Never thought I'd be posting here asking for support...

[disneynuts777]

Hey...just checking in to see how you are doing.

[TaraPA]

Today's the day we get the PET scan results, and they decide on a plan of treatment. So.....just waiting for the phone to ring!! It's been on my mind all day.

FIL has seemed to "perked up" a little bit, once he was faced with going to a facility. His spirits seem to be up, and he is making more of an effort to try harder to do things for himself. That was part of the problem before - he always had someone to do everything for him, so he let them. His companion says she can cope for the time being, and his primary care physician is seeing if he can get him some PT or HHC. He starts an injectable chemo in his bladder next week, so hopefully I can buy more time with him, so that I can focus on my mom!

[disneynuts777]

Praying that your Mom's results have a positive outcome

May your FIL keep going on his independence. Any weight taken off your worries is a step in the right direction.

[TaraPA]

Yay we have good news! Ok, well the best good "bad" news!!!

The cancerous tumor is confined to her ****** & the PET scan was CLEAR everywhere else. She was really nervous that her breast cancer was back, since the gyn oncologist said it's extremely rare for ******l cancer to actually start there. He assumed it was also somewhere else. So WHEW on the clean PET scan!

She starts radiation 5x a week tomorrow, and they will do chemo once a week along with that, for 6 weeks. No surgery at this point which is also very good news. They will do another PET scan in 3 months & go from there.

So can anyone tell me their experience with having both radiation & chemo at the same time?

[disneynuts777]

Originally Posted by TaraPA

Yay we have good news! Ok, well the best good "bad" news!!!

The cancerous tumor is confined to her ****** & the PET scan was CLEAR everywhere else. She was really nervous that her breast cancer was back, since the gyn oncologist said it's extremely rare for ******l cancer to actually start there. He assumed it was also somewhere else. So WHEW on the clean PET scan!

She starts radiation 5x a week tomorrow, and they will do chemo once a week along with that, for 6 weeks. No surgery at this point which is also very good news. They will do another PET scan in 3 months & go from there.

So can anyone tell me their experience with having both radiation & chemo at the same time?

OMG.....its been a great day!!!!
Anybody else reading this will think I've been "drinking the kool-aid" but I know that you will understand!
Radiation has made DH sore where they are radiating and tired.
My Dad did chemo once a week and was higher than kite the day he received his chemo and dog dead tired 48 hours later. He also had slight nausea.
All the research I have done it is more likely that your Mom could feel nausea from her radition since it will be near major organs.
I hope that she is able to get her treatment close to home.

[luvmarypoppins]

So sorry to hear this about your mom, but glad to hear about the PET scan results.

Wishing your mom all the best. She is blessed to have such a caring dd as you.

Hope things will go well for your fil too.

Prayers for your mom.

[TaraPA]

Originally Posted by disneynuts777

Radiation has made DH sore where they are radiating and tired.
My Dad did chemo once a week and was higher than kite the day he received his chemo and dog dead tired 48 hours later. He also had slight nausea.
All the research I have done it is more likely that your Mom could feel nausea from her radition since it will be near major organs.
I hope that she is able to get her treatment close to home.

Thankfully her treatment facility is only 10-15 min. from their house, and my dad is fit & healthy so physically he can take care of her. I've offered to come over every day but they say they will be fine. My dad has never had to be a "nurse" before, my mom does EVERYTHING for him, so we'll see how this goes. We only live 20 min. apart & my brother is only 45 min. away so that's all good. Both of us would drop everything to go & help if we need to, so they have lots of support.

My mom is so upset because we had a family vacation planned for 10 days in late August/early July that we'll have to miss. It's just to the family cabin in the mountains (about 5 hours from here), and we told her we don't care, we'll go when she's better, but she's insisting we're going fo a long weekend. She thinks she will be fine during the radiation & chemo, and that she'll have a treatment early on a Friday, then we'll all head up for the weekend til Sunday night. That's why I was asking how sick people are during treatment - is she nuts for thinking she will be up for a 5-hour drive and being with 10-15 people in one cabin for 3 days - or is there a chance she could do it? I know, everyone reacts differently to the treatments, we'll just have to wait & see.

She's at her 1st radiation treatment right now, waiting for the call or email to see how it went. She really likes her radiation oncologist, and she met with an oncology social worker that she described as "fabulous" so she seems to be in a good frame of mind right now.

Thank you to everyone for the prayers, positive thoughts & kind words. It really does help to come here & post!

[TaraPA]

Just wanted to post an update. Mom is in her 2nd week of chemo & radiation & is feeling sick & tired. They told her the worst is yet to come, and she just sounds so ill, I don't know what to do for her. She says she just wants to sleep & not to bring food. We have a big family reunion on Sunday out of town that she said she is unable to go to. She wants me to pick up my dad & take him, even though he wants to stay with her. I think I will insist that he go with me, she has neighbors that she is close with that can check in on her if she needs it.

disneynuts77 - was it you that said your dad (or maybe it was DH) was high as a kite right after chemo? She was like that last week, she was wound up & all over the place & didn't sleep a wink that night! Today was the 2nd chemo & she said she feels nauseous & tired. Hopefully she can sleep this time!

[disneynuts777]

Hey there....

Yes it was me who's Dad was very high after chemo and then he would crash. He had a terrible time sleeping at first but as the treatments went on sleeping became easier.

Not to be a downer but I do not think that your Mom will be up to the cabin vacation. I would play it by ear but do not be surprised if your Mom changes her mind about going. However she may be using it as a focal point to make it thru the treatments. (something to look forward to)

DH was so tired last week. It was hard to see him like that as he is normally such a lively busy person. All he did was work, go to treatments and sleep.

You are fortunate that your Mom's treatment is so close. It sounds like you have a great support system in place with family living so close. It is amazing what a difference that can make.

Hope that your Mom has a good week

[disneynuts777]

How's your Mom doing?

I have been MIA from the boards for a bit.

[TaraPA]

She has 2 more weeks of rad every day & chemo 1x a week. She's really been feeling sick & tired, and super nauseous all the time. She doesn't leave the house because she feels so sick & weak. After her 6 weeks is up here they're sending her to Univ of PA hospital in Philly (an hour away) for "boost" rad treatments. After that we just wait & see!

[Disney Enabler]

I will add my good thoughts and send pixie dust to you and your Mom.

I have been through radiation twice. I hope she has found a lotion that gives her some relief for her skin.

Hang in there and know that this to shall pass. It sounds like once she is through this current episode she will be doing much better.

Good Luck.

Carol
It's a great day to be alive!!!

[TaraPA]

I've been MIA from this thread for awhile, just popping back in to see how everyone is doing!

Mom went through 7 weeks of rad & chemo. She is just now feeling better & well enough to eat noramlly, and to start doing social activities again. At her last exam, they told her the tumor is still there, however they cannot biopsy it or do a PET Scan for 5 more weeks, something about giving the rad & chemo time to continue working. Soooo.....not the greatest news, but at least the tumor did shrink. Her doctor is preparing her that radical surgery may be the only option, if the biopsy/scan are not clear.

So we're just playing the waiting game, as I'm sure all of you have gone through as well. We are taking a trip to our family's cabin in 4 weeks for a long weekend, since we couldn't go this summer. Everyone is so excited & looking forward to that.

[ctl]

TaraPA I hope your Mom is doing better and that the Rad and chemo will shrink the tumor enough that any surgery will be limited. Keeping you both in my prayers. Stay strong.

[mommasita]

to you and your family.

I hope you enjoy your upcoming weekend, and get some time to relax a little.