It’s all happening so quick

abchari
New Contributor

It’s all happening so quick

Hi, I’m at a loss. My Dad has just started Chemo for lung cancer and it’s not going well. Here is my story I’ll tell it as best I can.  My Dad who is 71 was diagnosed with bladder cancer earlier this year. He was advised the cancer was superficial and would be removed and he would undertake BCG. He finished this in October this year and had a follow up appointment booked for another look around in Dec. we are at this stage feeling very thankful that we have got through the worst of it and he was going to be ok. In late Oct he started to feel unwell. He was admitted to hospital with influenza and because he suffers with emphysema it was a worry as his breathing was suffering. He managed to get home after a week and seemed to be doing ok but days later started to experience pain in his back and shoulders he was again admitted to hospital with suspected phenomena and fluid on his lungs. Some fluid was removed and tested. It came back with cancer cells. He was booked to see the oncologist the next week and started chemo a few days later. It has been a week now and he is still

in hospital. The saline/chemo didn’t leave his body as anticipated so they were keeping him in to monitor what was happening. He did eventually go to the bathroom but  they wanted to remove fluid still on his lungs via the spine(not sure what this is called) but can’t as they are worried he may end up with a punctured lung in top of everything else. His oxygen saturation is only at 80% with oxygen full time.  Which is making him very weak. In the mean time they have taken more scans and found a spot in his shoulder which the oncologist described as a fracture from cancer? but we still don’t know for sure. He is in a bad way and I’m so unsure of what the future holds. We know he won’t get better but he has gone down hill so dramatically since the chemo. Is this a side effect of chemo? Or is it the cancer  I just don’t know is this normal? . I will call the cancer ward as I’m interstate and we have booked to go home for Christmas. I’m just so lost I’m doing my best to get through every day The not knowing the details is horrible. I’m sorry for the long post just needed to get it out 

A

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little_stitcher
Super Contributor

Re: It’s all happening so quick

Hi abchari, I'm so sorry you're going through this.  One of the very common themes on this site is that it's the not knowing that's really scary.  Once you know exactly what's going on, you also know what is not going on, and that can seem easier to cope with than trying to cope with different potential situations at once.

 

You seem to be coping the best way possible- just taking one day at a time (that's the only way you can do it really, isn't it?)  I'm glad you found this forum, it's a great place to come to connect with people who have been where you are, and ask/vent/encourage/celebrate/scream/whatever.  Just keeping taking one day, or even one minute, at a time, and know we're all here cheering you and your Dad on.  Sending a virtual hug, Emily

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