mets to lung
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I won't bin pain, will take the meds
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wrsmith2x- Agree w/previous post, ask them to put you on stronger pain med like Dilaudid. Luckily my mets are stable right now but I had a fractured sternum from a car accident many years ago. I was out if work a month and the pain was tremendous. Glad they were able to drain quite a bit of fluid . Stay propped w/pillows if can.Hugs and prayers.
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No reason for any of us to be in pain. My Onc prescribed a fentanyl patch. I change it every 3 days. Rarely have break through pain and when I do, I take oxycodone. My son (wgphat has had issues with drug addiction) was concerned that I would become addicted and my ONC assured him that that would not be a problem for me. I had fluid drained when I was first diagnosed with mets and haven't had to have it since, it resolved a lot of my pain. I did find it painful, though, and am glad I've never had to have it again. LOL!
Chemo today. Mu late on my decadron high
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WrSmith I agree, they can manage your pain with meds. Insist on something to help. Hope your feeling better soon.
Cathy
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Thanks all, I am taking Percocet but have to take it everything three hours instead of every four. I will ask about some better pain meds. I appreciate your kind words
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It drives me nuts as a retired RN when relatives worry about addiction . "Hello" - the reason these drugs were made was for conditions like this. Intractable pain. I must add I had to take Vicodin during the months I was on chemo after the Neulasta caused excrutiating bone pain. I never got addicted as most of you will not. Any Oncologist who worries more about addiction is NOT a good Onc. So it may be better to take 2 every 4-6 hours than 1 every 2-3 hours. Talk to your Dr if it is not working for you.
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I know, GrammyR, cracks me up when he worries about ME becoming an addict. I love the patch. I don't have to worry about taking a pill every few hours and it works great. None of us should have to live in pain!! Decadron finally wore off and I slept great last night. Hope to accomplish something, anything today!!
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I have 2 go to the mo on 3/20 will ask 4 the patch, what dosages do thrycome in i am on 25mg of oxycodone
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Blondie- I think patch comes in 25mg, 50mg , 75 mg. They likely would start you on lowest dose so if you need more down the road they can increase it.
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mine is 25 mg and it does the trick. I occasionally take an oxy for break through pain but not very often. I love not having to be on a pill schedule!!
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I lied i am on 15mg of oxy
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Hi ladies, I hope you'll forgive me for posting here, but I came to see what I could find re lung mets for my close friend's sister.
She actually had a large invasive endometrial cancer operated upon a short while ago. Had a course of chemo. Nearly died (code blue) due to an allergic reaction to Taxol, but they found something else to give her. Shortly after finishing chemo they found what my friend said was a local recurrence, and had further surgery, and was supposed to start on a different chemo this week.
On Wednesday they went shopping together. Thursday morning she collapsed with seizures, and is now in ICU. Apparently CT ruled out brain mets, and her seizures were put down to brain swelling from sky high BP, for which, according to my friend, they are not sure of the cause.
Anyway, yesterday my friend was devastated that the family were asked what her resuscitation status was, as she was having trouble breathing. "Well, you know she has cancer in her lungs, yes??"
Apparently she hadn't told her family, and my friend is devastated. So I just came to this thread to see what hope I might give her regarding successful management of lung mets, and so to thank you ladies for sharing your experiences.
I'm a little shattered today anyway: I'm supposed to sing this afternoon at a funeral for another friend who passed this week from breast cancer, and I'm having a bit of a hard time coping with all the cancer in my world just now, and nowhere that seemed safe to say that right now, as this is really so much NOT about me and my own fears and feelings ..... Sorry to go on ....
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Hi, Morwena, so sorry you're getting such a comprehensive tour of Cancerland, including the loss of your friend. Your singing will no doubt be a great comfort to the family and friends gathered in her name today.
I've had mets in the lungs about 2 years, and didn't share it with my family until just recently. The news certainly shook me up, and I knew it would worry them as well. Since the lung mets hadn't reached the level of ending my life on the planet yet, I didn't feel compelled to tell them. Your friend's sister may have felt the same way.
I have had many different treatments which are shown at the bottom of this post. None of them was to specifically target lung mets, as the BC has spread to other areas as well. I'm not an oncologist, and don't know which might be helpful in the sister's case.
I think the most important questions are to what extent has the sister made her wishes known to her family, or if anyone has the sister's Power of Attorney for Health Care, and what it specifies.
It sounds like the person who broke the lung mets news to your friend did it in a very inappropriate and unfortunate way, and it's easy to seize on one piece of information in a complicated medical problem, and focus on that. The doctors and family really need to look at the big picture, and what kind of quality of life the sister can expect if she survives.
Prayers going up for peace,
Calico
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Calico, Thankyou so much for your warm and considerate response.
You are correct: the family felt that the ICU doctor's approach left a lot to be desired! They were happier once her oncologist appeared on the scene and apparently took control. I had assured my friend that I know people who have had lung mets effectively managed. There are three ladies on my dragon boat race team (all bc survivors) who have had widespread mets for some years, and are still active paddlers! It appears that her sister is somewhat more stable this morning, so cautiously optimistic ...
The funeral was very well attended today, and we sang Garth Brooks' The River. It was very tough. My own mother passed away last April in the UK, and I was unable to attend her funeral. Today was Mother's Day in the UK, and this Tuesday her ashes will be interred, and again I cannot be there as I suffered recent pulmonary embolism after my reconstruction, so not fit to fly. I think it almost felt like I was singing at my own mother's funeral!
My husband and son went, so I'm home alone tonight, watching Grey's Anatomy with a chocolate cheesecake and a large glass of Irish whisky for company! Had a proper weep, and now feeling much better.
Thanks again for your compassion, and my prayers are for all of us to live long and well, and STFU Cancer!
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Hi, Morwenna, my sister-in-law lives in Australia, and has been on a BC survivors' dragon boat team for years. The last time I saw her she looked fabulous! Great exercise!
Soooooooo very sorry about your mother's passing. It's hard to believe sometimes what life demands of us all at the same time.
Wishing you smoother waters ahead,
Calico
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For those of you that have one or two spots on lungs. Do you have breathing issues, pain, etc? I ask because I have numerous on both lungs but no symptoms. Is this normal?
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Roberta: I don't know if it's normal, but I know you are not the only one with no symptoms. Sounds like you are really lucky and this bodes well for you.
Before I found out that my cancer has progressed again I actually felt pain in my left hemisphere. Now, after only 3 chemo infusions, the pain is gone.
Brenda
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Morwenna- condolances for your mother may she now RIP. Also your friend I am sure your singing touched so many. I get so upset when I read about doctors who immediately write someone off because they read "lung mets" on a radiology report.
Adnerb- I have a couple of spots on my lung scan that are stable- unchanged in 2 years and feeling good. I had shortness of breath for a while after RADS but no symptoms for a long time.
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Thankyou,
the update on my friend's sister is that the onc has apparently stated categorically that her current crisis is actually not related to her endometrial cancer. Her clinical diagnosis is PRES, i.e. her high blood pressure caused her brain to swell. She is a lot better today cognitively, BP more stable, and has been moved to a neuro unit.
I have a friend who is an oncology nurse, and she also says that it is not unknown for doctors in ICU to assume any crisis in a known "cancer patient" to be just a sign that the cancer has taken over. We are confident (hopeful) that her neuro symptoms will resolve, and she will start chemo (not sure what) this week.
Now I shall bow out from this thread, as I feel like I'm trespassing somewhat, and wish all you ladies well! xxx
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Roberta2,
I've got some sizeable tumors in my lung. The largest one was 4.2cm and but has shrunk to 2.8cm and I have no symptoms. Before I was diagnosed, I was coughing a lot but I'm pretty sure it was because of my enlarged lymph nodes in the middle of my chest. Once I was put on Tamoxifen, the lymph nodes returned to normal and I stopped coughing even though I still had a bunch of tumors in my lung.
Hope you continue to be symptom free!
Hugs, Susan
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Hi Ladies, Got bad news yesterday. Progression .. spots on liver now. So I'm off the trial and on Faslodex injections. If this doesn't work then back to chemo. Where can I find out more about Faslodex?Cathy
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Hi, Tryto, there's a "Faxlodex Girls" thread on this forum. This should get you there. If it doesn't, just search for it.
xoxoxoxoxox
Calico
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Thanks found it!0 -
Cathy,
Good luck on the Faslodex. I know that a lot of people have been on it for years and still going strong! It did not work on me. I have yet to find an anti-hormonal drug that works on me. Right now the Abraxane is making me feel better.
Love,
Brenda
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Thanks Brenda and good luck with that!0 -
Faslodex bought me 2 years of no progression and I luckily didn't have any side effects with it, Easy, too, with just a monthly shot.
xoxoxoxox
Calico
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Calicocat - That is great... 2 years stable. Like hearing that. May I ask where your mets are? I tried to update my profile.. yes hit save but cant get it to add.Cathy
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Hi, Tryinto, my onc put me on Faslodex as soon as we were sure, with the rising of my tumor markers, a PET, and biopsy, that the lymph node lighting up behind my sternum was Stage IV BC. As the BC progressed, he then stopped the Faslodex, and put me on Tamoxifen, and then Aromasin + Afinitor. I now have mets in my lungs, liver and bones, but it came on gradually as each anti-hormonal failed. Overall, I got a nice run out of the anti-hormonals, with no side effects. May you have an even better outcome!
I had trouble, or thought I did, adding Halaven to the end of my chemo list. When I edited my chemo list, it would show the Halaven before the Doxil, which wasn't correct. What I found, though, was that even though it showed up incorrectly when I was in the edit mode, the system did put in in the right place at the end when I posted. Seems like a little bug in the system.
xoxooxoxoxox
Calico
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Thanks Calico - yes same here shows in edit mode and yes I save but does not show up. Thanks for your support!0 -
I have major progression in my left hemithorax. Abraxane has stopped working. On to ixempra after July 4th.
There is also a tiny (3 mm) lesion in my brain which will be observed. Next mri is end of July.
Hugs,
Brenda
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