Dad's Newest Symptom...is the end Nearer than we thought?

Lorri · New User Joined: 21 Mar 2008 Posts: 8

Hello,
First I'd like to thank everyone who has responded to my posts here. I have shared the information with my family and they too are very appreciative.

For an update, my dad has Stage IV lung cancer. He just started Tarceva this past week. He is on oxygen 24/7 and has had a nurse come to the house to take off the fluid that keeps building up. He started to experience shoulder pain and has now been given pain medicine for that.

Last night he started to experience a cough like we've never heard....EXTREMELY loose, almost a rattle-like. Is this the progression of the disease? Is anyone familiar with it? He has had a horrible cough for a very long time now but this one is very different.

Thanks again, so much!
Lorri

brainman

Hi Lorri,

I don't want to alarm you but your father might be getting pneumonia. You might want to take him to the ER... especially if he gets weaker.

I will continue to think about and pray for you and your father.
_________________
Jim
Site 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.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

Elizabeth76 · Regular Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 12

Hi Lorri,

I looked back through your last post.. I'm very sorry to hear of your dad's recent diagnosis. I'm sure things seem to have progressed so rapidly!

My dad passed away from lung cancer March 2007. He was 63 when he passed and was diagosed 14 months prior.

I just wanted to say that I do remember that breathing you are talking about. Of course, every person is different..
My dad started having more trouble with his breathing in the last 2 weeks of his life. He struggled alot in that time, and he agreed to have hospice. We had in home care with hospice and was on oxygen 24/7. In my dad's case, the lungs were filling up with fliud and it was harder for him to get sufficient air. The rattle in the breathing happened because there was alot of excess fliud (in the lungs) from what I understood. My dad passed about 4-5 days after that labored, rattled breathing started.

I am so thankful that I was able to take time off from my job for a few weeks to be there for my dad and cherish those moments! If you can, spend as much time with him as you can. Even if he doesn't want to talk.. he'll love the company. Tell him all the things you want to say.. read to him. I actually only read to my dad the day he passed, but for him, it gave him alot of comfort and took his mind off the conditions and his pain... maybe your dad would enjoy that.
My thoughts and prayers are with you in this difficult time. Please feel free to write anytime.

ksplat

Dear Lorri

I just wanted to let you know I continue to pray for your Father & my thoughts are with you too.

I can't offer any insight into this kind of cancer but wanted to let you know you are in my prayers & thoughts.

Cheers, Angie.
_________________
Brother diagnosed with GBMIV Feb 07
Treatment: Radiotherapy, Temodal, Gliadel Wafers, Dexamethasone, Keppra, Dilantin, Clexane
Went to our Heavenly Father after a 19mth battle,, 47 years young.
23 Sep 2008
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=19227

"Without Faith We Have Nothing"

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1404

Lorri,

I agree with Jim (Brainman) -- as I so often do! Call the doctor and have him assessed for pneumonia or an infection. Better to get it treated as soon as possible. I think it's too soon for the Tarceva to be working yet. Sometimes a lot of coughing comes during successful treatment with chemotherapy and bits of tumors can literally be coughed up, but this doesn't sound like that. Too soon.

I hope you'll let us know what is happening and pray for some good antibiotics that will knock the infection out of the ballpark, if that's whats happening.

Hugs,
PBJ
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

helensgirl

Lorri,
My beautiful and inspiring mom also had pneumonia 2 weeks before she passed on. They got the illness into a stable enough state for her to be brought home. She was home for a week before she passed, with the care of her children, husband and the Hospice team. About 3-4 days before that day, mother had the "rattles", but we gave her...weird, but...eye drops in her peg, (stomach/feeding tube), and she dried right up and stopped the rattling. She was so sweet, I miss her horribly and don't think I'll ever be the same...so I would tell you to stuff work, and spend as much time with your father as you can...Do you have Family Medical Leave in your country, where you can take time off from work for an illness without the threat of being fired? That's how I was able to be with my mom during the last 3-4 weeks of her life...I'm a teacher, but my thought was, "stuff it", my mother tops my job any day of the week. Take care of yourself! Best of wishes...Kim
_________________
...keeping the faith in n.c.
Helen, my wonderful mom, diagnosed May, 07
fought-stage 4 NSCLC, (adenocarcinoma)
earned her place in Heaven, Dec. 14th, 07

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