Newbie

[jeni_wren]

Hi my husband of 54 years was diagnosed with lung cancer 2 years ago it has since spread to his ribs, small intestine, adrenal gland etc despite chemo & radiology. We live in a small rural community & it gets very lonely at times. Would love to hear from others in similar circumstances.

[KathyS]

Hi Jeni, sorry to see the reason you have joined this site. My hubby too had lung cancer. We only had 14 weeks from diagnosis till passing as lung was the primary but we found the secondary first. Happy to share my experiences or just listen if you want to chat. Sometimes it's good to have a place to vent. Rgds Kathy

[topenddownunder]

Hi Jeni I too was diagnosed with lung Cancer six months ago, with a secondary in my left hip.I have had radiology for my hip, but mainly for pain management only.We have had successful reduction of my tumor in the lung over about six months of just under 50% and the cancer in my Lymph gland has disappeared.I have just finished my 4th cycle of Chemo which has caused some blood problems along the way,and have 2 more cycles to go before my next CT Scan.I have contributed the reduction in tumor size to not only the Chemo, but also some changes in diet and some Herbal (Cancer Pharmacist Approved) Supplements.(Note..always check with the Cancer Pharmacist before taking any supplements) I am 58 Years old, as is my wife,and,like you live in a remote area, whereas the nearest Cancer Clinic is 1 1/2 hours drive away.Please dont hesitate to contact us if we can help with any questions or advise we can help you both with. Greg & De

[jeni_wren]

My husband has had 3 courses of chemo (none completed) & 2 of radiation & can have no more treatment other than pain killers. He has lost 34kls since the start of the chemo. He can't tolerate sustagen or other food replacements but I have found malted milk powder great for him, mixed 2 litres of milk with 8 heaped dessertspoons of powder & served really cold. We have weekly visits from the district nurses & a weekly phone call from palliative care who are based 200kls away. Isolation is our main problem as I have had to learn how to inject nausea & pain medication when they are necessary. The reassurance from medical staff that I am doing the correct things has been very reassuring & I have many phone contacts for assistance. We had treatment in Adelaide which is 4 hours away so each time meant staying there for the duration.

[KathyS]

Hi Jeni, are you doing anti nausea and pain relief via sub cuts? I have walked in your shoes.. Found our palliative care team here in NE Adelaide absolutely wonderful. Cannot speak too highly of them. You sound as though you are doing a great job in difficult circumstances. Am going to request the PM service to chat privately. Hugs and best wishes Kathy

[KathyS]

Hi Jeni, are you doing anti nausea and pain relief via sub cuts? I have walked in your shoes.. Found our palliative care team here in NE Adelaide absolutely wonderful. Cannot speak too highly of them. You sound as though you are doing a great job in difficult circumstances. Am going to request the PM service to chat privately. Hugs and best wishes Kathy

[KathyS]

Thanks for you pm. Jeni you are doing a great job looking after hubby and am sure he would be doing same if tables turned. Enjoy each day one day at a time. Xx Kathy

[KathyS]

Thank you Greg, It is good to see some good news re your treatment. I am happy you are able to offer some support to Jeni and hubby. Hope De is doing ok. It's a team effort. Good on you guys. Kathy xx

[jeni_wren]

Good news for you with tumor reduction, unfortunately the chemo was too damaging for my husband to continue so we are just on pain management. He can have more radiology for pain as long as his condition is good enough. At the moment he is having periods of extreme fatigue & nausea. The distance can be a great inconvenience our nearest chemo is 2 hours & radiology 4 hours also palliative care is 2 hours away & district nurses 1/2 hour still we have a lot of back up by phone. It seems if things go pear shaped it is either the weekend or public holidays & I just have to cope. I find the responsibility a bit tough at times also the confinement gives me cabin fever sometimes. We have led a very active life up until this point & worked into our 70s so this is very limiting for both of us.