On the 18th Dec 2020 my partner experienced 4 seizures and within 24 hours was diagnosed with lung cancer which had travelled to the brain. She was put on Dexamethasone (steroids) and within two weeks had a psychotic episode which resulted in police involvement and ultimately being admitted to a secure ward whilst the steroids came out of her system. She was put on Haliperidol during this time and subsequently had a severe reaction - resulting in Parkinson like symptoms, in a lot of pain, unable to walk - just really unwell. Was admitted to a hospice where they took her off the drug and eventually, two weeks later was allowed home.
So after the shocking experience of reactions to medication we can finally focus on the cancer - we have been told it is stage 4 and were offered whole brain radiotherapy as palliative treatment - we were guided by the hospice that my partner wasn't strong enough to go through this. so we are now at home, largely on our own and I have no idea what to expect.
Jane is starting to lose words, is totally exhausted all the time but doesn't sleep during the day - but is in bed by 630 at night and generally sleeps through to 7 the next morning (with the aid of drugs).
Can anyone advise what I can expect - how will the cancer progress, what are the typical symptoms, what is it that eventually kills you? we are both scared and as the main carer I want to stay calm and manage this horrendous situation as best I can.
Hi BMC2 and a warm welcome to the online community
I'm very sorry to read that your partner has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer which has spread to her brain and I do understand what a difficult time this must be for you both.
As the online community is divided up into different support groups, I'm going to recommend a few for you to join. Firstly there are the lung cancer and secondary brain cancer groups which are great places to ask questions and share experiences with others who have this diagnosis. You might also like to look at joining the supporting someone with incurable cancer group which is a safe and supportive place to share your emotions as well as practical issues about palliative care.
To join any or all of these groups just click on the links I've created and then choose 'click to join' or 'join' (depending on the device you're using) on the page that opens. You can then introduce yourself and post in the same way as you did here and join in with existing conversations by clicking on 'reply'.
It would be great if you could pop something about your partner's journey so far into your profile as it really helps others when answering or looking for someone with a similar diagnosis. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
If you have any difficulty navigating the community just drop me a reply and I'll be pleased to help.
x
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
