy told us it was gone that day we got him home for one day and when he was readmitted they said it was still there and should not have been let home. Make sure get 2nd opinions and double check those doctors as It seems that medicine is all a guessing game. I hope evrythign works out for you and your family my prayers are with you sweetz207 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT