Slurred speech and other symptoms
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Hi Katja,
Hope you are all ok. The weather here in the Midlands is awful today, already one accident on the road outside our house.
I do think Dads slurred speach was down to tiredness, thanks for saying your Dad had experienced it too, it does put my mind at rest when someone else has experienced or noticed this. His stomach was ok this morning, so I think it is digestion problems. My problem is the time limit which I think is making my mind work overtime, and also made worse by the fact I have not seen Dad for a week, the longest since he was diagnosed.
Dad had a CT scan the other week and there had been change since his August one, more ducts were blocked but that was all that Professor Lodge said. We had been told that the stent wasn’t working due to tumor blocking the stent. I can honestly say though he isn’t has bad as I thought he would be, I think I’m just so scared he’s going to go downhill so fast. We were told though that it would be the jaundice effect and not the cancer that would do the harm to Dad. He was told he would just go more and more tired and slip into a coma. I don’t want this to happen for months, or if a miracle could happen, years, but I would much prefer it to happen like this than suffer pain.
Thinking of you too, hope you all have a wonderful Christmas x
Andie, Gavin, if stubborness was a virus it would be around yorkshire in ridiculous amounts, st james would be overrun.
It’s such a rubbish time of the year at the moment in the UK, we all get really stranded and down according to the weather. I really hope you and mum can get out and do some shopping Gavin, it must be sooo cold up there.
Andie, I obviously don’t know exactly, but I can tell you for sure, my dad has slurred an awful lot during the last year, I think you will find (unless you notice it over a few days) that it’s just genuinely because he’s a bit tired.
You are doing the right thing, just let him do as he thinks fit, if he wants to eat he will and (much against what you feel) if he thinks the mac nurses are going to help then he will say.
I think it would be worth asking about what you think is going on medically. Are the scan showing the same? I think they have been unfair giving you month type ‘dates’ because they are clearly not true. It doesn’t sound like ascites, if it comes and goes.
BTW the thing about jabs – my uncle is a gp (he has had a brother in law and mother inlaw with/had CC) and he says ‘don’t bother with jabs, live your life straight up how you want to. these rare crappy cancers touch us all’
Strength to you Andie, thinking about you so often x
Hi Andie,
Both mum and I are feeling a lot better thanks. And hopefully we will get out on Monday to the shops to do some Christmas shopping and get a bite to eat as well. Looking forward to that and it will be good to get mum out of the house as well. Of course, living up here all of that is subject to change at a moments notcie due to the snow! Thankfully here in Dundee we have missed the last blast that has hit everywhere else, but we might get some on Sunday, but we still have some snow and ice on the ground from the last lot! It seems that everyhere else up here and indeed down your way has the snow, but fortunately we seem to have missed this blast, fingers crossed that we continue to miss it, but I can’t see it somehow!
It could well be that your dad is having digestive issues and my dad also had them. We spoke to his GI specialist about this and he recommended eating foods that were easy to break down such as mince and soup etc and in doing so that seemed to help dad a bit. Is your dad taking any kind of laxatives right now? My dad used Lactulose for a long time and that helped him as well.
I know what you mean about stepping back a bit and not wanting to feel like you are nagging etc. Your dad sounds a bit stubborn! My dad was not stubborn at all, but my mum is and she is very stubborn so I know what you are feeling right now! At least you know that the Mac nurse is there at the end of the phone should you need her, plus there is the Macmillan line where you can phone and speak to a Mac nurse in confidence should you have any general questions. There number is 0808 808 0000. I phoned this line a few times with general questions and they were most helpful indeed.
Your dad would qualify for the flu jab and if he wanted to get it then I’m sure that his GP practice would sort that out for him. My dad got it last year when he went to see the nurse about another issue.
You take care as well, and keep warm too!
Hugs,
Gavin
Hi Gavin,
Hope you and your Mom are ok, i see the snow has returned! We are having it here at the moment too. Still can’t get rid of my cough but Jamie is really poorly with sickness/flu. We were supposed to be going to Warwick Castle the weekend but that will have to be done another weekend now.
Spoke to Dad about 30 mins ago and his speech sounded normal. He did say his stomach had gone down abit but at the end of the day it does usually swell a little and he feels full but the following morning he is ok, so I’m thinking that this is to do with digestion and not ascites. Perhaps the rice pudding was too heavy for him. He is not swollen anywhere else or in any pain. Just a little tired. I don’t think this time of year helps having to stay in and also I haven’t seen him for nearly a week so apart from popping to see his work friends Tuesday he hasn’t seen anyone apart from my Mom. Everyone else is keeping away as they seem to have cold and flu.
The Macmillan Nurse did phone Dad to see if she could visit but he said no! She asked about pain and his appetite and Dad said they were both ok so she agreed to send him her details in the post and that explained she was only a phone call away. I am having to take a step back as he gets defensive if you mention them, he has also stopped taking his ensure drinks, saying they won’t increase his appetite, i tried to explain they weren’t just for that but he said “I don’t need them i’m eating”. again I’ve taken a step back as he is eating 3 small meals and snacks and i don’t want to keep nagging him but if his appetite decreases then I will order them.
Dad didn’t have the flu jab, don’t think he was offered it. I didn’t have mine either, working for the NHS i’m entitled to it but I wasn’t at work on the day it was given. Wished I’d have popped in now.
Take care of yourself
Andrea
Hi Andie,
Sorry to hear that you’ve got the dreaded flu, not good, especially so as you haven’t been able to see your dad because of it. Has your dad had his flu jab this year? If your dad is getting tired and you woke him up when you phoned then maybe that is the reason for his slurred speech when you talked with him.
I recall you saying that you were going to get in touch with the Macmillan nurses, have you done this yet or is your dad still not wanting to do that yet? And does your dad have any swelling in his feet, ankles or calves? The reason that I mention the Mac nurses here again is this is the sort of situation whereby you could phone them up and the nurse would come see your dad regarding his swollen stomach. You could of course go to the doctor about this and that would not be a bad idea if you are concerned, but I found it very helpful knowing that dads Mac nurse was just a phone call away and would come running if we needed her. Ascites is very common here, but I don’t think that everyone has issues with it. Is your dad experiencing pain right now?
Hugs and best wishes to your dad,
Gavin
Thanks for your advice Margaret,
Mom hasn’t noticed his speech just me when i spoke to him on phone.
I think she would have noticed if his face had changed and I think Dad would have mentioned it too.
Mom did mention I’d woke him up when I phoned so perhaps thats why, another reason could be he hadn’t put in his saliva spray.
Mom did say his stomach had swollen, which worried me as I was wondering if it was the beginning of ascites. It wasn’t like it this morning, only after he had rice pudding. Mom just told me it is less bloated now. Would ascites go up and down like this or could it just be digestion problems?
Thanks again for your help.
Hugs
Andrea
Andie:
Slurred speech is also a symptom of a stroke….has anyone mentioned it to his doctor? Has anyone noticed any facial droopiness? Or any arm/leg not moving as they should be? If so, get your dad to a doctor as those are all stroke symptoms.
Tom’s bile drain back averages about 100ml over a 24 hour period. If the amount in the bile bag hasn’t changed, then I wouldn’t worry about it….if he is not ‘more yellow’ then before it would also not be something to worry about. However, if you notice those changes (less bile/more yellow ect) then a call to his doctor would be in order….
Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer.
Hugs,
MargaretHi Andrea,
I can’t add anything to your questions, but wanted to say that I hope you are feeling well again (the flu is sure horrible this year), and are able to visit with your Dad soon. I’m so glad he’s not in any pain – I know from reading so many posts that some people have a lot of pain and others have none at all. I hope this is the case for him.
Thinking about you and your family…
Jen
Andie, I remember when Teddy did all that. Although it seems like a million light years away. At first you are not sure about the slurring then you start asking everyone else to verify it. About the same time he started slurring a little his appetite also changed. No time frames BUT that went hand in hand and it went on for T about 3 weeks. If you have not called in someone like hospice yet, go to their web site and you can look up different symptoms for different stages. It was never that I had to know (well, yes it was) but gives you an idea. I always liked to stay 1 jump ahead. Miss you all will be back full force next week after our big day today!
Hi,
I haven’t seen Dad now for nearly a week due to us all having this flu/sickness bug. It is really upsetting me not being able to see him but we have been speaking everyday.
Today I thought his speech sounded slurred, Mom hasn’t mentioned this but she did say he is looking very tired and sleeping more, not excessively but an hour in the morning and perhaps again on the afternoon.
I know I should practice what I preach about expiry dates etc but the words 3 – 4 months are still ringing in my ears. Dad is entering his fourth month now and I’m getting a panicky feeling inside, probably because I haven’t seen him. Nothing has really changed since September, apart from more tired and weight loss. Does everyone experience ascites and pain? as luckily Dad doesn’t have these at the moment.
His appetite isn’t brilliant but he is eating 3 small meals a day and small snacks. He has stopped his ensure drinks as he said he doesn’t feel the need for them something I think he should keep taking.
Dad is very stubborn though and at the end of the day I have to respect his wishes and don’t want to keep nagging him. His drain is still problem free but only 200ml is collecting a day, we are not sure if any bile is flowing naturally as we were told september that the stents were blocked completely by tumor and nothing else could be done. His eyes and skin are very orange but his stools have some colour, which i don’t understand.
Hopefully I’ll be germ free soon and be able to see him.
Andrea
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