Advice Please!!

[Guest guest]

Hi Guy's,

I'm a new member from the UK with an 80 year old dad who has IPF diagnosed

and he's been on steriods for about 6 months at various strenghts.

All they have done is increase his weight, size, swollen his lower legs and

shortened his temper!!

He now finds any type of excersize to much and has great difficulty in

putting on his socks & shoes.

He was only told some of the extent of his condition last week and his PF DR

has suggested weening him off steriods in the new year and starting a course

of monthly injections of what I believe to be a kimo-therapy drug called

" Cytoxan " or (Cyclophosphamide)

Do any of you good guy's know anything about this treatment and how it may

effect his day to day living?

Also, at his age what deterioration can we expect, over what sort of time

scale and how can I help as I live and work about 100 miles away now,

visiting every weekend.

Is he likely to need day to day help as I've been asked to open a new branch

for the Company in Poland in the New Year for about 6 - 8 weeks and will

obviously turn it down if he needs my help and support here in England.

Your experience and advice would be much appreciated.

simon

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[Guest guest]

cytoxan is a form of chemo therapy.

the side effects vary from person to person from what i have read.

however, things are going to become more and more difficult for him

to do unfortunately.

many of the folks here are not able to clean their own houses, get

showered or dressed without their oxygen and sometimes the help of

another person.

i sometimes have to stop to catch my breath just to do something as

simple as make my own bed. i'm not able to carry groceries in on my

own, not able to carry a load of laundry and sometimes i do not have

the strength to carry the smallportable oxygen tank that fits into my

backpack.

we all know how frustrating the loss of being able to do things for

ourselves can be and unfortunately it does not get any easier. it

gets more and more difficult. that is just one of the sad realities

of this disease.

i too am being weaned off of the steroids. be careful your dad is not

weaned too quickly as that can be just as damaging as the drug itself.

feel free to ask any questions you may have. this is a wonderful

group and SOMEONE here can answer just about any question you have.

Best wishes,

EG 10-05 age 30

> Hi Guy's,

> I'm a new member from the UK with an 80 year old dad who has IPF

diagnosed

> and he's been on steriods for about 6 months at various strenghts.

> All they have done is increase his weight, size, swollen his lower

legs and

> shortened his temper!!

> He now finds any type of excersize to much and has great difficulty

in

> putting on his socks & shoes.

> He was only told some of the extent of his condition last week and

his PF DR

> has suggested weening him off steriods in the new year and starting

a course

> of monthly injections of what I believe to be a kimo-therapy drug

called

> " Cytoxan " or (Cyclophosphamide)

> Do any of you good guy's know anything about this treatment and how

it may

> effect his day to day living?

> Also, at his age what deterioration can we expect, over what sort

of time

> scale and how can I help as I live and work about 100 miles away

now,

> visiting every weekend.

> Is he likely to need day to day help as I've been asked to open a

new branch

> for the Company in Poland in the New Year for about 6 - 8 weeks and

will

> obviously turn it down if he needs my help and support here in

England.

> Your experience and advice would be much appreciated.

> simon

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Think you're a film buff? Play the Movie Mogul quiz and win

fantastic

> prizes! http://www.msnmoviemogul.com

>