Oh, no. 
I'm sorry to hear that. Does that mean they won't try any kind of treatment?
I'm sorry to hear that. Does that mean they won't try any kind of treatment? 
My Dad needs Mojo
- Thread starter Sparky
- Start date
The details are sketchy so far. He has the PICC line in place now and he will be starting Chemo today. (Tuesday April 6th) Right now the plan is to just extend his life but there is a possibility that the liver operation will take place if the lung cancer responds extremely well to the chemo. The one thing I have learned from all this is that when it comes to Cancer....they really don't know fuck all. It's a total guessing game. I understand why it's that way because cancer affects each person in a different way but its so frustrating. I would prefer a straight answer either way instead of this emotional carnival ride. Hope and despair are two sides of the same coin but I wish that coin was not being flipped so much.
Damn, sorry to hear that.
Be with him as much as you can and hang tight.
All good mojo headed your way.
Be with him as much as you can and hang tight.
All good mojo headed your way.
Sparky, sorry to hear this latest update.
Continued positive vibes being sent your way.
Continued positive vibes being sent your way.
Thanks. At this point I really don't know what to think. Is there going to be another up side? Or is it just down hill from here?
As bad as I feel I really cannot fathom how my parents took the news. It must have been devastating and confusing. Now he has the task of phoning everyone (brothers, sisters, children, friends.) He has to relive that devastating blow every time he tells someone that the great news he got last week was total bullshit.
It went from the best news possible to the worst news. I know that things could get better but its that one word. That one fucking word. "Terminal" It's tearing me up...I cant even explain it. I have never felt this hopeless and useless before.
Sparky: {{{hug}}}
I wish i could offer some sort of comfort or help. I can only tell you what a friend told me recently when her mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. She said she doesn't know how long her mom has, so she is spending every moment that she can with her mom. They are talking, hugging, laughing, crying together. And supporting each other.
When my dad died it was a complete shock. There were no real warning signs. I felt cheated in that i wasn't prepared for it at all. BUT the one comforting thing for me was that we were best friends and there was nothing left unsaid between us. That is a great comfort for me.
However long your dad has, make the most of every minute with him. And remember that 'terminal' is very unspecific....you could a lot more time with him that you think. Just treasure this time with him. {{{hug}}}
I wish i could offer some sort of comfort or help. I can only tell you what a friend told me recently when her mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. She said she doesn't know how long her mom has, so she is spending every moment that she can with her mom. They are talking, hugging, laughing, crying together. And supporting each other.
When my dad died it was a complete shock. There were no real warning signs. I felt cheated in that i wasn't prepared for it at all. BUT the one comforting thing for me was that we were best friends and there was nothing left unsaid between us. That is a great comfort for me.
However long your dad has, make the most of every minute with him. And remember that 'terminal' is very unspecific....you could a lot more time with him that you think. Just treasure this time with him. {{{hug}}}
Sorry to hear this.
Well, I'm glad to hear he's getting some treatment. I will keep my fingers crossed for him.
I am so sorry about this latest development, Sparky.
I'll remember your dad and family in my prayers.
Im so sorry
Well, he has started Chemo and so far no bad side effects. They started him on a low dose and they will be ramping it up. It's cancer so nothing the Doctors say is set in stone. They made us very aware of that at the orientation. A good friend of mine put it in very good words (she beat the odds and is cancer free now) "Battling cancer has a lot to do with attitude, I used to refer to it as rounds in a prize fight, some went better than others but as long as you could swing the fight was still on."
This Fight is ON!
This Fight is ON!
I hope things continue to go well. 
Still sending good mojo your way.
Sounds like a good begining, keep it up.
Sounds like a good begining, keep it up.
Good news and bad news. The first round of Chemo had him and myself feeling pretty damn good the first couple days so he got cocky. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He ended up ripping the PICC line in the first week so they decided to go to a Portacath instead. He was more prepared for the second round of Chemo so he did not exert himself. He had the Portacath inserted on Friday and he slept most of the day this Saturday and Sunday. It was a learning curve for me because I spent a few days over there and every move or noise he made I was on edge. The good news is that he is in good spirits. The bad news is that he was mistaken and he misinformed me. He was under the impression that Stage 4 was the earliest stage....counting down. That is what he told me and that's what I thought in my previous posts.
It turns out that Stage 4 Terminal is the final stage with pretty much no hope of recovery. That was a kick to the nuts when my mother corrected me.
Still not giving up. But it seems like every time I have a glimmer of hope it ends up in dispair.
It turns out that Stage 4 Terminal is the final stage with pretty much no hope of recovery. That was a kick to the nuts when my mother corrected me.
Still not giving up. But it seems like every time I have a glimmer of hope it ends up in dispair.
Well, let's hope that he responds well to the chemo. Continued good luck to him.
Thank you all. I am constantly amazed by the responses. To have complete strangers responding to my posts with well wishes is just incredible. It pumps me up for the next round in the fight more than you could possibly know. No matter what happens from here on I will always be thankful for all of you.
Sparky, continued positive vibes coming from me and im sure everyone else here as well. Keep us up to date. We're pulling for your dad!
Update now. They decided to get rid of the PICC line and put in a Port-a-cath instead. It frees him up to do a lot more than he was able to do before. That procedure went very well and it's all good. We were all happy with that. The best news came a few days later in the next meeting the Doctor. The Doc was very excited that a brand new drug was just approved for use. It has had very good results in the clinical trials so they are going to put him on it. It is VERY expensive but the government will be footing the bill on this one since it is so new. The great news is that because of this new drug the plan of attack has switched from just extending his life to blowing the lung cancer out of the water and then doing the operation on the liver. They still classify him as terminal but the doctors have changed their strategy. In their way of thinking it is now "Let's beat it" instead of "You have "X" months left."
Of course this is as always not written in stone and I have become aware that things can change week by week but it is a good sign to me that the Doctors are so hopeful.
Of course this is as always not written in stone and I have become aware that things can change week by week but it is a good sign to me that the Doctors are so hopeful.
Good hope indeed!
We'll keep sending good mojo! Hang tough.
We'll keep sending good mojo! Hang tough.
