Question about lung cancer?!
Question: Question about lung cancer!?
My grandma was diagnosed yesterday with stage 3 lung cancer!. The dr!. told me its in her left lung and a lymph node in the center of her chest!. They are doing an MRI next week but we are fairly sure it is in her brain as well!. A scan a while back showed a small tumor there as well!. If it has spread she will be stage 4!. They can not do surgery or chemo because of her heart problems!. Radiation is our only option but we will find out more after the MRI!. My question is for anyone who has gone through this how much time approx!. do I have left with her!? She lives with me and I love her to death!. I just need to know a little of what to expect because I am the strong one of the family and I need to be more prepared to deal with this!. I am sorry for writing so much!. I am just at a loss and I dont know who else to ask!. Thanks everyoneWww@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
In my case, my mother was diagnosed on Monday!. We got the MRI & biopsy on Thursday!. We scheduled chemo for the following Monday!. She was gone Sunday morning - a day before we were to start chemo!. It all depends on how aggresive the cancer is!.
Here is some unsolicited advice!.!.!. say all the things that you need to!. Cry alot!. Be prepared for the grieving process to last at least a year!. You will never get over it - don't expect to!. And plan ahead!.!.!. here are some suggestions!.!.!.
On the really bad day- you will be running on autopilot!. It is best if she passes in the hospital!. Make sure that the nurses know you want her medicated for pain even if she is unconscious!. Who knows what she is feeling after all!.
The last few minutes are really awful!. Her eyes will be open and she will have trouble breathing!. As it happens, you will see all of her muscles tense!. It is awful!. I am sorry!. If you are religious, I would swear it is like something is pulling away!.
For what it's worth, as we got close I called my aunts and uncles and told them to come over!. My aunt told me that she had awakened in the middle of the night and her mother was at the foot of her bed!. My grandmother had checked in on all of her kids then came for my mother!. My aunt didn't know that while mom was sleeping she had called for her mother!.!.!.
Anyway, after it happens, the hospital will call the funeral home of your choice!. Have a funeral home lined up!. Just pick one!. Later that very day you have to go to the funeral home to choose a casket and a liner if required!. No one ever sees the liner, so choose the cheap one!. They will help you plan the funeral!. You will need to decide who will speak etc!. They will place the obit!. The next day, you pick the flowers!. You will need to find something for her to wear!. You will be given the option of dressing her!. I declined!.
Before you leave the hospital, ask the attending physician for something to steady you if you need it!. I did!. He gave me Xanex that made the next week possible!.
That's about it for the arrangements!. Find her will before she passes!. People think that they can avoid probate!. You can't!. The executor of the will needs to go to the county and fill out some paper work and get a probate attorney!. Then you will FINALLY have access to the funds to start paying bills!. Call the credit cards and tell that there isn't much money!. Try to get them to settle for 50 cents on the dollar!. They usually will!.
So, in addition to spending all of the time you can with her, over the next couple of days:
1- find a mortuary
2- talk to her about the program if you want!. Or plan it without her!.
3- figure out what she will wear
4- find her will
5- get the stuff ready for the obit
Hopefully, you won't have to use any of these arrangements and she will be in the lucky 5%!.
Sorry this is so wordy!. Good luck and God bless!. I hope SOMETHING in here was useful!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Here is some unsolicited advice!.!.!. say all the things that you need to!. Cry alot!. Be prepared for the grieving process to last at least a year!. You will never get over it - don't expect to!. And plan ahead!.!.!. here are some suggestions!.!.!.
On the really bad day- you will be running on autopilot!. It is best if she passes in the hospital!. Make sure that the nurses know you want her medicated for pain even if she is unconscious!. Who knows what she is feeling after all!.
The last few minutes are really awful!. Her eyes will be open and she will have trouble breathing!. As it happens, you will see all of her muscles tense!. It is awful!. I am sorry!. If you are religious, I would swear it is like something is pulling away!.
For what it's worth, as we got close I called my aunts and uncles and told them to come over!. My aunt told me that she had awakened in the middle of the night and her mother was at the foot of her bed!. My grandmother had checked in on all of her kids then came for my mother!. My aunt didn't know that while mom was sleeping she had called for her mother!.!.!.
Anyway, after it happens, the hospital will call the funeral home of your choice!. Have a funeral home lined up!. Just pick one!. Later that very day you have to go to the funeral home to choose a casket and a liner if required!. No one ever sees the liner, so choose the cheap one!. They will help you plan the funeral!. You will need to decide who will speak etc!. They will place the obit!. The next day, you pick the flowers!. You will need to find something for her to wear!. You will be given the option of dressing her!. I declined!.
Before you leave the hospital, ask the attending physician for something to steady you if you need it!. I did!. He gave me Xanex that made the next week possible!.
That's about it for the arrangements!. Find her will before she passes!. People think that they can avoid probate!. You can't!. The executor of the will needs to go to the county and fill out some paper work and get a probate attorney!. Then you will FINALLY have access to the funds to start paying bills!. Call the credit cards and tell that there isn't much money!. Try to get them to settle for 50 cents on the dollar!. They usually will!.
So, in addition to spending all of the time you can with her, over the next couple of days:
1- find a mortuary
2- talk to her about the program if you want!. Or plan it without her!.
3- figure out what she will wear
4- find her will
5- get the stuff ready for the obit
Hopefully, you won't have to use any of these arrangements and she will be in the lucky 5%!.
Sorry this is so wordy!. Good luck and God bless!. I hope SOMETHING in here was useful!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I work with a women whos husband has stage 4 that went from skin to lymphnodes to lungs and he did not do radiation or chemo he did this IL2 thing and he has had stage 4 for about 8 months now and he is still going strong!. The cancer is not all the way gone but they are hoping for the best !. Ask the doctor about IL2!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
my grandma had this and died after a few months of being diagnosed!. this was three years back!. it was devastating!. but it varies in many cases!. i will pray for her!. hope all goes well!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
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My Great Grandma died at the age of 95 when I was 5 years old of lung cancer that shares in comon w/ your situation because it spread to her breats and brain as well!. She had this for approxiately 3 years so I was 2 when she got it!. What I remembered of her even in her 90's she was able to stand, dance, smoke and eat sweets!. But 3 years of having the cancer robbed her of doing all that she wasnt able to do as she was confined to a deathbed!. In 1995 radiation was not as technological as it is now and she was 2 old to begin that process so all we could do is wait for her to die peacefully!. Im sorry 2 hear about your grandma but its 2008 and radiation has gone a long way and hopefully she lives more than 3 years!.Www@Answer-Health@Com