Not sure what’s going on
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Pam,
I am sorry to hear this news. My dad went into hospice care and I have nothing but great things to say about the care the he received there and the oustanding work that the docotors and nurses did to ensure my dads comfort. I know how hard your dad has fought this and yes this is a time to spoil him. My dad also slept a lot in hospice and when he was sleeping, I used to just sit there with him so that I was there when he woke up. This is indeed a precious time for you all and I wish you and all your family strength throughout this time.
Best wishes,
Gavin
Dear Pam, we are at the same place, your dad, my Teddy. It’s been 3 weeks and Hospice is awesome! Teddy is at total peace with himself, his family and his attitude is that he had a life most men hear about and he is ready for what ever lies ahead. I have convinced myelf that this is a very precious time for us and I want to be able to look back and say we laughed, we loved and it was indeed a very special time. I will never be ready but what the heck…he wants it to be joyful..I will put on my party dress.
My only suggestion is that when dad needs his rest he really needs his rest. We just had Teddy’s family here for a week and he was so worn out last night he atually said to me, “I can’t take this visiting anymore”. I sent out an e mail last night limiting visitors to 2 at a time (which I had done before but they did not listen) and limiting visits to short periods of time. Good luck with it all and again spend this time making wonderful memories!Pam,
I am sorry for the news though I bet you might have had an inkling this was coming.
I believe that there comes some sort of peace with the acceptance that fighting is over and time for loving and enjoyment has come. I hope so anyway.Go ahead and spoil your dad rotten. It will make everyone feel better. This is a very precious time and I am wishing you the strength and love to see yourself and your family through.
Kris
We went to the oncologist and she said my dad needs to go into hospice. My dad agreed. He is just so tired. He has declined so much in the last week. My sister and I have him in a big comfy bed and chair and are spoiling him rotten. We are so sad by all this but know he has tried so hard to battle this cancer in such a short time.
Hi Kris,
Yes my dad hated Movicol as well, and as you say, something tasting of salty lemons is just plain wrong! Plus it didn’t really work for him either so he binned it pretty rapidly, much more success with the Lactulose each morning and night! My aunt works in a care home and she says that they all stopped giving the residents Movicol a long time ago as it didn’t really work for any of them either, again, more successes with Lactulose.
I hope it works for you and Kitty.
Best wishes,
Gavin
Hi Pam,
My thoughts are with you today and I am hoping that you and your dad get some more information today and hoping for the best from the meeting.
Best wishes,
Gavin
Pam,
Thoughts are with you. Hopefully the oncologist will be able to give you more information.Kris
I’m sorry for the tough few days you have had. Please know I am thinking and praying for you, hope the appointment tomorrow goes as well as possible and the best decision for your Dad is made… please keep us updated.
Jen
My dad has an oncology appt. tomorrow. I believe a decision will have to be made whether or not to continue chemo. The oncology nurse indicated that my dad may be closer to end of life. I’ll post again when I know more.
Thanks for all the posts. My dad is better this morning but doesn’t remember one thing about going to the ER. His face is very shocked. I described everything and the chills were the last thing he remembers. It’s so weird but before I read these posts I told my dad that last night was probably the end to him feeling so poorly and that he may be coming back up. I agree about the food. He had been eating small amounts until yesterday and then only breakfast yesterday. He eats a lot of fresh fruit. He takes lactulose every day. A normal ammonia level is 35 and he was at 39. The doctor said that couldn’t be causing all the confusion. I called his oncologist yesterday before we went to ER. She said all the bowel problems made him tired but he should have been back up with his energy. The nurse said it sounded like he had more symptoms than just chemo related. We thought it was the stent he has. It is two months old. Lots of burping and upset stomach. Biliruben level was under 4. I have a call back into oncologist to let them know he does not remember one thing. His home health nurse said it could be combination of increased pain medication and chemo. I am glad he is very much back with it today. He is concerned he can’t remember anything. Thank you again for your posts.
Dear Pam, I second the vote on all of the above comments but would like to add that I would most definately call the Oncologist and tell her what is happening. Hope dad is soon feeling better.
Lactulose is indeed a good friend…very gentle. I have used it several times and my kitty even got prescribed it by the vet for his giant hairball that got caught in his intestines. I was actually just going to make myself a movicol for constipation. I HATE movicol. Whoever thought a liquid medicine that tastes like salty lemons was a good idea must have had a brain trauma. So thanks Gavin for the lactulose reminder…so much better.
Kris
Hi Pam,
Is your dad taking anything for the constipation? My dad used to take Lactulose and this helped him quite a bit. And also, my dad used to get the chills or the rigors that your dad is also experiencing. In my dads case, they just used to come out of nowhere and would last for a bit then just disappear as quickly as they started. They were quite frightening at first as we didn’t know what really caused them, then dad got used to them as he knew they would pass.
Hoping that you get some answers and help with all of this for your dad.
My best wishes to you and your dad,
Gavin
Pam….medication may also cause constipation therefore, regular bowel movements are important. Stool softeners 1/2 hour before each meal may be helpful. Also, inactivity can lead to lazy bowels. The chills you are describing very well may be what we call “rigors.” They come on suddenly and take its course. The search function will lead you to many of the previous threads discussing this issue. It might be helpful to contact the oncologist regarding your last question as to whether this is related to progression of the disease or, whether the confusion and chills are related side effects of the chemo.
Best wishes,
MarionPam,
Confusion seems to be a relatively frequent visitor with cc patients. There are many posts here about it. Often, the patient makes a turnaround from it once the body settles some.The sleeping and bowel problems could be from the chemo. And there have been many times when Hans would wake me up for dinner or a nutrician drink. You have got to keep the food coming not just for strength, but to keep the bowels working.
I think it was nice to take your father home, though it will mean a lot of extra work for you and your family. Dont forget to take care of yourself as well.
Kris
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