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My husband has just been diagnosed with both stage iv nsclc and sclc. He starts chemo next week. Can we get hospice help while still taking chemo? The chemo will not cure him...
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Hospice & Chemo
- By murrayranch
- Posted July 3, 2009 at 3:44 pm · 5 replies
- In Non-small cell lung cancer - Stage IV
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- By murrayranch
- Posted July 5, 2009 at 4:49 pm
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I'm not feeling so desperate for hospice care right now. I took him to the ER on Friday with a temp - found he his white blood cell count was bad & he had a bladder infection and pneuumonia, along with the racing & irregular heart beat. They kept him for two days. Gave him some antibiotics, blood, blood thinner, etc. He's feeling much better. Even went in Safeway and walked around while we got his prescription filled and vacuumed the house when we got home! : )
I was afraid he was too sick to start chemo, but he's much better now and will still start chemo tomorrow. His cough and nausea is better and he has no pain.
We can hold off on hospice help for a while. If the chemo helps as much as this hospitalization did, I might even be able to go back to work! Thanks again to all who replied with your advice and prayers...
- By mselway
- Posted July 4, 2009 at 2:19 pm
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My dad is on hospice care and is still receiving chemo and radiation. Hospice has been great and it is nice knowing that we have someone on call 24-7 in case we need them. We are getting palliative chemo, carbo/taxel every three weeks. Of course, we are hoping for shrinkage and if that is the case, then we will take him off of hospice.
- By cuddles53
- Posted July 4, 2009 at 8:33 am
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I tend to agree with Pat, while hospice is not meant for someone struggling to take heoic measures and chemo and drugs to keep them alive, they do accept forms of treatment to comfort the dying person, some cases where chemo is being used to stop pain is one reason they might let it be done, I would really think they may more so decide to have a drug like morphine to control the pain, it is definitely worth asking about. God bless and good luck, I hope the patient comes out alright and has a healing. If not then I pray the end is peaceful.
Sandy
- By pattyp1
- Posted July 3, 2009 at 4:17 pm
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I think you can make a real good case for it - often, palliative chemo is administered to reduce symptoms of LC - by reducing tumor sizes in particular - since I am not sure what your hospice rules are, you really need to talk with your oncologist and with your hospice rep to make sure everyone is on the same page - the word palliative is real important here (it means to create comfort or ease symptoms) as hospice is all about comfort care and making sure symptoms are managed
hugs
Pat
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