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Cachetic - wasting away disease
My husband has advanced stage iv lung cancer and advanced copd. He has been described as being cachetic. It is a wasting away disease. Anyone else here with lung cancer suffering from this? I wonder how long a person can live if they are suffering from this. If so, has your doctor recommended anything other than taking in more calories. My husband eats very little. Says he can't. I do have lots of boost on hand, but I have to buy the high calorie boost so it adds more calories.
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Talk to his doctor about an Rx for an appetite stimulant medications like marinol or megace. If you live in a state where medical marijuana or marijuana is approved talk to someone in a dispensary who knows what strains are best
Hi @denise96 , I did find a few pages related to the condition: Cachexia.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/cachexia-wasting-syndrome
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/cancer-cachexia
His doctors have recognized the state that he's in, have they had any other suggestions? Have they gotten you in touch with a palliative care team? Palliative care is generally helpful in managing the side effects and symptoms of the disease.
He was given remeron which I believe is an anti anxiety drug with one of the side effects being weight gain. But he won't take them.
His doctors have noted this. They gave him remeron to try because one of the side effects is weight gain, but he won't take them. But I will check out the articles you mentioned. Thank you.
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1 Reaction@denise96, It has to be difficult to watch someone who you love resist treatment in this way. I'm sure there have been times in your relationship where he's disagreed with what you thought was best. He's an adult and has the power to make his own treatment decisions. You've tried to help in so many ways.
Please try to take care of yourself. We're here to listen as your virtual family when you need to vent, to let the weight of the situation out. You can't hold it all inside. Do you have someone that can help support you in person when you need a physical hug?
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2 ReactionsYes, I do have people I can talk to. It is usually by phone. My mom lives on my property and she is always there for a hug. But she is 92 and I hate for her to worry. My best friend died in 2013 and I have not had a best friend since. It is so hard to make a new best friend when you have no history between you. At least it is for me. I have many friends but no one who lives close. Sometimes I feel so alone.
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2 ReactionsHi @denise96, I'm thinking of you. From your other recent posts, it sounds like you are still struggling with your husband's compliance of his doctor's orders. Was he able to meet with the palliative care person? How are you holding up?
Were you able to have a holiday meal with your mother?
The palliative people never called. I finally called them and she told me that they had no record of a phone visit for dec 24. she said we have one scheduled for jan 24. Then she said the appt must have been cancelled. I told her that no one had called us about that. Well, after I hung up with them, I found the card and it definitely said December 24, 2024 at 11:45. I am not impressed with this palliative care team. They don't really ask many questions about his problems or how he is feeling. They take the vitals, don't seem concerned that he only weighs between 105 and 111. They have samples of boost there but never offered him any. I saw a sign in the waiting room saying they had samples so I asked. I did get some after that. They only seem happy to dole out pain meds without really much attention to the patient. But yesterday, Friday, a visiting nurse came to the house. She was very nice and asked many questions on how he was doing. Joe needs to get bloodwork done 3 days before chemo. When I mentioned this to her about having to drive 30 minutes away for just a blood draw (because he has a port) she said that the RN visiting nurses are qualified to do that through the port. Thank God I have a big mouth. So she set it up and we won't have to travel 3o minutes. The oncology nurse never told us that visiting nurses could to this at home. And to answer your question, yes, my Mom and my two brothers along with my sister n law were all here to visit with us. My one brother had dinner with us and the other brother and his wife came later. Poor Joe, he was feeling pretty bad and could not join us at the table. He did not want a thing to eat. but they all went into the living room to talk with him So it turned out to be a nice day after all. I hope yours was happy too.