Update on my Dad

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your posts. Well we have had no joy so far in trying to get the appt brought forward so it is back to waiting for the 26th unless something happens before then. Dads mood has actually been pretty good the last few days, but he has been really tired and spent a lot of time in bed sleeping during the day. Back to the waiting game I guess.

Ron, thanks for your post. The first diagnosis was indeed extremely tough as I’m sure you know. Hearing that someone you love has cancer and that it is inoperable was not easy to hear. If dads specialist was to recommend a second opinion and could also recommend someone else knowledgeable enough about CC for Dad to see, then I’m certain Dad would want that. Even though it would indeed be gut wrenching as you say to hear the same diagnosis again, I think Dad would want that if it was recommended to him. I hear what you say about different doctors offering different treatments. Because of the location of dads tumour, radiation and surgery were ruled out at the start and PDT was recommeded at first with the possibility of chemo at some point depending on how things progressed.

As far as highs and lows go, you are so right about that! We are trying to stay positive and I know that we must do. Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers, I will be keeping you and your family in mine.

Bazel, thanks for your post and you may well be right about a type of generation gap between us and our parents. Like your dad, my parents have and are putting their faith in dads doctor, and rightly or wrongly, they are also hesitant right now to push for another opinion. This is something I do have to respect though. Right now I just wish dads hosp appt was sooner so we have some idea of what may or may not be offered to him and at least then we can think about what to do next. You are also so right about the advice being offered by everyone on this site. Everyone here is so helpfull and the advice is very much appreciated. Good luck to you.

Pam, good to hear from you again and thanks for your post. Having to do that drive on a regular basis is not ideal and it must get tiring. If I remember correctly, it is not the best of roads either. Yes Mr Tait is my dads consultant, is he your husbands consultant also? My dad really likes him and spent a lot of time with him when he was in hospital. He also spent a lot of time with us as a family explaining things.

I’m sorry to hear of the problems your husband is having with infections, chemo and his stents. I dont know anything really about chemo or how to counter the effects of the antibiotics. Hopefully someone will be along soon that can help with that. As far as trying to get him to eat, are there not drugs that can be taken that can increase his appetite? I’m sure I read somewhere that there are such drugs, but I could be wrong. Is your husband due for another scan soon? The last one my dad had was in January and that was through in Perth.

I will keep my fingers crossed for your husband and I hope that he manages to get started asap on the gemcetabine. I hope you manage to post more if you can and keep us all updated. I wish you the best of luck.

Many thanks once again to everyone and I wish you all the very best.

Gavin

Hi Everyone,

Many thanks once again to you all for your support, advice and for sharing some of your experiences, it is of great comfort to me. I am so grateful to this site, but I sure do wish that none of us had to be here.

I was speaking to my mum and dad about everything and what all you guys have been saying to me re stent blockage etc, and they now agree with me that the next time dad has a bad day then I am getting the gp out. Mum is still sort of inclined just to wait for the 26th and see what the specialist says, but I want something done before that.

Yesterday, I phoned the Macmillan advice line and spoke to a specialist cancer nurse. Told her everything that was happening, symptoms and what has happened with the gp coming out etc. She agreed that the stent could be getting blocked and asked if the specialist knew about this, which he does. Her thoughts on this were that if the specialist thought the stent needed looking at immediately, then he would have called dad in to hospital last week. Told her my concerns about waiting until the 26th to see the specialist and what all of you have told me and her advice was to get dads Macmillan nurse to speak to the specialist and try and get the appt brought forward. So this is something that I am definitely going to do next week. However, should dad have a bad day before then then I will get the gp out.

Ron,

Good name, my dads called Ron! Thats good to hear that Lucille is looking good and showing no signs of this horiffic illness. It’s also good to hear that she is going to work and trying to keep busy and you both sound like you have a very positive attitude which no doubt will help you both enormously in this fight. I hope the scan on the 22nd brings you both a postive outcome, I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you both.

Lainy, I hope everything goes well for you and Teddy when you both go to see the oncologist this month. I will also be keeping my fingers crossed for you both. I told my mum your suggestion as to what you would do in my situtaion ie just going to the hospital and waiting to see someone. If I dont get anywhere with trying to bring this appt forward then it might come down to taking this approach. I wish my mum and dad were as forceful as you are, but as they are not then I might have to be.

Pam, welcome to the site, although I wish that you, like all of us didn’t have to be here. I’m sorry to hear about Eddie. My dad was also diagnosed at the same time as Eddie last year, also at Ninewells in Dundee. Dad spent pretty much all of last Aug and Sept in Ninewells being treated in wards 5 and 11. His specialist is based in Ninewells, although his last CT scan was carried out at PRI. Sounds as if my dad and Eddie may have spent some time in the same wards last year.

Thats good to hear that you have not had the same type of trouble in getting some help for Eddie with his stents. When Eddie did have trouble with them, did you have to get him reffered back to the hospital from his gp or did you just go up to the A+E dept at the time? If you feel up to it, I would love to hear more about your experiences.

I wish you and Eddie all the best in this fight.

Jane, thank you so much for your post and for sharing your story with me. I am so sorry to hear that you lost your sister this year and I wish that there was something that I could say to you right now that would help ease your pain.

I know what you mean when you talk of fall outs and how difficult this can all be. We have had more than our share of fallouts and arguements here during this very stressful period. I’m also sorry to hear of your sisters experiences of Macmillan nurses were not as she had hoped for. My dads nurse is a godsend to us, nothing is too much trouble for her. When she has said in the past that she can sort this or that out for my Dad, she has always managed to do it that day. This is why I am hoping that she will be able to get my dads hospital appt brought forward.

Thank you once again Jane for your kind words and I wish you and all your family my very best wishes.

Thank you all so very much once again, as always you have all been of great help and support to me. My mum and dad also want to pass on their thanks and best wishes to all of you.

My best to all of you and your families.

Gavin