Not much time left for Dad now

deba · Regular Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 28

As I've posted before my dad was diagnosed in January with extensive SCLC with numerous mets to the brain. He has had brain radiation, which did shrink the tumors, but they are still present. He has had 3 rounds of chemo (etoposide/carboplatin) and was supposed to get another, but he is too weak to take it. In previous posts I told about his inability to eat. We have literally tried everything that has been suggested to us and some things that haven't. Our last effort, Marinol, made from marijuana did not help much either. Dad is hungry, but cann't stand for any taste to be in his mouth or he throws up. All medications given to him for nausea have been ineffective. His oncologist told us today that he had one more medication to try for the nausea, but that Dad was totally too weak and undernourished to take any more chemo -- it is completely out of the question. He is too weak for radiation or any more cancer treatments.
He is not ingesting enough food and liquids, so his body is beginning the shutting down process.

Does anyone know how quickly this cancer will take over now that he cannot have any more chemo/radiation? I know that small cell usually rebounds very rapidly once chemo is stopped.

Dad also has advanced congestive heart failure and I believe the strain of being undernourised will add to the heart failure also. The doctor doesn't even think he could tolerate a feeding tube at this point.

It has been a depressing day, and the hardest of all is that my Dad is still completely in denial. He still thinks he is going to recover and be fine despite being told that he is not. This makes it even harder on my brother and my, who are his care-givers.

Thanks for listening!

Deb

frazierld · Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:17 pm Post subject: Not much time left for dad now.

(((((((Deba))))))) I'm so sorry for what you and your family are going through. Where is your dad now? Is he in the hospital or at home?
My mom was too weak for her final chemo as well and I believe it took about 5 months for the cancer to totally take over. But she could eat a little better than your father. None of the nausea medications really worked for my mom either, she tried everything (before Marinol). The one that worked the best for her was Haldol. I'm not even sure it's for nausea but it helped a lot. The problem was it made her very drowsy and "loopy," as she called it.
I'm so sorry for you, Deba. I know it's devastating to watch your father and feel so helpless. It probably seems like you're caught up in a bad dream.
Lynne

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