clarem

Hi Dee,

I am so sorry to read that your mum had died. It must still be very raw and I understand how hard it is to begin to compute what happened going from a diagnosis to passing in less than 2 months. You said some beautiful things about your mum not ceasing to exist and it is evident that you miss her and loved her very much. Although you say that you are not strong, your strength comes through in your post.

Please come back and let us know how you are.

Thanks Marion. I’m still finding my way with the forum and the ‘etiquette’ of it. I wonder sometimes on threads like this where it has been mainly between certain individuals, if chipping in is like interrupting a conversation in a real room with real people. That would be considered rude Does that make sense?

Hi Crissie,

Welcome to the forum. I am sorry that you have had to find it but now you are here you will got a wealth of advice and support. You must have so many questions flying around just now.

Someone more experienced than me will be along soon but yes, stents can be replaced. I don’t want to fire more questions at you but does your dad know how extensive his CC and what the doctors plan is?

The statistics can seem very frightening but there are many variables to this cancer and what you will find here is lots of hope, positivity and credibility to the information. Be careful what you read on the internet – some of it is not the most accurate information. I found this site after 2 months of being on the internet for information. I wish I had found here first.

Hi Ceance,

I’m not familiar with the details you are looking for but I wanted to say hello and welcome to the board although I am sorry that you have had to find it. There are so many wise and experienced people here (2 have been along already) that can offer you advice and support for your husband and you.

I was in favour of it before, but even more so now.

There have been a couple of high profile cases in the last year or two in the UK calling for this to be legalised. We are getting there in healthcare within the UK but I sometimes feel we still have a long way to go in treating and caring for patients with dignity. The Liverpool Care Pathway causes great divide and controversy in it’s use so I guess DDA is still a long way off.

Good luck for tomorrow Tammy. I’ve got everything crossed that it goes to plan for your dad.

Hi Christina,

Marion and Randi have very sensitively summoned it up. It is very difficult to watch a loved one go through this. I have just lost my 41 year old sister to CC and it was immensely difficult to watch my intelligent, articulate, in control sister, struggle with her decline. I live 300 miles away from my family and I spent every opportunity I could travelling to be with my sister and the rest of the family. My sister’s morphine did need tinkering with – initially her tablets had to be reduced as her GP felt she was over medicated. Other times it had to be increased to get on top of her pain. The trade off was a Marion said, her lucidity but she was pain free. She slept a lot and would drop off mid conversation. We rolled with it, took our time with her and let her do things at her speed.

We knew when the end was imminent and for a day and half, we were all with my sister (husband, son, my parents and other sister). We sat with her, talked to her, stroked her hair. She never liked a lot of fuss at the best of times so we kept the fuss to a minimum even then. I am in no doubt she knew we were all there and in particular her husband. Whenever he sat with her over the last day(to replace me for example), her breathing changed. I can’t really explain it here but she definitely knew. The love between them was palpable.

I’m glad you are close to your sister and you have each other. Me and my other sister bumbled along together and still are – I’d be lost without her. Take all the support you can from each other, from hospice care and of course here.

Sending you lots of virtual support.

Hi Danny,

I too was a lurker before I posted! Thank you for sharing the last 5 years. I am in no doubt that it has been a very hard five years for all of you but I find your dads story very uplifting that he has come this far with CC. Whatever he’s doing, keep doing it!