Experiences with radiation and chemotherapy?

[JeepFreak21]

My mom was just diagnosed with cancer. It's a lump on her neck. They're going to start her on radiation and chemotherapy next week. Anybody here have any stories with happy endings?
Thanks,
Billy

 

[DrMoab]

My mom was just diagnosed with cancer. It's a lump on her neck. They're going to start her on radiation and chemotherapy next week. Anybody here have any stories with happy endings?
Thanks,
Billy

My cousin was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma a couple years ago. He went through the whole Chemo-radiation deal.

Going on two years now and he is cancer free.

The treatments didn't bother him too much. He lost all his hair of course and was really tired all the time. Lost a bunch of weight but he didn't suffer as much as you hear some people do.

 

[JeepFreak21]

My cousin was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma a couple years ago. He went through the whole Chemo-radiation deal.

Going on two years now and he is cancer free.

The treatments didn't bother him too much. He lost all his hair of course and was really tired all the time. Lost a bunch of weight but he didn't suffer as much as you hear some people do.

Do you remember how long they kept him on it?
Thanks,
Billy

 

[jeepinxj01]

My mom was just diagnosed with cancer. It's a lump on her neck. They're going to start her on radiation and chemotherapy next week. Anybody here have any stories with happy endings?
Thanks,
Billy

Yelp. My mom. 11 years ago was diagnosed w/ breast ca. They were able to just go in and remove the tumor so there were no "cosmetic" issues to deal w/. Had chemo and radiation. Radiation wasn't bad, obviously not fun, but it was like a bad sunburn. The chemo is what hurt her. The day of her chemo, she felt good. The day after her chemo she felt GREAT. The next few days were literally hell. Never lost her hair, which I guess was a plus.

My mom is doing well. It's to the point now that she's back on a normal schedule w/ mammograms. Only once a year. No reoccurence or anything. Kinda funny, when she went to the hospital to have her original biopsy done and she asked the lady registering how she liked working at the hospital and she told mom she liked it, so after all her treatments were complete she applied to the hospital and now she's one of the "higher ups" there and loves it.

It was a tough time, but looking back on it, it was a hell of a learning experience for the whole family, and it made us stronger. I hope your mom is well and does great w/ her treatment.

 

[DrMoab]

Do you remember how long they kept him on it?
Thanks,
Billy

I'm thinking it was about four months. He was really really sick. By the time they diagnosed him the cancer was all through his body.

My uncle is going through it now. They found some small spots in his lungs. I think he is done all ready and it has only been a couple of week.

Good luck man. I hope everything goes well.

 

[Fergie]

My dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer last year. He went through therapy for it, not quite chemo as it was some kind of TB vacination that kills bladder cancer. that shit did a number on him, to where he ould barely walk. He finished it and recovered fine.

Three months later, they found a grapefruit sized tumor, same cancer, in his leg, a tumor on his rib, more in his bladder, and one more on his liver. He had the leg one removed, and now has a titanium rod for a femur.

currently, he just finished radiation therapy on his leg to kill remaining cells. this did not affect him too much as it was localized. However, he just started his chemotherapy for the rest of the tumors, and it is kicking his ass, but he has high spirits.

I wish I had a happier ending to it all, but that isnt likely here.

Fergie

PS- Sorry, don't mean to frighten you, or depress you, but cancer is freakin serious.

 

[BrettM]

A girl I dated for 2 years had a younger sister with Lukemia. She was on chemo for 2 or 3 years, but has now made a full recovery. She was about 10 when it started and she is definitely the strongest, bravest girl I have ever known. Feel free to psycho-(over)analyze it, but it's a statistical fact that people with an active religious/faith background are more likely to survive, so just a thought, but maybe ask her about also going to church if she doesn't already. I think that really helped this young girl and her family get through all the hard stuff that came with the situation.

 

[vegasrndll]

get her somegood weed to smoke to offset the nausea from the chemo

 

[TRNDRVR]

Feel free to psycho-(over)analyze it, but it's a statistical fact that people with an active religious/faith background are more likely to survive, so just a thought, but maybe ask her about also going to church if she doesn't already. I think that really helped this young girl and her family get through all the hard stuff that came with the situation.

SPOBI!

I'm not going to "psycho-(over)analyze" this, but as I, my mother too is an atheist. She was given 2-5 years to live from kidney cancer......20 years ago.

I would say it's more of the "state of mind".

Goodluck JeepFreak21, hope all turns out well.

 

[DaveW]

I hope your mom beat it.

My dad was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma 2 years ago. He went through the whole chemo deal. He is doing good now. I hope this is not a downer for you but he had a really rough time, part of which was due to how is started.

It started with a trip to the hospital. Finding air in the abdomen, followed buy surgery. They found a 4 inch tear in the intestines. Zippered stem to stern to clean him out. 3 weeks in ICU with a couple of touch and go times there. Several more weeks in the hospital and more than a month in a rehab center.
While recovering in the rehab center they gave him a drug the stop the cancer growth until he was recovered enough to start chemo, with out it he would not make it. He could not start chemo as it would hinder the surgical recovery. When diagnosed he was given a few of month without treatment.

He gets out of the rehab center down 25 lbs and still week. Time to start chemo.

About 6 month of chemo. It was really rough starting it as weak as he was. A couple of days after each treatment he could not keep much in him. Ended up in the hospital twice. He lost about 50 lbs total. Starting out so waek he never was able to grain much strenght back. He got weaker as it went along.
My mother asked the doctor multiple time what the prognoses was. Each time the doctor told her "His chances are good, but chemo is hell".

The first couple of treatment were the worst. Each person reacts differently to chemo. Partly because there are many different combinations of drugs used. It is get the treatment and deal with what happens.
He was told that given the drugs his would be gone after the first treatment. His hair was not gone until about the third treatment. He had muscle issues and ended up using a walker by the end. About 2 month after the last chemo treament he was starting to really recover and get some strength back. By that 2 months he was done with the walker. If you can keep you strengh up it is a big help tolerating the chemo.

Like I said it was very rough for him but with no signs of cancer for a year he is doing good now. He may never get back to where he was but at 75 that is understandable.

Oh and this was cancer # 3 for him. The previous were melanoma with surgical removal only and prostate with radiation only. I hope I take after my mom when it come to this stuff.

 

[BrettM]

SPOBI!

I'm not going to "psycho-(over)analyze" this, but as I, my mother too is an atheist. She was given 2-5 years to live from kidney cancer......20 years ago.

I would say it's more of the "state of mind".

Goodluck JeepFreak21, hope all turns out well.

maybe it is simply a "state of mind" thing, 84% of Americans think prayer helps recovery (msnbc) and here are a bunch of shrinks "psycho-(over)analyzing" the why: link

feel free to argue about why (please not here, out of respect for Billy and his mother) but the statistics show it is true.

 

[SS01XJ]

I had colon cancer. After the surgery, I had chemo and radiation treatments. It wasn't too bad. The chemo lowers your blood counts, which lowers your energy level. I was still able to do all my household chores. Eat a healthy diet and keep a positive attitude. I am by nature a stubborn old cuss and refused to let it get me down. I was 62 at the time and it has been 8 years with no reoccurance of the cancer.

Good luck........Stan

 

[karstic]

Good and bad experiences.

Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, had radiation and chemo and has been cancer free for two years.

College friend had osteo sarcoma. Battled (knocked down dragged out fight) it for close to 10 years and finally succumed.

Prepare for the worse and hope for the best.

 

[flexjay87]

good luck to your mom. my mom was just diagnosed with lung cancer last week. so i know how you feel. dr.'s are still contemplating what to do. probably surgery, radiation, etc. things are complicated by her having emphesyma, of course 50 years of smoking is not good. luckily we live very close to one of the best cancer treatment centers in the country,(University of Iowa hospitals and clinics) so my only advice would be to get the best treatment available, even if she has to travel some distance.