magic

Roslyn,I was about to suggest Prince of Wales(Randwick) or Royal Prince Alfred in Sydney,both have amazing liver units ……
Lainy,am always about but have not travelled well the last couple of months Janet

Hi Roslyn,
I am in NSW and I dont think cholangiocarcinoma is rarer here in Australia than other Western countries.Are you in a remote part of QLD?It might be good to have a 2nd opinion but surely closer than Melbourne.If you have friends or family in Sydney or Melbourne that would make it more doable.
It is great that you have a good rapport with your oncologist but I wondered about the nexavar as a 1st choice of treatment as it is usually for the hepatocellular cancer.
Has your husband had a stent inserted?
We have had quite a few members from around this country and I myself have cared for a few in the hospital I work in. Janet

Lainy….. what to say..Joel too was in the hospice just 3 nights.I do know a little how you are feeling,not quite the same as we are all different in our circumstances but we share a lot.Teddy was one of a kind and Lainy,I wish you strength++ to get through the next while love from Janet

Margaret,try ebay for the roho cushion,it will save quite a bit Janet

Hi,there,now the fentanyl is a synthetic opoid,by injection it is straight into the bloodstream and works very quickly but is shortlived so its great for imediate post op pain.The patch is slow release so works like the enteric coated morphine tablets.It causes less constipation than morphine but can cause nausea.Morphine might still be needed for breakthrough doses.
Being a patch on the skin though can create problems,it is absorbed through fat so if there is not much fat it can be uneven delivery and temps and sweating can cause problems.I t is worth trying to see if these nightmares and things ease up Janet

Lainy,I wouldnt stop the haloperidol as it is unlikely that it is causing the agitation at this point.It also helps to control nausea and when you are taking big doses of morphine this is a good thing.
As people deteriorate sometimes the oral drugs dont absorb so well and work better when given by injection via a syringe driver or similar. The ativan is good for anxiety etc and works quickly but is not a long acting drug.
When people are very ill like this patches of agitation develop and then settle sometimes of their own accord,sometimes with help but it is a difficult symptom to see in a loved one,very hard because we really want them to be comfortable.
Hoping this resolves a bit my best Janet

Hi there,movicol is good for constipation and mild on the gut.Has he been advised to limit fluids?it usually doesnt make that much difference to the ascites.
Janet

Linda….hope it all goes well Janet