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robgreenwood
New User
Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 5
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 Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:43 am Post subject: What Next??? Sent Home To Die..... |
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| My dad went to see the Lung Specialist today who delivered the news my family were dreading. It's quite odd really, he didn't give the stage or anything. He's basically stopped all medication (heart, blood pressure etc), put him on pain relief and steroids. There's nothing they can do, it's spread from the main tumour to the lymph nodes an operation is out of the question, chemo therapy and radiation are not going to help. He's been sent home to die. I spoke with my dad, he's obviously upset but now wants this over. The doctor i spoke to gave him two months, I think that's optimistic. I'm simply praying that he doesn't suffer. |
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Lana8
Experienced user
Joined: 19 Jul 2005
Posts: 59
Location: Washington
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| Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:20 pm Post subject: Re: What Next??? Sent Home To Die..... |
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robgreenwood Hi,
I am so sorry to read of your dad's prognosis. My sister was told she had cancer of the lung, lymph glands, and mets to the brain, sqamish cell carsinoma (please forgive miss spellings) on April 27, 2005. Only recommendation for her stage cancer was radiation to the brain which she chose not to do. She lived until June 11, 2005 just after turning 60 on June 8. Her time came fast. The family notified me that one lung had filled with fluid. I flew there right away to be with her. I was with her one week when she passed from the other lung filling with fluid. She experienced one bad night of her neck hurting her severally. We were able to keep her on morphine liquid as often as possible for the pain. She was one 8 hr day in and out from the pain medication. The good lord took her to be with him on the 11th. Everyone has there time when they are called home and how they will go. She could have really suffered from terrible pain. I have a step-father that just came home from being in the hospital for one month. He also has alzheimers. It is very difficult for them. I do believe that the almighty power though, has saw to it that your dad not remember so much. I will keep you and your family in my prayers. Do talk to your daughter. Children do understand more than we sometimes think they do. God bless |
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robgreenwood
New User
Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:16 am Post subject: The Last Post |
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It's been a few weeks since I posted so I thought I would update what has happened since then as things have certainly moved along. But first a brief history and a thankyou to everyone that took the time to respond to my posts and share their experiences and thoughts, it really has helped. The anonymity of these forums does provide a way of asking questions you may not ask someone face to face.
Mid Feb 2006 my father began to lose his voice and had lost a stone in weight, he went to see a GP and was told he had severe laryngitis (spelling??). That was the voice problem and the weight was could be attributed to not eating as well as he should.
Late Feb 2006 he had to go to the hospital on an urelated matter. His voice had not improved and a doctor asked what the problem was. They explained what the GP had told them. The doctor took a look and noticed his vocal chords not functioning as normal and suggested a CT scan to find what the problem was. Laryngitis was not the problem.
March 22nd he had his scan and returned for the results to the Ear, Nose and Throat dept at the hospital. The doctor told him that the problem with his voice was not a throat problem but appeared to be a tumour in his lung pressing against the nerves serving his vocal chords and he would need to see a lung specialist the following week.
March 31st he went to see the lung specialist. He was told that the cancer was beyond a treatable point and had spread beyond his lungs and into the lympf nodes. The doctor called me (as I couldn't attend) to explain that all they could realistically offer was pallative care and to expect no more than two months. I went to see dad, he walked out to my car, we went for a drive. He was weak but could still interact with everyone.
Pallative care was gradually increased to 24 hour care and a nurse would sit throughout the night with him at home.
He was now beginning to hallucinate, unable to speak bearly having the strength to move.
14th April - Good Friday - First time I'd seen dad since March 31st. This was a shadow of the man I'd seen two weeks earlier who needed constant 24 hour care (he was still at home). We took the decision the admit him to a Marie Curie Hospice. The doctor at the hospice saw him and told us that he had a chest infection and that he was in his final days. Not long after that he was sedated. The most restful he'd been in weeks.
15th April - 10:40am - He drew his final breath, myself and my sister were with him. He hadn't woken up since being sedated.
All in all it was approx six weeks from first symptoms to death, three weeks after the lung cancer diagnosis.
The reason I'm posting this sad tale is mainly for carers and other family members. Don't assume that once the diagnosis is known that there's plently of time, there may be, but in my case not at all. There is hope in these cases, but you may also need to accept the inevitable outcome and prepare yourself. My family assumed a miracle cure would come along, which made it all the harder for them at the end. The speed of my fathers demise was a veiled blessing.
24th April - Cremated at a funeral we all expected but not that soon.
Good health to you all
Rob |
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