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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Cancer / February 2007My father has lung cancer
My father is a 74 year old man who is diabetic, suffered a heart attack in January 2005 (has two stents) and received a liver transplant in May 2006. He received the liver transplant because his old liver was cirrhotic and had cancer. As a result of a CT scan on December 16th he was found to have 30 lesions in his lungs. He also has a 4 cm cancer mass on his tailbone pressing on the sciatic nerve and causing leg pain. The oncologist contacted me yesterday and said the situation was pretty serious and that the cancer was growing aggressively. When asked how much time we the family expect to have with him she said about 3 months. Of course this is all devastating. I apologize that I cannot communicate in medical terminology to describe the type of cancer, stages, etc etc. He will be given an option to receive chemotherapy, type and plan to be decided in a future meeting with the oncologist. He is in a major institution in Chicago. I have had a crazy thought running through my head - Are they any affordable clinics (or that medicare will pay for) in Mexico that offer treatment that is unavailable in this country? Any support/advice would certainly be appreciated. God Bless > My father is a 74 year old man who is diabetic, suffered a heart attack in > January 2005 (has two stents) and received a liver transplant in May 2006. [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > God Bless There is nothing for him in Mexico except scam artists after your money > I have had a crazy thought running through my head - Are they any affordable > clinics (or that medicare will pay for) in Mexico that offer treatment that > is unavailable in this country? Hi Rick, We had the same "crazy" thought: getting "the best" treatment possible anywhere. Yet the doctors all said a similar story: I can nicely earn some money and give your father chemo, but: it will enlarge his life only a few extra months (and from those days some will be in bed due to the side-effects of chemo), that is: if the chemo doesn't kill him. So we go to the next more specialized hospital... similar story. "Even in the fantasy we give your father a new liver, operating on a weak 75 year old man is not that obvious and there is still somewhere a primary cancer..." For father the choice was "easy": if you don't have something that with reasonable chance of success works, then leave it. I imagine you don't want to hear this, I didn't either, yet it can save you energy to spend for the care-giving (which is not as easy as it sounds) SK Keep the hugs coming at: `http://www.metastaticlivercancer.org > My father is a 74 year old man who is diabetic, suffered a heart attack in > January 2005 (has two stents) and received a liver transplant in May 2006. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > clinics (or that medicare will pay for) in Mexico that offer treatment that > is unavailable in this country? I'm sorry to hear about your father, Rick. Some people with lung cancer are told 3 months, but then it's a few years. Others are told 6 months and die within 10 weeks. There's nothing in Mexico that will help your father. We've heard of many who've left a trail of tears (and false hope and financial ruin) behind them. Some have died in motels (alone) and no palliative care, trying to get there. Can you ask the oncologist if radiotherapy would be helpful (and possible to do safely) for the mass on his tailbone? Please stay with us and let us know how you and your father are doing. J PS Please don't crosspost. Thanks > My father is a 74 year old man who is diabetic, suffered a heart attack in > January 2005 (has two stents) and received a liver transplant in May 2006. Hi Rick, Thats real bad news about your father , and already he has gone through so much . I have cancer of the lung and have just been through some 18 weeks of chemo therapy treatment , my advice to you would be , dont ask your Dad to go through it , Radio therapy , Yes Maybe ? Its really all about quality of life from here on , but I can understand your fears and wanting to do more . all I can add really is, spend as much time with your dad as you can , We need family support more than anything during these dreadfull times. My thoughts are with you Rick , God bless, Peter. I can only add what has been said. Jim had pancreatic cancer and he had chemo. We wished after that we had not made that choice. It robbed him of the last few months of quality time. And the quack cures are only after your money. Even Steve McQueen found that out. Love your Dad and say all the things you need to say. Draw the family close and hold on to each other. God Bless patty-anne > My father is a 74 year old man who is diabetic, suffered a heart attack in > January 2005 (has two stents) and received a liver transplant in May 2006. [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > God Bless > I can only add what has been said. Jim had pancreatic cancer and he had > chemo. We wished after that we had not made that choice. It robbed him of > the last few months of quality time. And the quack cures are only after your > money. Even Steve McQueen found that out. Love your Dad and say all the > things you need to say. Draw the family close and hold on to each other. God > Bless Good to hear from you, patty-anne, How's life been treating you? J |
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