Stage IV nsclc - hospitalized with pneumonia

ago · New User Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 5

Hello,

My mom, 60 yrs old, was diagnosed with stage 3b in June; after chemo, radiation for a few months, she decided to move towards palliative chemo because the tumors are not shrinking and the chemo (cisplatin) drug was making her too weak. Cancer now stage IV.

Today, we went to the hospital because she started coughing blood, had nosebleeds and very weak & fatigued for the last few weeks. ER doc diagnosed pneumonia. She is tired of all this and wondering if there is any chance of again having good days.

Any idea if she can get thru pneumonia with such advanced stage cancer? Once palliative care begins, what can we expect? We are not getting straight answers from her docs and our family physician is away for a week.

thanks in advance.

tobie · Regular Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 22

Hi Ago,
My mom was daignosed stage 4 at the end of June also. She was told right off the bat that they could only offer palliative care for her as the cancer had spread quite a bit. Palliative care is treatment of symptoms to provide comfort and does not offer a cure. My mom underwent radiation for pain relief and is on a low dose of morphine to help with pain relief. We were told that she had 6 months to a year. We are at 5 months now and she has started to go rapidly downhill. Dehydration, constipation and light headedness are her constant companions. The good days are the days when she can get out of bed and move to the livingroom. Sorry to sound so gloomy but your mother will likely start her journey. Don't heitate to try and get help for her symptoms and try to keep her as comfortable as possible for the time that she has left.

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