| Re: newbie here advice please
Hi Jo,
My mother was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer last October (the most aggressive form of lung cancer). At the time, she had no other health problems - other than having smoked for 60 years. At that time, the cancer had also not spread to any other parts of her body.
It is now 7 months later and she is still with us. But just barely. Since January, she has lost about 25 pounds, hardly eats, and in the last two weeks her breathing has become very bad and her pain is now in the severe stage.
Originally, her doctor gave her 2-3 months to live. She has far surpassed that, but I fully expect a call any day from her nursing home telling me she is gone - it's gotten that bad.
Your FIL will probably go on hospice - they are wonderful! They can explain to you the stages he will most likely go through and what to look for at the "end of life". Again, they have been a God send to my mother and I can't say enough good things about them. They're not about "dying" - they're about keeping your loved one comfortable as they go through this. I highly recommend them.
Everyone is different - as we have found out first-hand with my mother. We never thought she would make it this long. NOTE: She did not take any treatment whatsoever after her diagnosis, so that's probably why the doctor orginally said 2-3 months. My uncle also had SCLC a few years ago, took treatments (chemo, etc.), and survived exactly 7 month. So who knows. Again, everyone is different.
Best wishes to you and your family, and especially your FIL.
Take care,
Summer | 
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