milkyinthemiddle
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Thanks all for the love and support! I do ring dad every few days to keep in touch but would like to be there with him more. I know that dad understands that i do my best and that i am there with him when i can be. I also understand my daughters behaviour is more to do with the tension at home. I’m just feeling overwhelmed by the situation at the moment.
Thanks again
KimHi Roslyn
I am in Victoria – australia and there are a few good oncologists at the Peter McCallum Cancer Inst in Melb who have had experience dealing with CC.
My Dad was diagnosed in March, 10. Was told that he was stage IV, inoperable and that chemo would only be palliative. He tried the chemo- but couldn’t cope with the side effects. My Dad was 90kg a year ago and is down to 60ks (he’s 6’3″), he has developed ascites and has to have a stomach tap every 2 weeks, his pain is increasing quite a lot of late and keeping on top of that is his biggest problem at the moment.
I don’t post a lot on here – but love reading the stories. Gives me an idea of where we are heading with this.
Take care
KimThanks all for the suggestions – he won’t take anything with Senna in it as he says it gives him massive stomach cramps. I am trying to push the healthy options – he does eat fuit each day, will try to push the juice option more. But i believe that part of the problem is the battle to keep his fluid intake low and limit the fluid building up in his abdomen – catch 22.
ok – so Dad has been in again to have his abdomen tapped and drained – 9L this time!!! They have told him the optimum is to wait 3 weeks (the longer he waits the less risk of infection) however my dad has taken this as gospel and won’t go in earlier – despite the fact that he is in pain and really uncomfortable.
The Palliative care nurses (like your McMillan nurses) have at least got him to agree to increase his dosage on his morphine patches – as he was self medicating in between with Panadeine (doesn’t like the effects of endone or oxycontin) but now he is also severely constipated! very frustrating, i am hoping that as he builds a rapport with the nurses he might trust them a bit more.
i hate seeing him in pain and wish that he would take whatever they suggested – but he is extremely strong willed and independent and gets fixated on one thing. For eg. he believes the endone was making him sleepy – he is still sleepy without the endone – but doesn’t see that this is all part of this stupid disease.
I’m getting frustrated!!!Thanks Lainy – my heartfelt thoughts go out to you and your husband. My dad lives 350k’s away from me, however i have been trying to visit once a fortnight on my days off from work. His sister is his main caregiver at the moment – i don’t think he appreciates how lucky he is to have her around. I believe that he made the right decision in stopping the chemo considering the little benefit that the oncologist said that he would gain from it. And although i feel that i am being realistic and practical i know that it won’t be an easy road. But i feel that having an idea of what is coming next makes it easier for me to deal with. i have read some of the posts on ascites – and learned a lot. Thanks for your support.
