Update on my Dad

Hi all,

Dad heard back from the hospital late today and spoke with one of the specialists team, was told that they can’t go back in to see whats going on and that they are just able to monitor dad from here on, so no chemo. I wasn’t there when they phoned so was not able to speak with them, but dad is pretty gutted. They want him to keep up with day care so the docs there can monitor him and also still keep seeing his Macmillan nurse at home, next visit is in a few weeks. Not the news we were hoping for but we will just have to get on with things I guess.

Marion, thanks for letting me know about the stent.

My best to everyone.

Gavin

Hi Everyone,

Phoned the specialist this morning but he wasn’t there, was in theatre so spoke with one of the Macmillan nurses from his team. She is going to speak with him today if she can and get back to us ASAP. If we dont hear back today then I will speak with the GP at day care and see if she can get in touch with them again tomorrow on dads behalf. So another day of waiting for some news!

Lainy,

Thanks for the recipes, sounds delicious and I will try it at the weekend! Will make a load so that I can freeze some, looking forward to that. The meatballs sound like the perfect match to that sauce. And if I do ever make it to the USA then I will indeed come to see you both. Never been to America before.

Marion,

Thanks for that information on motility of the stomach, I am away to look into that and add it to my list of things to look out for. And thank you also for your question to ask the specialist re vomiting and further options in time should the need arise. I’m hoping that we can get in to see him soon, very soon in fact as his next scheduled app was not for some time, his last one was in October. I think the plan was to be that the oncologist would have taken over his immediate treatment should dad have started chemo, with meetings with the specialist every 3 months as well.

Julia,

Sorry to hear that your sister had a rough time getting her stent in place, is she okay with it now? I know my dad took a bit of time getting used to having the stent in with things such as sleeping on a different side and moving, getting up a bit slower etc. But he got there and just got used to it after a while. He has had his in since last September, just after his diagnosis. I hope too that she does not have any issues with hers and clogging etc.

Best wishes everyone

Gavin

Hi Marion,

Thank you also for your your very kind words.

Yes the vomiting is so much better now than it was a few weeks ago. Then it was bile that he was continuously bringing up, but the last few times it was food that came up. I pick up his new anti-vomiting prescription tomorrow morning so we will see how that and the Bucastem if needed works for him. Dad wants me to speak with the specialist tomorrow first thing to see what if anything is happening so we will see what that throws up. Is it possible for someone to have more than one stent in place? Although I’m guessing that if they can go in to unclog an existing one then that is better than adding another?

And yes I agree that what is important right now is dad being as comfortable as possible and experiencing as little pain as possible. He is doing okay just now on the pain front, the solpadols seem to be doing the job just now and he is being closely monitored via day care GP’s.

At least you have a few weeks to go until the yearly wardrobe change takes place! The temperature here is supposed to drop into the minus tonight! But we’re used to it so we don’t complain, at least not too much!

Best wishes

Gavin

Hi Lainy,

I hope you and Teddy, and everyone else are all having/had a good weekend. The chef on Friday is making minnestrone soup, pasta (homemade) and lemon cello I think for dessert, which all sounds good to me!

Buying a new car when you don’t really need one is indeed costly and stubborn as you tried to talk him out of it. I think I know what you mean when you talk of Teddy still wanting to feel that he has control in his life. I see that in my mum and dad, more so over the last few years with my mum and this year with my dad. Sometimes my mum doesn’t like me doing simple things such as taking washing out of the machine even though it really tires her out. I do pretty much all the cooking, shopping and chores etc and sometimes giving up control over the simple things gets to her. And I know that she doesn’t like the fact that if she goes out then I have to take her.

Dad is the same in that things he took for granted and would do every day have over the last year or so been so much harder to do, and also tire him out. He is still a bit stubborn in some way, like going for the paper and milk in the morning when it is easy for me to get it for him, especially since I go round to see them first thing every day. But it makes him happy to go for them so I just let him get on with it, plus some light exercise in just walking to the local shop is good for him. I also see how much it frustrates him that he is getting real forgetfulf when it comes to taking his tablets, something that he always used to remeber to take on time etc.

Maybe Teddy is indeed acting that way as you say as he doesn’t want to give up that control he has in his life. I guess that it can’t be easy for any of us to give up things that we have taken for granted for years.

I did some searching on line for Sarna cream in the Uk but couldn’t find it, so I’m guessing that it’s perhaps an American product. I have ice bags at the ready just in case they are needed, but dad hasn’t been to itchy this weekend.

Best wishes to you and Teddy.

Gavin

Hi Marion,

Yes the good days at the centre are indeed so important right now. Even when dad has had a bad/upsetting day or news, he still comes home from the centre in a much better mood and I think that the informal, relaxed atmosphere is so good for the patients. And the banter between the staff, volunteers and the patients means that everyone has a great laugh as well and humour does help lift peoples moods.

The GP said that she did not want to start any diuretics just now as she didn’t think think that they would do much good due to where the swelling is I think, although this will be kept under close watch with each visit. She did say that keeping dads legs elevated when he is sitting down will help as you say, and also that some light excercise, walking about would also be good for him. She did not mention anything about stints but what I am hoping for right now is that dad can get taken in to hospital and get his stent cleaned out. There is a procedure that can do that is there not? I was under the impression that his metal stent was permanent and could not be replaced, or can it be or even another one inserted as well?

As far as the vomiting goes, I was a bit surprised that he was given more tablets for this as the last ones appear to still be working, although he has been sick 3 times in the last few weeks which is a massive improvement on that 4 day period of vomiting that he had previously. His Macmillan nurse and the GP recommended the other tablets which he will have to take 3 times a day and keeping his Bucastem on hand just in case he needs them as well. So even more tablets to add to his daily regime!

Many thanks for your thoughts as always, and for wishes for a cozy weekend! The roofs were a touch frosty this morning so a warm and cozy weekend would be good. I would also wish you a cozy and warm weekend but Like Lainy in Arizona, I can’t imagine there are too many cold weekends in California!

So I wish that you have a great weekend, with lots of sun and blue skies and my best wishes also to you.

Thanks Lainy. Sorry to hear about Teddy’s confusion, I can sure relate to that. It’s not so easy to ignore sometimes but I know that you will be there to keep a close watch on him, and keep him out of trouble! I know it really frustrates my dad when he gets confused, yesterday being a good example, but like you, we have learned to accept it and deal with anything that arises from it. Does it frustrate Teddy as well?

I asked the GP about your itching cream, but I forgot the name of it. I called it Darna cream, and the GP had never heard of Darna cream! Doh! But she recommended some creams we can try and I will see if we can get Sarna cream here in the UK. If not then I will see if I can get some Calomine lotion which she recommended.

I hope you and Teddy have a great and no doubt very warm weekend!

My best wishes to everyone.

Gavin

PS – I forgot to mention, yesterday there was a guest chef who came in to do some cooking for everyone at day care and dad said he made the most amazing meringues. He is coming back next Friday to cook some more for them and they are having an Italian day with an Italian meal, which sounds good to me. think I will ask dad to get the recipe from him for the soup! Just realised how long this post is. Apologies, I do rabbit on when I get started!