Can I ask another question?
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Hi Andie,
How is your dad today, and how are you today? I know sometimes it is so hard to stay positive when dealing with all of this, but please don’t give up hope. Come here and vent if need be and we will all be here for you, I and everyone here know what you are going through right now and we know how hard it is.
My dad also used to drink tomato juice, he loved it and drank it for years! When my dad underwent his PDT, he had to stay in the same small room in the hospital for over 3 weeks immediately after the treatment. It was tough for dad as he couldn’t have the light on and had to keep the curtains drawn for most of that time. And it was at that point that dads specialist put him on Prozac to see him through that period. I don’t know if that is the answer for your dad or not and if he doesn’t want to go down that road then that is fair enough.
Do you think your dad would benefit from being around other cancer patients and having the chance to talk with them? If so then he would probably be able to get into a day care centre for a few hours a week. My dad was a bit sceptical about going there when his Macmillan nurse suggested it, but we went up with an open mind to see what it was like and he loved it. He started off just going once a week for a few hours then he started going twice a week every week. I don’t know if that is something that your dad would do or not, but maybe it is worth looking into?
And as to your week in Wales with your husband and son, please don’t feel guilty about going. You need a break as well and I think this will do you some good, especially as your mum and dad are saying to go. I do hope that your dad gets some good news on Friday and that you can go away next Monday and try and enjoy the break.
Best wishes to you and your dad,
Gavin
Andie – My sister had a bad time recently, when the fear & pain & worry of the past year just walloped her like a sledgehammer. I was so afraid she was “turning her face to the wall” but I’m glad to say she wasn’t; it was an episode which she got through & regained her appetite & her enthusiasm. I’m hoping you will find the same with your Dad.
I do so understand how hard it is sometimes to hold yourself together when you’re focussing on someone else but you do need a break. I hope you have a good week in Wales & can come back refreshed.
My best to you all.
JuliaThanks Gavin,
Dad seems to be getting depressed, I think everything he’s been through has just hit him all at once. I’m scared he’s losing his fighting spirit. I asked if he thought he needed to speak to someone or maybe take antidepressants but he said no, so I don’t want to push him.
He lost his appetitie but has eaten more today, and he’s started drinking tomato juice which is supposed to help jaundice, and luckily he’s enjoying it. He is also taking ensure drinks. I am finding it hard to stay positive myself as he seems to have lost interest overnight in anything. My Mom said he keeps telling her he’s had enough and he’s fed up as he’s no further forward than when he was diagnosed in April. I try to stay positive in front of Mom and Dad but inside i’m falling apart. I’m dreading Friday, I really hope the stent is working but something is telling me it isn’t.
I have booked to go to a cottage in Wales Mon – Fri next week and feel guilty going there with my husband and son but my parents have told me to go. Hopefully everything will be ok and I can go away knowing things are slowly getting better. Dad is still jaundice but I suppose that colour won’t go till his bilirubin is normal, it was 310 last week.
Best wishes
Andrea
Hi Andie,
Glad to hear that your dad is feeling a bit better today and that the hiccups have gone, they can be a real pain to deal with! And also good to hear that he is eating again, I recall that he did like his rounds of toast!
I know what you mean about the yellow colour and how it makes us remember the cancer, but hopefully this stent will do as it should and that your dad’s colour will get back to normal very soon.
I will keep my fingers crossed that your mum and dad can go to the Sound of Music Musical on the 14th, and I am sure that they will enjoy it a lot! What a great night out for them to look forward to!
Best wishes,
Gavin
Hi Gavin,
He is feeling a bit better today, no more hiccups since he stopped taking the tablets for acid so it looks like this was the cause. He’s also stopped taking Movicol and is no longer constipated. Only problem now is he said his stomach feels bruised which I’m guessing is from the trapped wind and infection he has had. He’s started eating again, little and often which is a good sign.
Hopefully tomorrow his stomach will feel less bruised and he will feel better.
Mom is finding it hard as when he is yellow she said all she thinks of is Cancer and illness, he was looking so well before the stent blocked again, it must be hard for her but I don’t know what to do to make it better.
I booked them tickets christmas for The Sound of Music Musical, it’s 14th August so i’m hoping that Dad will be well enough to go as they were both looking forward to it.
Best wishes
Andrea
Hi Andie,
I can’t say if your dads urine should be back to it’s normal colour by now, but I know that for my dad, it took a while for it to get back to its normal colour. How is it today? Like your dad, my dad also had long bouts of the hiccups and they were not a lot of fun to deal with, so I am glad to hear that they have stopped now. Is your dad taking the Movicol every day? My dad started on that and it didn’t really work for him so he was moved onto Lactulose which he took morning and night and that worked much better for him.
Best wishes to you and your dad,
Gavin
Hi Andie,
Sorry I can’t answer your questions, but I am sure someone will be here shortly who can help out. This world of CC is just full of ups and downs, isn’t it? It is so hard, never knowing what to expect next. But you are so right, this site and everyone on it are so amazing & supportive. You are not alone. We are all here for you and your family to help out in any way that we can. I will be hoping for all to go well at his appointment and that you can finally get things moving on. Thinking of you & hoping for more positive things for your Dad soon.
Love & Hugs,
DarlaHi all,
The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions yet again. We had just got Dad looking good (normal colour and weight back to normal) and his stent decided to play up, just before Chemo was due to start!
He spent the last week in hospital where he caught a nasty bacterial infection which caused his bilirubin to go sky high on the Sunday(326 to 419 overnight). IV antibiotics were given and on Tuesday his bilirubin was 310. Cholangiogram (sp) showed that dye was flowing through his stent and ducts and they have put his high levels down to the infection in his blood.
Dads urine is still brown, should it be back to normal by now or will it stay this colour until all the bile is flushed out of his system and his bilirubin is back to normal?
His stomach has calmed down a bit now has he was full of wind and suffering from terrible abdominal pains, we think this was caused by the movicol working, and he also had the hiccups for 24 hours. He has stopped taking the tablet the hospital gave him for acid as he thought this was causing the hiccups and so far they haven’t returned.
He has an appointment Friday for a blood test and if everything is ok in his bloodworks they will take his drain out (it is capped off at moment) but if not they will flush the stent out and possibly put it back on and arrange a CT scan. The thought of the CT scan scares me incase it has spread somewhere. The radiologist who did Dads stent said he couldn’t see why the stent shouldn’t work but I’m finding it hard to be positive at he moment.
His AlkP levels are really high at 895 (they were 1043) and his AST is 39 (was 63). His WBC is 16.3 (was 25.6) so whilst they are coming down they are still high, which is also worrying me. has anyone had levels like this?
I really don’t know what I would do without this site, somewhere I can write out my thoughts has been a godsend and the kindness people show is just amazing. Thank you.
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