hopeseeker

Thank you all for your condolences and kindness. My husband was able to spend much needed time with his family over the last few days and it was comforting to tell and hear stories that brought tears and laughter. She was loved by so many and touched hearts and lives all around her.

Her memorial will be next weekend and our daughters will sing. It will be tough to get through but we know she is no longer hurting so that eases the pain for us some.

Thank you all for your input, suggestions, advice and for just reading and understanding the pain this awful cancer causes.

Angela

Hospice nurse came out and put a catheter in for my MIK. There’s no infection that the nurse could tell of, but just a complication of the cancer. She is refilling her meds for her too since she’s had to use more lately.

Hosoice nurse is coming back on Friday to check on her and make sure she’s not in pain or having trouble with the catheter. She’s having pain, but the morphin is keeping it under control.

I talked to my MIL on the phone and she sounded very groggy and was confused about several things. I know the morphine and breakthrough meds are making her a bit loopy. She forgot what she was going to say several times and didn’t know the nurse had refilled her prescriptions. She also said she forgot to ask the nurse about glasses for her double/blurry visio and getting her teeth fixed (something she has wanted to do but wasn’t able to for so long). It broke my heart to hear her saying she was going to ask about glasses and getting her teeth fixed knowing she doesn’t need glasses. I did not break down in the phone because I didn’t want to worry her or upset her, but my heart is breaking.

Thank you all for your support and any suggestions or advice you can give. We will be going to love on and be with her again in a few days. I’m glad they are able to get her pain under control, but the effects of the drugs are making it hard to communicate for her and for her to stay awake long.

Say a prayer for my MIL (her name is Rosemary) and for the rest of the family in these next few days, weeks and hopefully months.

Hopeseeker

Hello again everyone,

We had a good, albeit very emotional visit with my MIL yesterday. She is so very emotional and cries often. She still keeps saying she is not ready to die, and that breaks my heart. We all must face the end of life at some point, but some are just not ready as early as they have to be faced with it. I feel her tears and emotions are very common with patients who are nearing death, but can anyone chime in on this?

My husband and my MIL had to have some very difficult talks about the end of her life and what her wishes were. That was so hard to witness. The emotions were high, but the love and care were very present too. We loved on her and told her over and over how special and loved she was. This is such a hard and trying time for our family. I know many of you have walked this path before so I feel welcome and supported in sharing this info here.

Thank you again for your help and kind words. We are praying for many more days and months for my MIL, but we are cherishing each visit and hug we can right now.

Hopeseeker

Dear Gavin,

Thank you for your reply and kind words. Knowing that I can ask questions and get support and suggestions is so helpful.

As much as we hated for this stage to come, it was also a relief due to her being so sick from her chemo regimen. She can actually eat better now. She has a few things she would like to do and chemo is not a hindrance for her now.

She does have swelling in her feet, ankles and abdomen, but not enough to drain at this point. She is supposed to get some compression socks to help her feet and ankles some, but she said it’s not going to help much because her liver function is declining which is causing the swelling. She is a bit jaundice, but not like she was when she went to the ER back at the end of March. She shuffles when she walks and is tired very easily. She’s not vomiting like she was when she was on chemo so that’s so good.

The Hospice nurses are so helpful. She is taking several different medications for things that before she just had to suffer through. She does sound a bit drowsy when we talk to her or see her, but I assume that’s the pain meds doing their job.

I pray she can stay comfortable and at ease these next days, weeks and even months. She has been through a lot and this cancer has not been an easy.

Hopeseeker

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by hopeseeker.

It seems Hospice care has been very helpful for my MIL. She has been feeling better since stopping the chemo and although she gets tired often she is able to rest better I think. We will be seeing her again this weekend and I hope for a very nice visit with her which seems to boost her mood and spirits very much.

I am glad for the good days she has and for her feeling so much better since stopping chemo. Not much else to report but felt to share that she was getting good comfort care.

Dear Mary,

Thank you for your kind words and input. Yes, that is right. She is often worried about being a bother. I feel my that maybe my husband and I need to talk with her very personally and make sure she knows to make her wishes known and that she is not putting anyone out by asking for help in regards to her pain or comfort level because that is what the Hospice nurses are there for. She is always feeling unworthy of help or anything good which is so sad to me. I hope she will be honest about her comfort level so she can be at ease.

I will keep you posted on what is going on as time goes on. I very much appreciate your prayers and words of advice.

Mary,

Yes, her Xeloda are very large pink/peach colored pills for her chemo. She has Ben trying to follow the directions and instructions for her chemo (she’s 2 weeks in and 1 week off with 3 of the 500mg pills 2x a day)

I guess I need to call her onc nurse and see if I can get some more answers and maybe a med change for her.