Replies to 'When a Family Member Gets Sick'

Sometimes the treatment seems as bad as the disease.  I do hope the radiation and chemo are helpful to him and that there is good news on the 25th.  Good luck  

Karen, I have been through all types of cancer with my mom, and her sisters. My mom was diagnoised with lung cancer.I got help through the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.You can call them and talk to a clinical oncology nutritionist. for a "small" fee they will design a diet to help keep your husband strong. If he goes through radiation he has to have a certain number of calories a day to keep him strong. You can also buy shakes called Weight Gainers Fuel. You mix the shakes and can aid fruit etc.Also they make a vitamin called Juice Plus that has 13 fruits and vegtables for when they cannot eat what they need to stay strong.The Cancer centers claim we need 13 fruits and veggies a day to keep cancer away  and you know how hard it is to do that.Also to keep the cancer from spreeding they recommended fresh gound flax seed.I bought a coffer grinder and flax seeds but  I don't remember how much is needed.The flaz seed mixture can also be added to the shakes.If he is not eating you might want to think about a feeding tube, I did with my mom so at least he is getting the calories needed to sustain him for radiation and chemo.I wish I could have afforded t o take my mother to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America but I have a child with Down Syndrome and Autism, that is non-verbal, self abbusive, not potty trained, and has heart problems. Recently he has had swelling of the face and head almost like elephant man syndrome but the Docs says it is from a bite and it went into cellulitis.There is a 70 year old man with Lung Cancer that has survived because of the cancer treatment center and you can actually read his case on line. Unfortunately for my mom she was already in stage 3 and it had already gone to her brain. I was fortunate to speak to Lance Armstrongs doc who tried to help but ,mom was 72 and even thougth she was very active and had seemed healthy it was too late for her.I miss her everyday and she has been gone for 5 yrs. She was the only one I had to help me with my son.Don't give up. I fought for my mom's life to the very end. I never stopped calling Doc's and even called Doc's that had been in lifetime movies to see if they could help. They were all very nice and I would ship them mom reports and ct scans and they tried to help from afar but our docs here were wrong about what stage mom was is in. They thought stage 2 and were "95%" sure they could take out her lung and she would be okay. They did not know it was already in her brain.I hope the info helps you and your husband. I almost lost my husband 2 years ago to typhoid fever and since we  have a disabled child I could not make it without him.I would be lost without him we were highschool sweethearts that brokeup and were apart for 8 years and then got back together.I know Dr. Phil does not believe in soul mates but this is truely my soul mate. May God be with the 2 of you. Cyndi B

 

    Hang in there.  That's easy when it is "for better," and the difficulty begins now that it is "for--well, you know the rest of the phrase."  The awful part is accepting that prayer is not for bargaining with God.  If the cancer is spreading, no amount of prayer is going to change the outcome.