brighttomorrow

My dad, who is in his early 70's, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer 6+ years ago. He's had a number of surgeries, 4-5 years of on and off chemotherapy treatment and radiation therapy 1-2 years ago.

I don't have all of the chemotherapy meds he was on but I do know that most recently he was being treated with Avastin + another drug that I'm not sure of. Prior to that numerous rounds of Gemzar and Cisplatin were administered.

He started complaining of chemo brain symptoms probably 2 years ago. He always had a tendency to lose focus even before he was ill but over the past 2 years things have deteriorated. He has problems completing everyday tasks, does not read anymore due to memory problems, has problems finding words, etc. Long term memory still seems to be sharp.

A neurological profile done about 6 months to a year ago stated that there were no signs of early onset Alzheimer's. A new neurologist however has put him on Namenda, an Alzheimer's medication. Symptoms seem to be getting worse. Most recently, he got lost and was unable to recall how to get home without substantial explanation.

Although doctor's are acknowledging that this is chemo brain, no one can give him any treatments that work, any concrete reasons for why these symptoms are emerging and how long they will last.

This is frustrating, scary, and heart breaking for all. And even more frustrating is not getting answers.

Does anyone out there have similar experiences? Suggestions? Ideas? Hope?

Thanks!