Chemotherapy

It’s so hard when you’re used to having her there all the time and for her to be well. I think it’s a reminder that we’re not as invincible as we thought we were and that we’ll have these hard time BUT with your help and support she’ll hopefully get through this and go on to be with you for many years to come.

please don’t forget that you need to stay fit and well for yourself, your little girl and your mum do look after you too please. You’re very important

Hi Train Spotter. i did reply to you in a blog style post at length. How are you doing overall, i can see how upsetting it is for you. I can assure you that your Mum will be willing you to look after yourself too, worry is natural but can be all consuming. It's times like this you need support and families come together where possible. I am lucky to have a good partner, he is very supportive but he too doesn't have the family mindset as he knows we are fairly independent. He does involve his side and i involve my side of our families so that works fine. My granddaughter goes to visit her school tomorrow so is super excited about going to 'big school' in September.  She is 5 in October and I was going to be the child support for holidays etc, that has also had to change now. 

The best you can do is be available to your Mum when you can, get a sitter occasionally so you can see her in the evenings or book some time off work. You will not regret it.  Sounds like you have this in place so keep it up. As she progresses through her treatment hopefully she will stabilise and you can both have some quality time with cancer being the main subject. It does take over your life but remember, Cancer does not define us, it is there and we can live with it, just as one would with other illness like diabetes or disabilities. Children can be so refreshing too, so keep that alive and everyone's spirits will grow. They make us laugh and cry, but always with innocence and love. Sending you my greatest wishes for your wonderful Mum and to you for being such a wonderful son x

Hi Train Spotter. i did reply to you in a blog style post at length. How are you doing overall, i can see how upsetting it is for you. I can assure you that your Mum will be willing you to look after yourself too, worry is natural but can be all consuming. It's times like this you need support and families come together where possible. I am lucky to have a good partner, he is very supportive but he too doesn't have the family mindset as he knows we are fairly independent. He does involve his side and i involve my side of our families so that works fine. My granddaughter goes to visit her school tomorrow so is super excited about going to 'big school' in September.  She is 5 in October and I was going to be the child support for holidays etc, that has also had to change now. 

The best you can do is be available to your Mum when you can, get a sitter occasionally so you can see her in the evenings or book some time off work. You will not regret it.  Sounds like you have this in place so keep it up. As she progresses through her treatment hopefully she will stabilise and you can both have some quality time without cancer being the main subject. It does take over your life but remember, Cancer does not define us, it is there and we can live with it, just as one would with other illness like diabetes or disabilities. Children can be so refreshing too, so keep that alive and everyone's spirits will grow. They make us laugh and cry, but always with innocence and love. Sending you my greatest wishes for your wonderful Mum and to you for being such a wonderful son x

Hi sal60,

I did reply to your previous message just now,

I think with us because mum Ended up Inhospitable with an infection from the first treatment and was in there all week, we are all so worried Incase it happens again,  her she was shaking a nd shivering and her temp was a little higher, so it’s very scary when going trough that. And then the doctors didn’t kno where the infection came from, and gave her aggressive antibiotics 3/4 times a day through her vein,  so when’ she went yeserday for exonerated treatment they did change her dosage, but the effectiveness will Still Be the same, my mum’ is only small 7.6 stone, so I think anything will Work, she was about 8.5/ 9 stone before cancer diagnosis, my mum losses weight when stressed , and she lost weight very sudden which prompted her apt at gp which lead to all this, she has been very lucky , no typical symptoms of LC,

I just hope she will be ok the next coming weeks after the chemo yesterday, 

i hope your treatment goes ok today, I don’t kno much about radiotherapy as they have not included this in my mum’s treatment plan,

please let me kno how it goes ; and enjoy the sun today if you get a chance. Xx

Hi Train Spotter

Firstly sorry to 19June61 for highjacking this thread. How are you all doing? 

Train Spotter, I do hope this 2nd round for your mum keeps going well, it was unlucky she got an infection on the first round. One thing I have done is limit contact with everyone except the nursing team and my partner. Then before I began treatmetr scrubbed my home to within an inch of its life. Perhaps ocd but feels nice and safe too. 

I am very conscious now of anything I touch or put near my mouth etc too. Never been so health aware. Gloves for gardening (I reorganised some flowers in a vase lol) or cleaning pets out etc. All helps. Good food and awareness will help your mum too along with you love and support. Show her you are looking after yourself or she will worry, then in turn get stressed herself. I had to have words this week with my better half too. So attentive, but his blood pressure was up too and he said "mine isn't important, yours is..." needless to say I objected lol. He is vital and I love him dearly. 

Keep up your support and look after yourself and your lovely mum and daughter. 

Sals60

Hi Train Spotter

i hope your mums second treatment went ok. I’ve not started mine yet as they are going to do another biopsy on Tuesday .

otherwise I’m down for 4 lots of chemo x2 plus 1 immunotherapy followed by nine months of 1xchemo plus 1 immunotherapy. It all seems so daunting at the moment especially as I feel so fit and well that I’m having trouble accepting I have stage 4 lung cancer so I worry that I’m going to feel unwell. I think I’ve read too many things !!! 

Take care and look after yourself as well xx

Hi Sal60,

thank you for your lovely message, I think we all think of the person who is having treatment, I just want to be with my mum allthe time,  and we kind of not bother about ourselves, my mum is like u clean the house non stop, we don’t kno how she got an infection, they doctors don’t even kno wher the infection came from, they had to use a broad range of antibiotics as they did not kno the specific infection.-‘ they thought maybe the chemo was to aggresive so this week when she had her treatment they adjusted the amount , they said it was ajusted by a fraction and will not make any difference to the effectiveness,   My mum only sees her partner who she lives with, and myself , and my little girl on Saturdays, , the doctors and nurses said between the 10-14th day after treatment your immune system is at its weakest , so I’ve told my mum not To have any contact face to face with any of us them Days, 

I hope your treatment is going well, and your partner blood pressure is ok now, 

Lots of love 

nicole xx

Hello there

sorry to interrupt but i think sorting out your home is a great idea.  I’ve been getting rid of stuff I don’t need (there seems to be plenty of it ! ) as I’m worried I won’t be up for it when I start my treatment and you are right about contact I’ve spoken to too many people and read too much info.

hope all is going well for you xx

Hi donste,

I know this is awful to get your head round especially when your fit and healthy, but this is good as it means your strong and you will be able to handle treatment,

my mum to use stage 4 adrenocarcinoma, it’s in the corner of her left lung and spotting on the adrenal gland and rib, even tho it’s spotting it takes it straight to stage 4 as it’s left the original place,  my mum’s treatment is 3 types of chemo and 1 immunotherapy every 21 days, and then 1 immunotherapy every month , I don’t kno if she wilL have to have more chemo, it depends on scans I assume, my mum did get an infection after therapy first treatment, and ended up in hospital, on antibiotics, so make sure you have a thermometer, and start taking your temperature now so you know what is right for you,

I was just wondering why are they doing another biopsy if you don’t mind me asking? Is it to determine which chemos and therapy to give you ? 

usually after the 3rd treatment u have a ct scan . But because my mum had an infection there doing a ct on Monday, this is normal for when u have infection, 

with my mums first treatment, she was absolutely fine . You have anti sickness tablets if you start to feel sick, take them no one won any medals for going through pain, 

she just felt really tierd and then she did get an infection but that just made her exhausted ,  but she thought it was just the chemo making her tierd, 

if you eat well and drink plenty you will do amazing,  it is so scary and I am so sorry you and so many people are going through this my heart breaks every time I see a new person joining the  forum as I kno how they are feeling,  it was so much stuff to take in  and haven’t been able to sleep since April (mum diagnosed)  stop reading doctor google, and other stuff, just ask on here I Will always try and be as informative about my mums treatment and help in any way I can , xxx.  Sending u love and a big hug nicole  xxxxx

Hi Nicole

thankyou for getting back to me I know you are going through it with your mum as my daughter is trying so hard and my son just can’t face it . It’s good to hear your mums treatment is going ok and you are right dr google needs to go !

my first biopsy couldn’t be fully tested as they didn’t have enough so I have to have another. My consultant says it may be the first treatment he told me about but it could be a targeted treatment however he’s not making any promises just thinks it’s worth a go. I have the same cancer as your mum with a large tumour in my right lung and small ones in my left lung also in the lymph node between the lungs. I’m not medical as never been really ill so didn’t even know there was a lymph node there.

i live on my own and sometimes my thoughts run away with me so it’s really good if that’s the right thing to say to talk to people going through the same experience although believe me I wish they weren’t.

love Mags x