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Stopping Chemoimmunotherapy Treatments

Posted by denise96 @denise96, 1 day ago

My husband and I had a serious talk this morning. He has decided to stop his chemo treatments. He has had two and was due for his third on January 23. He said,"I just can't do this anymore." He broke down and cried. He is a very tough person and lived a tough life. And ever since starting these treatments, he has been miserable. He can't eat because he throws it all up. He is on 2 different nausea pills and they don't seem to be helping. He weighed 94 pounds at his last chemo treatment and that was on January 2. I know he has lost more because he has hardly eaten anything since then. I don't blame him for his decision. He is suffering and I feel useless as I can't do anything to help. I do pray a lot for him. Maybe I did not pray enough. We are hoping there are other options, but I dont know. Am waiting for a call back from the oncology nurse. Has anyone on here stopped treatment or had a loved one stop treatment? Just wondering what happens then. Thank you.

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denzie | @denzie | 1 day ago

This is something I went through with my mom and a couple friends I've made in the lung cancer world in the 14 years I've been living with it.

One very close friend kept winding up in the hospital because she had very bad reactions to chemo. When she stopped she went on hospice and got much stronger and put weight back on. She and I participated in a 5K walk for lung cancer a couple months later. She survived 10 months.

The yoga instructor at my local cancer support center quit chemo and entered hospice. She got stronger and felt much better. Eventually, she left hospice and was able to return to teaching yoga and started a different course of treatment. She survived a couple more years.

Please don't question your faith and the strength of your prayers. It hurts my heart that people are made to feel that they are inadequate in their faith, you are not inadequate. If you believe in God then you believe He has a plan for you. He had given us doctors and medical science to deal with this.

Earlier I wrote to you about questions you need to discuss with your husband about plans for his final resting. Please do talk about it. It's very real. Also tell him what you want for yours. No one is promised a tomorrow.

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1 reply
denise96 | @denise96 | 1 day ago
In reply to @denzie "This is something I went through with my mom and a couple friends I've made in..." + (show)
@denzie

This is something I went through with my mom and a couple friends I've made in the lung cancer world in the 14 years I've been living with it.

One very close friend kept winding up in the hospital because she had very bad reactions to chemo. When she stopped she went on hospice and got much stronger and put weight back on. She and I participated in a 5K walk for lung cancer a couple months later. She survived 10 months.

The yoga instructor at my local cancer support center quit chemo and entered hospice. She got stronger and felt much better. Eventually, she left hospice and was able to return to teaching yoga and started a different course of treatment. She survived a couple more years.

Please don't question your faith and the strength of your prayers. It hurts my heart that people are made to feel that they are inadequate in their faith, you are not inadequate. If you believe in God then you believe He has a plan for you. He had given us doctors and medical science to deal with this.

Earlier I wrote to you about questions you need to discuss with your husband about plans for his final resting. Please do talk about it. It's very real. Also tell him what you want for yours. No one is promised a tomorrow.

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Thank you for the inspiring stories of other people who gave up on cancer treatments. I hope that my husband can get stronger and live the rest of his life feeling better. Yes, we have discussed his passing. He wants cremated and wants his best friend to spread his ashes at their camp. As for me, no, I haven't discussed it with him. If I ever get any extra money, I want to talk to an attorney about my will. It is complicated as my mom also lives on my property. My brothers would be getting a third of her mobile home, which I don't think it would amount to much as trailers depreciate. It is not on a basement. My mom is 92 years old and you are right no one is promised tomorrow. It could be me or any member of my family. But enough about that right now. There are many changes that I need to make in my life to better my health, but my frame of mind just can't think about that right now. One thing at a time is how I roll. But thanks for your encouraging words. You said you have had lung cancer for 14 years. It is in remission? You are a very strong person and I am glad that you can still have live your life with quality. God bless you.

I have wondered when a person is ready for hospice. He is involved with palliative care but they only seem to be dealing out meds at this point. When do you know when to involve hospice? Or do the doctors suggest it?

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1 reply
abob | @abob | 11 hours ago
In reply to @denise96 "Thank you for the inspiring stories of other people who gave up on cancer treatments. I..." + (show)
@denise96

Thank you for the inspiring stories of other people who gave up on cancer treatments. I hope that my husband can get stronger and live the rest of his life feeling better. Yes, we have discussed his passing. He wants cremated and wants his best friend to spread his ashes at their camp. As for me, no, I haven't discussed it with him. If I ever get any extra money, I want to talk to an attorney about my will. It is complicated as my mom also lives on my property. My brothers would be getting a third of her mobile home, which I don't think it would amount to much as trailers depreciate. It is not on a basement. My mom is 92 years old and you are right no one is promised tomorrow. It could be me or any member of my family. But enough about that right now. There are many changes that I need to make in my life to better my health, but my frame of mind just can't think about that right now. One thing at a time is how I roll. But thanks for your encouraging words. You said you have had lung cancer for 14 years. It is in remission? You are a very strong person and I am glad that you can still have live your life with quality. God bless you.

I have wondered when a person is ready for hospice. He is involved with palliative care but they only seem to be dealing out meds at this point. When do you know when to involve hospice? Or do the doctors suggest it?

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My mom with AML also could not tolerate chemo and refused a second round. While I was sad with her decision, I understood it.

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