maryanne80
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Hi Charlene,
I just picked up a book that someone recommended. She read it after her Mom had died and said she wished she had had it sooner. It is called Final Gifts written by two hospice nurses. I just started it today and I think it will be good. Pryaing for you and John that you will find some meeting ground and some comfort in the days ahead. God Bless. Mary AnneThanks so much for all you support. Just when youthink things are going one way, they change. Yesterday and today Joe has changed his outlook (after talking to our pastor) and now he says he will try and walk three times a week. I told him how i didn’t think I could push anymore and he said I shouldn’t give up. Has anyone ever experience Gemzar causing you to get so depressed. I suggested he not take it anymore but he said he is afraid not to take it.
Teresa, so sorry to hear about your husband and so young.
Today I went to lunch and a movie with a good friend and it helped just to get out of the house. The movie was bad but the time with my friend was great. do any of you caregivers eat to relieve the stress and then all you get is fat? I usually swim for my exercise but have had a bad shoulder so haven’t been able to do that. But now I am going to walk with my friend and hopefully that will do two things at once.
It is an emotional roller coaster not knowing from one day to the next what the mood of the house will be huh? Thanks for being there and answering me. God Bless. Mary AnneWell, we got the results of the cat scan and it shows no progression of the disease and no new areas – just more ascites. I am still wondering if people have had luck with diuretics helping with the ascites and if this is a sign that things are going downhill. any info would be helpful. mary anne
Charlene,
My prayers are with you. What a tough time you are going through. Hospice also has counseling for you. Maybe they would help you even before John agrees to it or maybe he would agree to at least listen to their program and then decide. My husband Joe is starting to have more complications and I may be facing ths smae thing in the next few months. I love all the support you get on this website. hang in there. Mary anneHi Sophie,
My husband Joe is on Xeloda and is taking it one week on,one week off. He is taking 2000mg morning and night. He has done this for 7 weeks worth and had no side effects. Then last week he got the hand foot syndrome with red painful soles of his feet. The onc told himto skip a week and then lower his dose to 1500twice a day. He feels that taking it one week on one week off ,there are less side effects than taking it two weeks on,one off. This proved true for Joe up til now. He has had no nausea and is on Gemzar every other week along with the Xeloda. He is starting to have more problems with swelling in his feet and ankles and ascites(fluid in his abdomen) which was drained once., He is now on Lasix to help reduce the swelling. We have had two good years since diagnosis but I know we’ re heading into trouble now. Just glad he doesn’t have any pain yet. Guess if it doesn’t go to his bones he might avoid it. So glad for this site and all the helpful answers. God bless you all. Mary Annemybdm,
We willbe praying for you that the endwill be easy and peaceful. That time will be coming for alloif us and it helpsto know we are not alone. God Bless you and your famly in this difficult time. Mary AnneHi Barb,
I continue to pray for you and your son the the days ahead will be filled with blessed times and memories and that you will be comfortable. God Bless. mary AnneHey Barb,
Good to hear from you and know you are reading good thoughts and prayers from your friends on this website. Love to you. Mary AnneHi,
My husband Joe is on Gemcitibine and Xeloda. No side effects from Xeloda which he takes one week on, one week off, but the Gemcitibine knocks him down two days after and he usually runs a low grade temp even tho the onc says it isn’t from the drug. It has been consistent with each treatment and he has had 3. It also knocks down his blood count so they can’t give it to him two weeks on, one off. He gets it about every three weeks. It hits his platelets and his white and Hgb. They are giving him procrit for the hemoglobin and that helps. The side effects are nothing like we thought they would be when we chose to do alternative last year and racked up some huge bills. It is nice not to have to worry about the money when you are fighting this cc. He is on Medicare and so far, it looks like it and the supplement are covering it. He had a cat scan yesterday so we will see what it looks like. He has mets in his liver lungs and spleen. Mary AnneAre you on chemo now? Joe just started and I am hoping for good response. he is on Gemzar and Xeloda. mary Anne
Hey Jeff,
Joe’s platelets dropped to 38 while he was in the hospital two weeks ago and they gave him two units of packed platelets. That brought it up to 88 when he left the hospital. Then when he had his blood work done a week later in the onc’s office it was up to 142. I hope that means his body is working to build it back up. He just started chemo this week so we will see what that does to it. Keep on truckin. You are an inspiration to all of us. God Bless Mary AnneDeb,
Joe has had cc diagnosed for almost two years now and has just started conventional chemo after trying alternative which was good but just got too costly. His new oncologist saw him in the hospital when he had sepsis and we really liked him. When we saw him in his office the first time last week he said he wanted Joe to walk two hours a day. Joe was hardly walking in the house back and forth to the bathroom and was even weaker after being in the hospital with the blood infection and internal bleeding. But he told the doctor he would try. The first day he walked 6 minutes on the treadmill and had to stop. Then he did 6 more minutes. That was it for the first day. The doctor promised him that if he woud walk each day til he saw him the next week he would feel much better. Joe came home from the hospital with about 15 pounds of fluid in his abdomen which I thought would have to be drained. No, it went away by itself. He walked probably less than a half mile each day until Monday when we went back to the doctor. The doctor asked him specifically how much he had done. Then he said he wanted him in 8 weeks to be able to run 8 miles. Of course that was unrealistic, but Joe admitted he was much stronger after trying for the first week. So yesterday we walked for a half hour outside (it was a beautiful day). Before Joe started walking, he was sleeping about 6 hours during the day in two hours stretches. His blood counts were low. This Monday, his counts were better, he looks better and they were able to start chemo. Now I am not telling you what to do but Joe thought he couldn’t possible walk but once he started he realized he could do some. Don’t know if you have tried walking but it has made a difference with Joe. He even went without a nap all day yesterday which is a first. By the way, we have revised the doctors goal to 3 miles in 8 weeks. Of course we are older and don’t have to run around after kids. Maybe that gives you enough exercise but I think getting your blood pumping helps pump out the toxins in your body. Hope this helps some. I love reading the advice and things that worked for other people. I am the caregiver and Joe never gets on the site but it gives me lots of hope and help. God Bless Mary AnneKathryas,
So sorry to hear of your mom’s quick disease progression. I am also a competitive swimmer with masters and my husband Joe has advanced cc. I use my swimming for my stress relief. I know, because your Mom worked out all the time, she was probably used to little aches and pains and didn’t think much of them. but this cancer is so sneaky, we don’t usually find it until it has metastacized to some other organs. I will pray for comfort for you and your family as you deal with this shock. God bless you in the days to come and keep reading this site. It should give you insight and comfiort. There are a lot of people her who know what you are going through. Mary anneHi Susan,
So sorry to hear of your problems with your Mom. I am a nurse and taking care of my husband Joe who just had a week in the hospital with internal bleeding and infection,. We came home yesterday and now I think he has ascites. They didn’t tell us that in the hospital but I think I am right. He was 68 yesterday and has had a great life but I don’t think we are ever ready to say good bye. I will pray for you that you will have the wisdom to make the right decisions. I will definitely get hospice when the time comes because I have seen the good they do. they can do hospice at home and some hae facilities you can go to. Best of luck. god Bless mary Anne
