My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 in Oct/Nov. of 2009 with K-Ras mutation. He is 78 years old. Has always been in great health. No blood pressure problems, nothing. Since the middle of Nov he has been taking chemo. He started with the typical cocktail - 5-FU, Leucovorin and Oxaliplatin. His side effects I feel have been minimum in comparision to many. He has had the usual fatigue, constipation and diarrhea. The Oxaliplatin has caused numbness in his fingers and toes resulting in trouble buttoning his shirt. Once or twice he might of had blood in his stool. Once or twice a bloody nose that was easily controlled. He did have a couple of weeks with severe diarrhea that wiped him out. However, he didn't start using his diarrhea medication at the proper time or in the right doses. The severe diarrhea came on after he was given one dose of Avastin in mid Feb. Following all of this his dr had him get another colonoscopy and then an upper GI. All resulted in no problems. The colonoscopy took a lot out of him. However, she has refused to give him Avastin again and because of the numbness in his fingers and toes cut his Oxaliplatin to 1/2 a dose and this last time he wasn't given any Oxaliplatin along with longer breaks between chemo. He was doing good with his CEA going down and reduction in the tumors the first of Feb, but since she started messing with his chemo and more time between chemo his cancer count has went up and his CT scan this week showed growth in the tumors and new lesions. Yesterday he had his first treatment of a new series/cycle. She is now using CPT-11 in place of Oxaliplatin. She also told him that if this doesn't work, or he has side effects he'll be referred to pallative care/hospice. She said she is looking at quality vs. quantity. However, I feel he is still experiencing both. He is able to get out and work in the yard, go to church every Sunday and etc. His dr basically told my sister and I that she only wants to deal with the patient not with us. We aren't the type that bombard her with questions, but do ask if we don't understand. Isn't a doctor suppose to be open to explain why she doing this or why she isn't trying that? Of course, my parents are standing behind her. My sister and I would like for them to seek a 2nd opinion to see what other options are available, if any. We know there will come a time when all options have been exhausted, but not to even look into others is very flustrating. This dr doesn't seem to want to discuss anything with us. She acts like we are questioning her authority. Anyone out there have any suggestions?
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I am terribly sorry about your situation. I am not sure why he took these medicines due the side effects. How is he now? Did he eats a lot of meats for several years? Were there some polyps in his stomach? I am sorry to ask, but I am curious about it. I am thinking of colloidal silver liquid, but he already has a cancer due the chemo. Some reports that this colloidal silver is a risk, but not this case because of overdue which is obvious. I believe that it has many good thing about this treatment, but it is not a cure. I really don't know if it might eliminate some cancers because many doctors in your country prohibit to reveal many good cures due the drug industrial's money from USA. There are a few thousands of different chemos, and the doctors have to figure out which are the best for their patients. It is so difficult for the doctors to make the judgement. My opinion is very difficult what I have to say that the doctors are not willing to help elders in the hospital for alternative ways such as using the tools to remove, and they rather to use "liquid" and let it work and to see if it works.
Let me an example, my grandmother had a throat cancer from smoking. She had some medicines to shrink the tumor, but it was not enough. So, we gave her some "cooked garlics" near her foot so that she would able to breathe which worked fine, but the problem was that the garlic smell too strong that spread in other rooms. The doctor ordered it to be removed. After a week, she died. That is not the case, her doctor would have done was to insert some kind of a ring (rubber or plastic) in her throat to expand the airway so that she would have lived a longer after removed the tumor. That was an alternative. Her doctor won't do it because of his choice. I am aware that it is not related to your father, but an ideal of how it works in a different way(s). I think that your father is amazing that he lives for 78 years with you. That is really a long time.
Let me an example, my grandmother had a throat cancer from smoking. She had some medicines to shrink the tumor, but it was not enough. So, we gave her some "cooked garlics" near her foot so that she would able to breathe which worked fine, but the problem was that the garlic smell too strong that spread in other rooms. The doctor ordered it to be removed. After a week, she died. That is not the case, her doctor would have done was to insert some kind of a ring (rubber or plastic) in her throat to expand the airway so that she would have lived a longer after removed the tumor. That was an alternative. Her doctor won't do it because of his choice. I am aware that it is not related to your father, but an ideal of how it works in a different way(s). I think that your father is amazing that he lives for 78 years with you. That is really a long time.
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