Cancer Research UK main site

Lung cancer what to expect?

2012@clareb
Offline

My mum Has been diagnosed with level 4 lung cancer. She has a tumour in each lung. One is more aggressive then the other. It has also spread to her lymph nodes. We have been told life expectancy is few weeks to a few months. I don't know whether it was fate but I moved in with mum in January as I my full time job was made redundant and I needed a stop gap and as a single parent with a young daughter mum asked us to move back into the family home and it made sens. Me and mum are very close we lost my day 15 years ago to a brain tumour and mum had list a lot of energy. I put it down to depression and mum wanted the company, little did I know we would get this diagnosis 4mths later. I called the ambulance as mum had this terrible chest infection and cough that wouldn't go. Who would of thought the night she went in 3 weeks later we would be feeling this devastated.  I have gone part time at work and me and my daughter. They have offered me a part time role doing my same job and I am pleased I did as I am now caring for mum at home. I know mum is feeling tired and has lost a lot of weight etc. She is also complaining of  pain that occurs at 2am in the morning at the same time is this normal? She says it's excrutiating. it's travelling round her back. Iam giving her oral morphine and paracetomol as directed fro district nurse any suggestions on anything else as I hate seeing her like this. Iam up with her at the same time is this normal nurse said it's the tumour contracting. I wad not around to see my dad as I was 18 at uni and it upset me and dad decided that he did not want me to see him like it. Although I was with him at the end atvthe hospice but did not experience the painful bit. My mum wants to stay at home and I just want an idea of what to expect with this. Iam a bit frightened and don't want my mum in pain. I have prepared my self for the worst news mentally in the hospital and have shown strength to my mum. Will there be pain and what other things should I look out for? Just need a bit of advice x    

  • Offline in reply to peedusty1

    I too am in the same position and unable to sleep for the worry..... Going with mum to GP after results of her CT scan as an urgent appointment.... My mum is my best friend.......

    UPDATE- the density in lungs is diagnosed as emphysema... However, they have found 2 what they call nodules... Mum has to now undergo a biopsy ... Not as bad as expected but still not out of the woods.....

     

  • Offline
    Sorry to hear your loved one is going through this. I wanted to share what I witnessed and experienced when caring for my lovely grandmother for the last few weeks of her life. She had lung cancer, by the time we found out she had cancer, it was full blown, and she didn't have long left. She was 83. To anybody that has to be the caregiver to a lung cancer sufferer, let me tell you this.. With all respect and compassion for your loved ones, every dog has its day. And wrapping your mind round this, and accepting your loved one is actively dying is very important, because you have a job to do.. That job being - to give your loved one a peaceful departure from our world. Watching your loved one get weaker, deteriorate is undoubtedly devastating, but this is something you can not help. Some signs to take note of, when the end is very near, these things will happen. The patients appetite will decrease, they will sleep the majority of the days away. And when they are awake, they will become increasingly restless, possibly delusional. Please be watchful, and offer food and drink. (I'd recommend watery things, fruit based maybe) my nan had an extremely dry mouth, and she drank 2 full glasses of water in a few gulps, and said to me "That was delicious". I can tell, it was the quench of a lifetime ( only 2/3 days before she died). I'm choking up as I'm writing this, and I'm sorry if my information is abit patchy and uncoordinated. This is an experience im sure you'll never forget, you will without a doubt get even closer to the patient you are caring for, even if you were inseparable. You are going on a journey with this person, the ultimate journey, and you should feel honoured to be able to watch over your loved one, and lucky that you have the chance to say Good-by and care for your loved one, not everybody is so fortunate. In the end. My nan died of what I presume was heart failure, whilst enjoying a snack. It was fast and painless. Nan, I thoroughly miss you. With All of my love, Your grandson
  • Offline in reply to peedusty1

    My mum has stage 4 lung cancer that was just one lung which has now spread to other lung/ hip/spine/ribs/lymph nodes and like your mum a infection and she's on morphine and loosing weight.

  • Offline in reply to Mags93
    Hello, My mum has been diagnosed with NSCLC in her left lung, lymph nodes, spreading to her right lung, lymph node above collar bone and it’s likely to be in her bowel too. Unfortunately, she has many other health issues (mainly heart) so treatments have been restricted and an operation is out of the question. the palliative radiotherapy treatment she was offered was very gruelling on her and she had to stop at session 8 out 13. We have been told that she may have months to live but to be prepared as everything can change so quickly. Thank you fcancer for your post. As one of the things I’ve been concerned with is knowing what to look for. It’s so sad reading all of your stories. Yet I’ve found the fact that there are many similarities to our circumstances comforting. Thank you all for posting.
  • Offline

    Hello,

    I think it's great that u are caring for your mum keeping her home as she requested.

    I am a retired registered nurse & worked in the Intensive Care Unit for 40 + years.

    What I need to say to you whether it be physically, emotionally or maybe both, you will need support. I live in the USA & we have Hospic. This is an agency which consists of nurses, aides or both depending on the type of care you'll need. Also, it has regular people that will read to the person or whatever. We also have nurses enter the home to give the medications, take the vitals etc.

    I don't know what type of care your country offers. See if they have maybe something comparable to Hospice. You never know.

    If u have questions don't hesitate to ask me.

    God Bless you, your mum & daughter. My best to you. Elissa.

  • Offline in reply to peedusty1
    Reading all your storys has made me cry. Most sound like my situation. Lung cancer that has spread and to the brain. Im the youngest out of 3 and i have given up my job to care for my mum. She was diagnosed week between xmas and new year and since its just felt like were always waiting. Id say the last few days she has been getting a bit confused saying weird things. When family come over they see mum at her best im the 1 that is doing alot and feel alone doing it. I know my mum probably dosnt tell me everything like about her pain and how she feels because she dosnt want to worry me. She dosnt want to go in a hospice but she does go once a week which is good gets her out for the day gets a lift there and back. I am so scared me or my young son will find her dead. No time is enough time to say goodbye. We are not alone xx
  • Offline

    hi im so sorry to hear of your sad news...my husband also was messed around in march he had cough passing out...loosing rapid weight...we even told docs it could be lung cancer as we researched symptons at honme. we were together 16 years...we decided to marry 31st july...it wasnt till a week before our wedding be were told it was confirmed lung cancer and terminal...a week after ou wedding he passed away. hardest thing was to watch his organs shut down one by one...and he had to have that much morphine...i stopped talking...i still am trying to sue his docs as my question is if there was a haze on his xray in march last year why wasnt this investigated instead of docs giving him water tablets!!!  and they said to us he had a few weeks or months left but when i saw the state of him a few days after our wedding i told him its ok to let go...he was waiting for me to tell him this....my destiny passed away in my arms...

  • Offline in reply to Smiley87

    Hi my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer January 2018 after suffering with a chest infection in December 2017. It was picked up on a chest X-ray. He then went on to have a CT scan and lymph node biopsy where they found it had spread to spine and lymph nodes. He has had 1 round of chemotherapy, but he has gone down hill a lot since then. His 2nd round of chemo has been cancelled twice now. I am worried he only has a couple weeks to live.

  • Offline in reply to Alfiedale1
    Did your mom have any cemo . My dad as got non small lung cancer had it about 3 years had radiotherapy came back after 12 months then he had 1 cemo. Made him very ill .he's got copd . They can not do anything else . So he lives with me lying in bed all the time not eating much lost alot weight no energy
  • Offline in reply to A.j1966

    So sorry to hear about your Dad. It is so terribly sad to see your loved one so poorly.. My mom had quite a few rounds of chemo as she was initially quite healthy when first diagnosed. I think she had somewhere between 5 and 7 gruelling rounds.. she was scheduled for more (up to 12 rounds) but it was found to be no longer working and instead it was making her sick and weak so the treatment had to stop and we were told to ‘watch and wait.’ We never gave up hope even then.. just tried to cherish every day and be strong, even though inside there was such fear and pain and heartbreak.. try to take comfort from being there with your dad and showing him how much you love him at this difficult time, it’s hard but you can still make those little memories and special moments just by being together and by his side, it must be a huge comfort to him to have you by his side. Sending love and prayers.

    Thinking of you

     

Speak to a nurse

Quick links

Follow us

Registered with Fundraising Regulator (logo)
Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.