I am new and am looking for some help

huber411 · New User Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 3

Hi. I am new and not really sure how any of this stuff works. My dad was diagnosed with brain cancer in mid-March. Doctor todl us that it is a secondary tumor; he has melanoma in the brain. I have read that the outlook is not that great for this. Does anyone have experience from this or stories of loved ones they can share with me? I want to know what is supposed to happen, when. I know everyone is different, but it seems like things are going down-hill for him. We took him to the hospital this weekend because he was having terrible headaches, throwing up, sleeping, disoriented, couldnt eat, coulndt walk. The doctor found he has hydroencephalus and is going to go in to drain the excess fluid. How much longer does he have? Is he going to get out of the hospital? Will his pain subside for a little while?
Crying or Very sad

brainman

Hi huber411. I am truly sorry about your father's advanced cancer. Since it actually is not a primary brain cancer, I have moved your post to the Melanoma and Skin Cancers Forum.

The fact that it has spread to his brain means that it is a stage IV cancer. I am not sure about what specific type of therapy he will receive for his metastatic melanoma but I am sure it will be some kind of chemotherapy and maybe radiation therapy to try and kill the cancer in his brain.

I also do not know what his prognosis is. It probably greatly depends on how he responds to his treatment(s) and on his own internal will to live.

You and your father are in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Twitter: @JimHawkins54

huber411 · New User Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 3

Thanks brainman. He went through a round of radiation already, and we just found out it has spread to his CSF. He had surgery this morning to implant an Ommaya reservoir, which will deliver chemotherapy directly to into the CSF. Any suggestions from anyone on how to help him through chemo? Any suggestions on handling anu of this?

HaoleBoy · Senior User Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 108

I really can't help here as I'm Stage IIA at the moment and this is well outside my personal experience... However, the Melanoma Patient Information Page and Catherine Poole's Melanoma International Foundation forums (fora ?) have alot of people and corporate experience dealing with both brain and lung mets...I posted the links below...

MPIP is not moderated but is a great site for finding and getting personal experiences, advice, tips etc from people literally walking down the same path as your Dad on this melanoma journey... they also are responsive and caring .....

Catherine's site is professionally moderated and she also has a 1-800 hotline number to call... She is on top of the contemporary treatments, is well connected to the mel Centers of Excellence .... she is a melanoma patient advocate (and patient) who has dedicated her professional life to fighting this disease and helping mel patients....you have to register at MIF (like this site); at MPIP, you can just start posting without registering (more of a bulletin board than a forum IT wise)

Prayers and Blessings, Haole Boy (aka Bob) Stage IIA

http://www.mpip.org/bb/bbindex.html

http://forum.melanomaintl.org/toastforums/toast.asp

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