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Advice and encouragement??

Hi,

My name is Becca and my dad was just diagnosed with extensive SCLC. It has spread to both lungs, the lung lining, the liver, and gallbladder. They did a bones scan and that came back negative, but calcium is being leeched from his bones so there is still the plausibility of there being cancer in his bones. They are also testing his brain and lymph nodes. Surgery and radiation are not options for him because of having such a larg portion of his body infected. But, he does start chemotherapy today.

Does anyone have any words of advice for him or me? I am one of his four children. Libby and I are in college while our brothers, Daniel and Nathan, are in high school.

The good news is my dad lives in Columbus so he has one of the tip cancer hospital in the nation at Ohio State University and the Cleveland Clinic.

I would appreciate anything anyone has to offer.

Thanks,

Becca

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Permalink Reply by GADawg/MOD on February 11, 2011 at 2:02pm

Hi Becca, my mom has NSCLC, so I can't really comment on SCLC, but I was in my 20s when my mom was diagnosed so I know what's it like to have a parent with LC and be young enough to probably not have any peers going through what you're going through. It sounds like his disease is pretty extensive, but he has some of the best hospitals nearby, which is great. I would say you and your sibling in college should take the lead in helping your dad and also try to be there for your younger siblings. I don't know if your dad is married, but someone, either his wife or you or your sister needs to be his main advocate. Speak to doctors for him, keep track of all the info, help make treatment decisions, etc. There will be a lot of info. coming his way and it's too much for one person to process. And spend as much time as you can with him and just enjoy being with your dad. I don't know if any of this info. helps or if that's the kind of advice you're looking for, but I hope it helps. Hang in there!

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Permalink Reply by Karen on April 1, 2011 at 7:29pm

Hi Becca,

Last year, BOTH of my father's- bio & step were dx'd w/lung cancer. I'm not sure if my bio-dad had small cell or not, because I found out to late in his illness. By then, so much had gone wrong and it was so advanced there was nothing more to be done. But my step-dad has SCLC. My advice to you is this: Ask a lot of questions of everyone, even your dad. Do some research on small cell. Look for Dr's and cancer hospitals that do the latest treatments. Teaching hospitals are great.

SCLC is fast and aggressive but it can be shrunk and somewhat controlled. It will never go away. Chemo can shrink it, but your father must be watched for any more symptoms by the family. Never be affraid to call the Dr's for anything. If I had not done so w/my step-dad he would not be alive right now, and doing pretty well, considering. Go to the Dr's w/him and make sure he tells them everything. SCLC will go to the brain. Ask about prophylactic brain radiation once he has completed chemo or even now. Chemo does not enter the brain. SC will go to the brain. Also, expect it to spread to the bones. As soon as my step-dad had any pain at all anywhere I was on the phone and getting him into the dr and to scans. Anymore spreading of the cancer was caught early, because of my being on top of it all.

If I had been involved in the care of my bio-dad he would still be with us today, like my step-dad is. We have completed chemo and 2 rounds of radiation- brain & lumbar. My step-dad had refused the brain radiation originally because there was no cancer there... less than 3 months later there was. He felt dizzy, I got him to the dr and it was caught on time.