Posts by James Stewart8

Hi everyone... it’s been quite a while since I last posted here, so I’ll give you a quick update on where things stand. My dad was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer about a year and a half ago (he’s 62 now).
He just had a brain CT scan a month ago, and unfortunately, it looks like things have spread there too. He isn't showing any obvious physical symptoms yet, but the doctors warned us that he could start having seizures or even become aggressive, depending on which part of the brain is affected. He’s starting radiation now, and after five more sessions, they'll run another CT to see how everything is progressing. To be honest, he was so incredibly negative when he first found out... and I think his nerves are just completely shot. He used to absolutely adore my little girl—they’d go for walks together, play all the time, it was wonderful... but now, he won't even let me bring her over. He says she's too hyper, but I think it's more than that. Mentally, he's just... exhausted. It feels like the spark is gone from him, and I feel so lost on what to do. Has anyone else dealt with something similar?

First of all, my deepest condolences Brenda Richardson33.
northernfox9—you asked what exactly my father's diagnosis was, so here it is: lung cancer, affecting the bronchi, and it has spread to the adrenal gland (that was the report before chemotherapy; whether things have improved, we won't know until after the fourth round). And yes, there are metastases. The report is... oh goodness, God help us, but thank God we are staying hopeful.

Anyway, I am with my father every single day (thankfully I live nearby), and I bring my girlfriend along, so he takes her for walks until he gets tired. He is quite mentally strong when it comes to this illness; he truly believes in a positive outcome. There is always someone by his side, and so many relatives come to visit him.
Someone mentioned earlier that I should talk to him about his fears regarding death and all that, but unfortunately, I just can't bring that subject up. I talk about the illness as if it were just a common flu, but I can't touch upon his fears... I suppose I just don't know how... I'm afraid... I think it would be incredibly painful and might create a negative effect, please correct me if I'm wrong.😕
Linda Campbelldid your father pass away from lung cancer? If it isn't too painful for you to remember right now, would you mind telling me where he was diagnosed, and how long he lived with it?

...BTW-Još, I didn't mean to trash the doctors, I just meant to call out the whole damn situation...😠

So, today my father is doing much better, thank God... he can finally eat and even move around a bit! I realized after yesterday's post that I actually forgot to mention something important... if anyone knows of a similar lung cancer case where chemotherapy actually yielded positive results, please let me know.

lung cancer
Well, I suppose it is finally my turn to chime in with our struggle... I have been reading through every single post here, and I just want to send my warmest greetings to everyone who posted before me—especially to the one running this whole show, you know who I mean😘.
So, back on February 28th, we received the news that my father has lung cancer—malignant—and it’s spreading fast. It was such a shock... I honestly don't know whether to believe it or not... just endless tears and this constant, heavy weight on my heart thinking about losing someone so dear and close to me. And if you're wondering why I've been in such a dark headspace, it's because the doctors had such an incredibly negative attitude regarding my father's condition. They gave him this prognosis... they said he has maybe a year left at most, can you imagine?😈 Honestly, people, I refuse to think that way! If that's how you feel, please, just keep those thoughts to yourselves. It was absolutely horrific to hear... and then they claimed he wasn't even a candidate for surgery or chemotherapy, which turned out to be complete nonsense, because he actually did go ahead with chemo after all.
He handled the first round relatively well, though he lost quite a bit of weight... but this second round—which wrapped up last Thursday—has been brutal. He couldn't eat anything for four days, he was vomiting, he couldn't even go to the bathroom... The hardest part of everything we're dealing with is that the doctors... well, nobody ever gave us any real specifics about this chemotherapy or what the side effects would be like. Seeing him today, seeing how much he has withered away... he's down to only 60 kg now, he speaks so slowly, he can barely move... part of me almost regretted him being on chemo, even though I know there's no other choice. We ended up taking him for an IV drip, and then in the afternoon, an enema—poor man, he's having to suffer through all of this—and still, he wouldn't eat until we explained the risk of a bowel obstruction and potentially needing surgery. Only then did he force himself to eat.
As for his medications, he's currently using: - Noni /he's been taking two different kinds for ages/
- Aloe Vera
- Beta Glucan tablets
- Some American anti-nausea meds
- Tramadol for the pain
- Zofran—God knows how much that costs!
- And today he was given some syrup with propylene glycol for
constipation.

It's just so hard... but I guess over time, we all learn (the whole family is learning) how to carry the burden of this terrible illness. We never stop hoping, though. I am a believer, truly, and I know that God has plans for all of us... I know what my father is facing is incurable, so I just pray to Him to extend his life, even if it's just five times longer than what those doctors predicted.🙂
HAPPY EASTER

Thanks, rapidnomad11, you nailed the math perfectly... It’s funny you say that, because I was just getting the exact same breakdown from the accounting department at my firm today (we're actually running a sportsbook). Honestly, I was so confused because I had this whole idea in my head that I should be receiving 100% of my salary without anything being taken out... but apparently, that's not how it works. Since I didn't have an established average income—given that I went straight from maternity leave onto disability—everything looks a bit different. It’s not much, but I guess that’s just the way the cards fall. What about you?😘

Thanks, rapidnomad11, but I’m still feeling a bit lost here... My little one is already thirteen months old and it never even crossed my mind that I needed to send my pay stubs to the local office. Right now, I'm in the middle of processing an extension for my parental leave through the end of the year, which will be covered by the state—we're looking at roughly $667—but until all the paperwork is officially finalized, they told me my employer handles the childcare leave payments directly. So, I've already received $500 from them. I can't help but wonder... once the official determination comes through, is there any chance the government might reimburse those differences or what?????

I was wondering if anyone could clarify how the whole sick leave—or rather, parental leave for childcare—payout process actually works... I just received a tiny little amount from my employer, and now I'm sitting here second-guessing everything. Am I supposed to be receiving additional benefits through Medicare as well?