clarem
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Hi Tyler,
Welcome to the site although I am sorry that you have had to find it. There has been lots of great advice already. I am in Glasgow and found this site and the UK AMMF site that Gavin mentioned to both be invaluable when my 41 year old sister was diagnosed with inoperable CC.
Please ask anything you want and tap in to all the support for her and you here.
Hi turtle kid,
Many things can affect blood pressure and as Marion said, a doctor can properly assess it and other signs at the same time and see if there is a trend to his blood pressure readings.
You are doing so well – this must be so very hard on you.
Hi Lauren,
My sister has a liver abscess after her aborted resection. An abscesses can happen at surgical wound sites although I’m not sure exactly where your mums are. My sisters abscess was on the left side of her liver. It had been shut down to get the right side of her liver to grow for surgery so that the bit of liver left behind was big enough to function.
Abscesses can cause someone to be very ill as you know and can be missed before they are eventually diagnosed. My sister ended up with a drain into the abscess and many, many intravenous anti-biotics.
It will depend where the abscess is on the treatment. Her antibiotics will depend on what bugs are grown from her blood samples.
Hi Mags,
You are right – bad care should be addressed. It doesn’t bring your dad back but it can improve care for others and prevent it from being repeated.
I’m OK thanks. It still feels very surreal and I still struggle not with the fact that I’ve lost my sister but that my parents had to bury their daughter and my 3 year old niece will grow up without her mum. It was all so rapid – 5 months from start to finish.
Hi turtle kid,
I am very sorry that you have had to find this board but there is so much support here not only for your dad but for you too.
I understand how hard it can be to watch him deteriorate so rapidly and although there may be no treatment that he will allow, there is still much that can be done to make the time he has as comfortable and tolerable as possible for him. Don’t underestimate the support that hospice or other health care providers can give you as family members – it is as important as the care your dad gets.
My sister had CC and rapidly went downhill – quicker than anyone predicted. I’m not saying it will be the same for your dad but we had as much support in place as we could get for my sister. She was at home for her last month and would not allow Macmillan nurses to be involved (Macmillan are specialist cancer nurses in the UK). There was no hospice where she lived either. My sister allowed her GP and the district nurses to visit her but that was it. We worked with what we had and the district nursing team had the same nurse that my sister like visit her (apart from her days off) and Macmillan were advising the district nurse behind the scenes and were willing to step in at any point that my sister allowed (she never did). The fact that her GP and district nurse had a relationship with my sister and the rest of the family meant that when we needed it, we could ramp up at very short notice things like pain relief, anti-sickness and beds, commodes, high seats – you name it if we asked they tried to get it for her.
I ended up having a fantastic raport with her GP who would ring me (I live 300miles away) to keep me in the loop and to discuss her care (I had been managing the medical side of things for her husband as I am a nurse). On a couple of occasions when it was all too much for me, her GP would pick up the baton for me as there were times when I felt out of my depth and not coping with decisions that had to be made.
If your dad will let hospice in, even in a small way, it might just make the world of difference in terms of support for you all.
Dear Letty,
Welcome to the board. I am not surprised you feel like you are in a nightmare with what has happened to your dad. I completely understand the fear that or are feeling for the surgery on Monday. I was elated when my sister was told they would operate but that emotion was quickly superseded by being terrified for what lay ahead.
I want to wish your dad the very best for Monday. Take it an hour at a time, dig deep and you will come through it. When you are ready, please let us know how you both are.
I just want to say hello Jason and welcome to the site although I am sorry that you have been given the news that you have CC.
This site is the most credible one I have come across and the support, advice and information is truly remarkable. There is always someone that can answer a question or say just the right thing to make it all seem just a little more bearable.
There is so much information to take in and emotions to deal with – you are doing so well Jason. Use the board to its full potential and ask away.
Hi Sam37,
Welcome to the site although I am sure you would rather not need to be here.
My sister recently died after her cancer being to advanced for surgery and chemotherapy and I am very happy for you to ask me anything. My sister did have internal stenting, external drains, gastric bypass and a couple of other procedures in the 5 months she was ill. I would echo what the others have said and that it can be hard to know time scales. This forum proves that and although many can’t be cured, they still have amazing stories of hope and positivity.
Hi katya,
Lainy is right – you are in the right place for support and positive thoughts although imam very sorry that you have had to come here. I can understand your feelings. My sister went for surgery but her cancer was too advanced and was halted. Even if your mum cannot be cured there is still so much that can be done to ease her symptoms and make the time she has as comfortable as possible.
Please ask any questions you want. There is always somene if not several members who can answer and advise.
