Here is the breakdown from a website I visit for lung cancer patients and caregivers (lungevity.org). It will give you an idea of what happened during the time he battled his cancer.
I miss him so much.
2/14/08- Dad diagnosed with lung cancer- lifelong smoker, has history of heart disease (5 heart attacks since 1995)
2/22/08- learned it is also in lower back and ribs, he's unable to walk, losing muscle tone in left leg
2/28/08 Dad is on huge amount of pain meds for the back pain, full strength codine, radiation apt moved up two weeks, MRI scheduled for 3/1 because PET scan showed acivity in the spine
3/1/08 couldn't do the MRI because of the pain, dr worried about acitivy in the brain, dad is still smoking
3/5/08 first meeting with Dr. Gandara (medical oncologist) Tells us what chemo we are starting and gives the go ahead for radiation. We eat trashy mexican food after in celebration!
3/6/08 radiation starts. Dad is in good spirits. Pain mngnt appt. They change over from the fentynl patch to all oxycotyn all the time. Tells us to come back in a week to update.
3/7/08 Rad #2. Physical therapy appt. Orders a walker, we talk about exercises we can do at home.
3/8-3/9/08 Bad weekend. Dad is getting weaker, not able to walk without a shuffle. Spends all weekend sleeping. We start a meditation/slubliminal message DVD for the radiation.
3/10/08 Rad #3 Dad is in a lot of pain, taking a lot of the breakthrough meds. Do the subliminal message/relaxation DVD and he seems a bit better. We get through it and celebrate with greasy mexican food again.
3/11/08 Rad #4 Almost don't make it, the pain is so bad. We get order for morphine from radiology oncologist. Dad continues to sleep but is up every 2 hours to pee. I tell him the caloric intake for him should be 3000 calories. He agrees to eat more, but it remains a struggle.3/14/08 Dad starts panic urination and we have to start using depend undergarmets3/16/08 In the ER for 8.5 hours to flush out the edema.
3/17/08 Dad falls in the radiation center while trying to use the bathroom. Hits his hip hard and we suddenly take a week back in the pain department. He can no longer use his left leg at all and I have to manually lift it wherever he needs it to be.
3/18/08 Last day of radiation. Dr can't explain the bladder problem. We get a prescription for a hospital bed to be able to lie down and reduce the edema swelling. MRI scheduled for Saturday to see if mets have spread to the brain or the spine. Dad is still in good spirits and fighting like a tiger.
3/26/08 we go in for meeting with oncologist. He tells us there is not a good chance chemo will help and we should think about hospice.
3/31/08 Dad goes in for a blood transfusion. Decides he doesn't want to do any more treatments and we call the hospice care. I have a huge breakdown because suddenly it is real. I know that within weeks my daddy will be gone forever. A strange feeling has come over the house. We meet with the nurse tomorrow.
April- month of hospice. Dad loves the attention. He gets a bather twice a week and nurse visits. The team helping us is kind and loving and available. Days are the best time. I spend 20 hours a day with him as his caregiver. We watch movies, eat cookies and sometimes just sit. We have no idea where the cancer is and just assume that any time something hurts, it's the cancer.
May- Dad is getting worse daily. Almost since May 1st he has been heading down a steeper slope. Pain is really bad and dad calls his bed a torture chamber now. Is awake less and less. Is drowsy all the time. He weighs in at 160- he has lost 40 lbs in 2 months. He is a walking skeleton. I worry time is running out.
5/11- Dad isn't waking up. Moved him to Methadone four days ago and we can't figure out if it's the disease or the meds. He doesn't respond and isn't able to get out of bed. A catheter is inserted and the nurse tells us she thinks this is the disease and we are looking at around a week. Dad's breathing is labored and he is unable to communicate.
12 May 2008 Paul S. Bjorklund passes away in his home with his daughter, his brother, his best friend and his girlfriend at his bedside.
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