cherbourg
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Michael,
One of things given my Mom was an appetite enhancer called Megace. It was a liquid given once a day. It made an amazing difference and she regained and kept her weight. You may want to inquire about this medication.
I’m keeping you and your mom in my thoughts and prayers.
Hugs!Pam
Margaret,
You and Tom continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted. Hang in there and remember to take care of the caregiver….that would be YOU!
Hugs to you both!
PamDearest Ron,
I’m so sorry to hear about your beloved Lucille. She fought long and hard. My heart is breaking for you….
I’m sending love, hugs and prayers for strength…
PamTim,
I’m weighing in late but a very warm welcome to you! You will find a wealth of knowledge, compassion, empathy and the most amazing people in the world here on this site!
We’re all here for you. Take a deep breath and get ready for the fight!
Here is a wonderful link for all of the confusing lab tests you’re going to become familar with….
http://www.labtestsonline.org/
It’s a great source of information and very user friendly.
I’m sending hugs and prayers for strength.
Pam
Hi HeartDoc,
I understand what you are feeling. I am a Cytologist and was the one that diagnosed my Mom. I can’t tell you the range of emotions that passed through me when I saw those cells under my microscope. I’d seen CC once in the 30 years I’d been in cytology.
My Mom was treated at Duke and she was Stage IV with mets to the lungs when diagnosed. She was 76 and still working full time (by choice) and walking 5 or 6 miles a day. She had a bout of pleurisy and the cancer was found when doing a CT scan to r/o a blood clot.
Please make all the memories you can. My Mom lived almost exactly one year from diagnosis to her death. She danced at her only Granddaughter’s wedding and saw the birth of her second great grandchild. She was an amazing woman and I miss her every day.
You will get through this and you will be an advocate and a legacy for your Mom. Come here often….we are knowledgeable and caring.
I’m sending hugs and prayers for strenght,
Pam
Michele,
I lost my Mom on April 3, 2009 and believe me I know how you must be feeling.
Here is a web site that helped me to process some of the things I was feeling….. http://www.connect.legacy.com/
Grief is intensely personal. There is no timetable and no two people will grieve in the same way. My heart goes out to you. It’s been two years for me and in some ways it’s as if it just happened. I can still be reduced to tears by passing someone wearing my Mom’s perfume in a store.
Come here often…we all understand and are here for you.
I’m sending hugs, love and prayers for strength….
Your Mom left a wonderful legacy in you……
Hugs,
PamAndie,
All of what you are experiencing is normal. One of the hardest parts of grief to me was when I slowly came out of the “numb” stage about 2 to 3 months after Mom died. I really needed to be with people and get their support and sympathy and I discovered the world had more or less “moved on” and I felt all alone. I was so mad…after all I HAD LOST MY MOM!!! and it was a long ago event for most people. I think your Mom’s anger is normal and a sure sign she is moving through the grieving process. That said, everyone grieves differently and at different times. You are doing all the right things but you are now in a different caregiving role to your Mom. You need to embrace the first rule of caregiving and that is….YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE CAREGIVER FIRST!!….
Go on your trip…send lots of postcards, make a few calls and have fun and spend time with your family. If your Mom were not in the depths of grief she would be the first to encourage you to go and have fun. This is a bump in the road and part of the grieving. You need to grieve as well. Try and enlist friends to drop in or call or visit with your Mom while you are gone. That will help you in your peace of mind.
I’m sending prayers for strength and lots of hugs and love!Hugs,
Pamisellure,
You might want to give hospice a call and ask for a nurse consult. They can prescribe liquid meds that can be dripped in a patient’s mouth with a simple syringe or there are also pain patches. Your MIL should be comfortable and you and the rest of the family could use some moral support during this time. I too absolutely hate this monster of a disease that has taken so many from all of us.
I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers. My heart is breaking for you.
Here is a link from hospice you might want to read.
****SENSITIVE LINK FOLLOWS…….SENSITIVE LINK FOLLOWS…….****
http://www.hospicefoundation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=62884Hugs,
PamDear Stacey,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Please know we are all here for you. I’m so glad he wasn’t in pain and that his passing was peaceful.
Hugs,
PamStacey,
You might want to ask Hospice for a shower chair. They provided one for my Mom and it was wonderful. No more worries about falling in the shower.
I’m sending prayers for strength and lots of hugs!
Pam
Dear Ken,
You raised a remarkable son. He was such an inspiration to all of us. His devotion to God and family was so wonderful to see. I know Rick has been greeted by all of our loved ones and friends that have gone before. Please share my condolences with your family. I’m so sorry Rick is gone but I rejoice that he is finally free of the pain.
I’m sending hugs and prayers for strength to all of you,
Pam
Stacey,
Here is a link to Hospice of Greensboro. This is the one we used for my Mom. I know it’s not your city but the site has some excellent information on it that may answer your questions.
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Hugs,
PamKim,
Please don’t ever worry about expressing how you feel on this site! I know how hard it is to be in two places at one time.
I remember all the trips I made from New Bern to Greensboro. It’s only about 3 1/2 hours but I can (and have apparently) driven it in my sleep. I racked up 37,000 miles on my new car in less than a year. Fortunately I was able to come and go at work as I please…sometimes driving straight to work and getting there at midnight or 2 or 3 and then going home grabbing clothes and heading back to Mom and Dad’s. It took a toll on my sanity and my health.
Looking back I wouldn’t change a thing (except maybe to have done it even more). My marriage did suffer but my poor husband was always there for me. I was so brittle in my tiredness and emotions that anything could set me off. I quickly learned that anything not absolutely necessary could be let go. (And I had the messy house and chaotic life to prove it!) I learned screaming and crying and singing at the top of my voice in my car was so therapeutic! I only hope I never passed anyone I knew while doing this!
It might be helpful to have a family meeting and tell your husband and daughter how you are feeling right now and ask for their help. Tell them how torn you are between being there for them and your Dad. Ask for their advice on how you can make this work.
In the midst of all of my chaos, my daughter (the only granddaughter of 4 grandchildren) desperately wanted her grandmother at her wedding so we moved it up. From August to December I planned and executed a formal military wedding. I’m happy to say my Mom was able to dance at her Granddaughter’s wedding.
It was the most chaotic, emotional, challenging time of my life, but I accomplished what was most important.
I promise you that you will find a deep strength in you, that you never knew existed. This board was my lifeline and it can be yours as well. We are all here for you and have broad shoulders. Come here and vent or question anytime.
Hugs!
Pam
CM,
Two things I forgot to mention. One of the prescriptions my Mom took was called Megace….it’s an appetite enhancer that worked very well for her. The other thing I found is a protein supplement from a company called unjury.
Their protein supplements are medical grade and dissolve with no aftertaste or grit. I added it to lots of Mom’s food. They have a great website and I order from them to this day.
Hang in there. This is the time when you do 5 minutes then tackle the next 5 minutes.
We’re all here for you! Please keep in touch and have fun on your trip!
Hugs,
Pam
