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Post by onebentarrow on Feb 16, 2023 22:18:27 GMT -5
A little back story. I will shorten this with out leavening any thing important out. My other half was diagnosed with cancer. Started kemo. The port in the chest for kemo infusions got infected and spread thru body leading to numonia. Kemo put on hold. Port removed heavy antibiotic infusion for infection. Allergic reaction to antibiotic so new antibiotic given. This one started to to shut down kidneys. Another week in hospital getting kidneys going. Talked to infectious disease Dr Monday. He stated that her lung infection(numonia) was the worst he had ever seen in his practice for what she had. He stated that normally 6 weeks of antibiotics cleared it up but he was going to give her 4 more weeks because her lungs still have a large infection but getting better per each CT scan. Per our conversation he stated if I had weighted 12 more hrs to bring her in whin I did she may not have made a recovery it was so bad Here is the what would you do. I recieved a cal from cancer Dr wanting to change antibiotics because the one she is on is not conducive for kemo treatments so they can stare treatments in 2 weeks. My thoughts are. What happens if she has a reaction to new antibiotics. We can not go to the one she is on because of reaction with kemo. I also know that kemo she is taken is extremely harsh (she is recieveing 3 kinds of kemo at the same time. 3 different infusions over 6 hrs in hospital) and causes a decline in the body fighting infections so what happens with the infection in her lungs? Killing the cancer does no good if the numonia kills her. The cancer is stage 1. Not good but not as bad as could have been. I think I should tell cancer Dr to hold treatments till the lungs are 100%.they told me every thing should be ok with kemo but they do not know. Infectious disease Dr hinted that he was worried about kemo with the infection. He knows that kemo is on hold till he releases her but does not want to delay if possible. I know nothing is a given but I think we should delay kemo and get lungs fixed. If we delay kemo at least we know infection will not kill her and would have to take our chance with the cancer treatments working. We were told with the early detection survivor rate was excellent and she has had 2 kemo infusions to stunt its growth. She has had 3 stays of 7 days in the last 5 weeks. 1st was severe sideeffects of kemo. 2nd was port infection and removal with numonia treatment 3rd was kidneys shutting down and gitting them going again. So what would you do? This ts the best I can do with out righting a book
Onebentarrow
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Post by duff on Feb 16, 2023 22:47:09 GMT -5
Dang...sorry to read her troubles. I have no idea but think I would have to discuss with docs and maybe get second opinions from other docs that have experienced patients in similar conditions.
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Post by deadeer on Feb 16, 2023 22:54:27 GMT -5
Dang...sorry to read her troubles. I have no idea but think I would have to discuss with docs and maybe get second opinions from other docs that have experienced patients in similar conditions. Would agree here.
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Post by marshallco on Feb 16, 2023 22:56:11 GMT -5
Prayers for you and your wife Onebentarrow. Make sure that her cancer Dr and infectious disease Dr are on the same page and have communicated with each other. Hopefully they agree on a course of treatment, and that’s what you do. Those drs know what they’re doing, and God knows even better, so keep praying.
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Post by Woody Williams on Feb 16, 2023 23:01:13 GMT -5
Dang...sorry to read her troubles. I have no idea but think I would have to discuss with docs and maybe get second opinions from other docs that have experienced patients in similar conditions. Would agree here. Sounds like solid advice.. Prayers..
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Post by esshup on Feb 16, 2023 23:38:07 GMT -5
Ditto, prayers for you and your wife. Like was said above, I would get the oncologist, the infectious disease doctor and you on the phone for a conference call at the same time and discuss all the options before making a decision on what to do. I wouldn't leave it just up to those two to make the decision, I'd make it mandatory that I be in on the conversation too. I'd pin them down for a date and time to make that call within the next 2 weeks. Stage 1 is the mildest form, I survived a stage 1 cancer treatment that involved radiation and no chemo, and that was 27 years ago.
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Post by onebentarrow on Feb 17, 2023 1:00:25 GMT -5
I know both drs have been talking to/ with each other just not sure cancer Dr has been hearing just what is being said or infectus dease Dr has not been excerting his opinion as well as I think he should.
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Post by span870 on Feb 17, 2023 4:22:28 GMT -5
My opinion and just mine. Agree with duff but the infection is what's most dangerous at this time. Something that can be "cured" in a relatively short period of time but is also the most dangerous in a short period of time. With very little understanding of cancers and how the stages progress from one to late term, I'd guess stalling to get the infection corrected first will not harm. That be the first question I'd be asking. Good luck with whatever decision you make
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Post by Sasquatch on Feb 17, 2023 6:46:53 GMT -5
on the second opinion. But you'd probably be lucky to get one in two weeks. Being it's stage 1 and such a short period, I'd let the antibiotics that are working now do the work and then do the chemo. If she had another reaction you'd be starting over again. As you said, if the infection wins then all other considerations are moot. I know a guy that had a knee surgery recently and got an infection. Antibiotics nearly destroyed his kidneys. The infection came back. Rinse and repeat. He's still fighting it. All that said, I'm no doctor. Pray. Trust your instincts. Professional medical advice varies in quality, just like any other advice.
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Feb 17, 2023 7:34:48 GMT -5
Hard to say what I’d do in that situation, but I’d tend to lean towards getting the infection taken care of first and then moving on to chemo. Good luck in whatever you choose and just continue to be her rock.
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Post by saltydog on Feb 17, 2023 7:54:10 GMT -5
Prayers for your wife, yourself and the Doc's involved !
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Post by parrothead on Feb 17, 2023 8:34:58 GMT -5
Going through the cancer thing with my brother. There are no easy choices. You do one things it affects something else. Cancer is evil!!!
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Post by HighCotton on Feb 17, 2023 8:40:00 GMT -5
Prayers going forward! I totally agree with 2nd opinion advice!
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Post by Mean Gene on Feb 17, 2023 8:41:37 GMT -5
Doesn't matter what we think...what does SHE want? That matters.
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Post by onebentarrow on Feb 17, 2023 10:52:30 GMT -5
Doesn't matter what we think...what does SHE want? That matters. I have talked with her. She is of the same mind set I am and has has ask this question too. She wants to get well in both aspects but is leary of going on kemo befor getting her lungs well
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Post by jjas on Feb 17, 2023 11:11:02 GMT -5
Doesn't matter what we think...what does SHE want? That matters. I have talked with her. She is of the same mind set I am and has has ask this question too. She wants to get well in both aspects but is leary of going on kemo befor getting her lungs well I think you have found your answer. Good Luck and know that people are thinking of you.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Feb 17, 2023 13:53:54 GMT -5
Prayers for your wife and fast healing. Infections are fast killer with respect to cancers. I'm with you on maybe waiting for the lungs to heal, then chemo. I would ask why one antibiotic can't be verses another antibiotic. My bet it's not on the prefered list.
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Post by (Not Ronald) Reagan on Feb 17, 2023 21:32:23 GMT -5
A little back story. I will shorten this with out leavening any thing important out. My other half was diagnosed with cancer. Started kemo. The port in the chest for kemo infusions got infected and spread thru body leading to numonia. Kemo put on hold. Port removed heavy antibiotic infusion for infection. Allergic reaction to antibiotic so new antibiotic given. This one started to to shut down kidneys. Another week in hospital getting kidneys going. Talked to infectious disease Dr Monday. He stated that her lung infection(numonia) was the worst he had ever seen in his practice for what she had. He stated that normally 6 weeks of antibiotics cleared it up but he was going to give her 4 more weeks because her lungs still have a large infection but getting better per each CT scan. Per our conversation he stated if I had weighted 12 more hrs to bring her in whin I did she may not have made a recovery it was so bad Here is the what would you do. I recieved a cal from cancer Dr wanting to change antibiotics because the one she is on is not conducive for kemo treatments so they can stare treatments in 2 weeks. My thoughts are. What happens if she has a reaction to new antibiotics. We can not go to the one she is on because of reaction with kemo. I also know that kemo she is taken is extremely harsh (she is recieveing 3 kinds of kemo at the same time. 3 different infusions over 6 hrs in hospital) and causes a decline in the body fighting infections so what happens with the infection in her lungs? Killing the cancer does no good if the numonia kills her. The cancer is stage 1. Not good but not as bad as could have been. I think I should tell cancer Dr to hold treatments till the lungs are 100%.they told me every thing should be ok with kemo but they do not know. Infectious disease Dr hinted that he was worried about kemo with the infection. He knows that kemo is on hold till he releases her but does not want to delay if possible. I know nothing is a given but I think we should delay kemo and get lungs fixed. If we delay kemo at least we know infection will not kill her and would have to take our chance with the cancer treatments working. We were told with the early detection survivor rate was excellent and she has had 2 kemo infusions to stunt its growth. She has had 3 stays of 7 days in the last 5 weeks. 1st was severe sideeffects of kemo. 2nd was port infection and removal with numonia treatment 3rd was kidneys shutting down and gitting them going again. So what would you do? This ts the best I can do with out righting a book Onebentarrow My girlfriend who also has cancer just went through a similar time as her new chemo wasn’t working and her ANC levels dropped to critical. She developed pneumonia a month ago and the first thing they did was solve it first. She has lung cancer and it’s extremely detrimental as she already has lost half of a lung. They immediately went for solving pneumonia before everything… but that did cost time for the cancer to grow. I can’t speak for your situation in particular, but they just started radiation and it’s helping. My humble opinion is take care of what can be eliminated now, it worked for my girlfriend. I’m praying for you and yours, and there are others out there like you who have to go through making similar decisions. Just know that you’re never alone ❤️
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Post by stevein on Feb 18, 2023 9:25:04 GMT -5
My wife had Gall Bladder cancer. By the time it was diagnosed it was too late for her. She ended up with Kidney failure and needed Dialysis but with Dialysis you can't recieve Chemo. Not the same as antibiotics but as I understand chemo it destroys the immune system. Most of the advice we recieved from suvieriours was to seek a second opinion outside Ft Wayne. Unfortunately Gall Bladder Cancer is a fast mover. I do not want to start a debate here but 2 different oncologists recommended "smoke weed" to counter some of the side effects of chemo. I agree with getting the 2 Docs together with you to discuss the situation.
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