mlepp0416
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Elmoks:
Along with the Diuretics your mom should be elevating her feet as much as possible and wearing compression stockings. My husband Tom also has an issue with fluid in the Abdomen and swelling in his feet. On days where he sits in the recliner with his feet elevated, his feet look good. On days where he has his feet ‘on the floor’ they are huge by the end of the day.
Also do not worry about the tumor markers too much. Yes, they are indicating that there is cancer in her body (but you already knew that) but there are many things that can cause those markers to go up and down. I wish I could tell you how many times my husband’s tumor markers have gone sky high, only to be much lower the next time he’s had them checked. An infection in the body, chemo, etc. can all cause the tumor markers to elevate!
I would worry more about more yellowing of the eyes or the skin, intense vomiting, bloody stools, white stools, black stools (indicated bleeding) etc. rather than the tumor markers.
Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer.
Hugs and Prayers coming your mom’s way from Wisconsin.
Margaret
We went to a local store and bought some knee length compression stockings (about $18.00) and it’s the best investment I’ve made in a long time. I put them on him BEFORE he even gets out of bed, and it makes a hugh difference!
Currently my husband does not have enough fluid in his abdomen for them to ‘tap’ it off, but the Diuretics are helping with that as well. He does have a low potassium issue so the diuretic that the doc gave him does not deplete the potassium in his body…
All:
Tom finished two of his antibotics yesterday (YIPEE) and will be on the third one until the 23rd of December. Wow, I won’t know what to do with myself!!! Only one 2x a day, EASY BUTTON!!!!
He is looking and feeling MUCH better! One has to wonder just how long these infections were running rampant in his liver. Long enough to make the man feel that he was on the edge of the beyond. Hopefully they got it right this time. He is currently at the doctor’s office so I’ll know more once our son in law brings him back home…
And after a very nasty phone call to his PCP’s office they now have him set up for a once a month tube exchange!!! That should also help with recurrent infections.
Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer.
Margaret
Andie:
Slurred speech is also a symptom of a stroke….has anyone mentioned it to his doctor? Has anyone noticed any facial droopiness? Or any arm/leg not moving as they should be? If so, get your dad to a doctor as those are all stroke symptoms.
Tom’s bile drain back averages about 100ml over a 24 hour period. If the amount in the bile bag hasn’t changed, then I wouldn’t worry about it….if he is not ‘more yellow’ then before it would also not be something to worry about. However, if you notice those changes (less bile/more yellow ect) then a call to his doctor would be in order….
Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer.
Hugs,
MargaretKris:
Best of luck to you and the worst of luck to ‘Leroy’ and I certainly hope this treatment knocks him on his A**! Tell Hans that Leroy has to GO NOW!
Hugs,
MargaretElmoks:
From what I know about Ascites, it does not mean ‘the final stage’! My husband had it for the first time about 3 months ago. His doc first tried a water pill which did cause him to pee quite a bit, but not enough. (Not certain what kind of water pill it was) and he had to go in for a Parentheses (draining the fluid off with a needle and a vacumn bottle).About 3 weeks ago his belly again started swelling due to fluid….since he is already low on Potassium, his primary doctor just put him on another type of water pill that appears to be working wonders for him! It is Spironolactone 50mg tabs and he just takes one every morning. His stomach is receding now and he is becoming a ‘peeing god’ (in the words of Lainy).
I would suggest talking to your mom’s doctor about the possibility of getting her on some type of water pill to see if it has any effect on her build up of fluid. Also consider increasing the protein in her diet, eggs, cheese, etc. Read up and do some research on Ascites, it is very interesting reading. Being very informed on this cancer and all the things that go along with having CC is VERY important!
This is the first time I’ve heard of ‘stranding’ so I’m thinking I will have to do some research on that in case that word pops up out of nowhere for my husband Tom!
Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer.
Margaret & Tom
Lainy:
Our thoughts and prayers will be with you, T, and your family and friends tomorrow. The service sounds wonderful and T would be so proud of you!!! He’s looking down at you smiling and even winking at you!Love and BIG HUGS to you!
Margaret & Tom
P.S. Tom says that T better be watching for him someday to be joining him and he’s glad T will be there to guide him on his journey….kimcirucci:
All I can say is “WOW”. Please put this doctor’s name and information on the ‘Alternative’ section so this thread does not get lost! This information on this doctor/hospital may save some lives down the road.
Thank you for your story, I only wish I’d had this information three years ago, before my husband had his resection, or back in November 2009 when he presented with another ‘inoperable’ tumor. Now after radiation and chemo I fear he would be too ‘weak’ to survive another surgery.
Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer. Your story is a true inspiration
Margaret
Libeco:
I think that depression just comes along with the territory. My husband Tom has been fighting CC for almost three years now, and has finally gotten onto a anti-depressant medication. (now he is taking it willingly, I no longer have to ‘hide’ it in his Ice Cream Malts.
But, if you look at this cancer from the patients point of view, I think anyone could understand why one gets depressed. Some patients go from being completely well one day and the next day they are told that they have cancer, one of the worst forms of cancer there is (as far as I’m concerned). Suddenly their lives are turned upside down. Now they have what seems like endless doctor visits, chemo, IV’s, inpatient hospital stays, infections, ERCP’s, antibotics, feeling sick most of the time, feeling run down and fatigued, unable to eat many of the foods they used to love, being dependent upon others for the things that they used to do, possibly being told “There is nothing else we can do” and may have been given a ‘check out’ date like 2 – 3 months, or 6 months or 12 months, and heaven forbid if they don’t have a caretaker such as a spouse to help them out. God knows, I’d be depressed if I were in that situation myself!
During my husband’s last ER visit, he finally said “I think I need to start taking the anti-depressant medicine. That is when I ‘confessed’ to sneaking it into his nightly malts and then he realized that it WAS helping him. So now it’s no chore to get him to take the anti-depressant! I am so happy because he no longer does the ‘woe is me’ scenario.
Certainly discuss with your dad, and/or his doctors and ask about an anti-depressant med for your dad. Discuss it openly with your dad so it does not come as a shock! He has to be ‘ready’ to take it and it does take a few weeks until he will benefit from the full effects of the medicine, and even if he doesn’t notice a difference, I’m certain his family will!
Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer.
Margaret
Terry:
I, for one, would not ever ‘think I’ve majored in medicine’, nor do I think that others on this forum think that way.
When we post on this site we do it not only to get rid of our frustrations, but to possibly help others in their journey and to get the support that so many caregivers need to go through the day to day things such as changing bandages, flushing ports or picc lines, administering antibotics, being an advocate for the patient, encouraging our loved ones to eat, drink fluids, take them to/from their never ending appointments with doctors, oncologists, interventional radiologists for chemo, ctscans, emergency rooms, etc….
I also would not trade one day of Tom’s illness because “For Better or Worse, in sickness and health” means a lot to both of us. I know that he would have been there for me if it were he that was the caregiver.
Why do I do it? I do it out of love. Do I get frustrated? Yes. Do I get emotional? Yes. Anyone would, even you have to have experienced those feelings while you were caring for Wayne.
Perhaps you could benefit from counseling to help you through what I can only imagine has to be very long empty days without your soulmate, along with your grief and sadness. That has to be overwhelming for you. You are correct, there is no “I” in ‘We’. That has to be hard, to loose your soulmate after being his caregiver for such a long time.
And I know that one day I will be in the same position as you, Darla, Lainy and so many others on this forum who were the caretakers for their loved one. You are not alone here, none of us are alone in this journey. And that is why so many of us have joined this site, for the caring, compassion and love of others who are experiencing the same journey that so many have undertaken, and that so many have ‘lost’.
My heart goes out to each and every one of ‘us’ who have lost a loved one to CC, or to any other disease.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Hugs,
MargaretBob – your post made me laugh this morning! I’ll relay that one to Tom.
Currently he does not have enough fluid in the abdomen to drain it. They could nick the bowel if they try it when they don’t have a clear pocket to tap into. So it’ll be probably 1- 3 days yet.
His white blood count is down to 15,000 (was 30,000) so that is good! Ammonia levels are fine and the liver function is fine (two of the things I was worried about). No obstruction in his intestines or bowel.
Currently we are in a holding pattern…..so Lainy I’ve got my big girl panties on and will continue with the roller coaster…
Margaret
Lainy: I’m certain you are one of the most sane people I’ve ever “met”! My mom used to come visit our house after she passed away. The spare room TV would come on when no one was in the room, and it was ONLY when I was talking to someone about Mom! For instance, my daughter Stacy was doing a school paper and had to interview an ‘elderly’ patient and we decided that I would be my mom and answer as I knew my mom would answer. It was a paper on how Christmas was celebrated! As I was answering her questions, that darn TV came on in the spare bedroom! (I was alone in the house) I heard the noise and went to investigate, turned the TV off and went back into the living room. Then the hall light came on! I turned that off and 5 min. later both the TV and the hall light came back on. Weird huh? And amazingly enough, that sequence ONLY happened when I talked about my mom! We no longer have that house but I suspect that it was either my mom or some kind of faulty wiring! I prefer to believe it was mom!
HUGS to you!!!!
Margaret
Oh boy, here we go again! These two IV antibotics that they have Tom taking are really doing a number on him. He’s gained 11 pounds in less than a week. His Doc says to go to the ER to see if they will drain the Ascites off his belly. He won’t go inpatient he just wants to close his eyes and never wake up.
I’ve got to convince him to let me take him to the ER. While he was inpatient they did see fluid in his abdomen, but they said it wasn’t enough to drain! Now of course with all the IV’s he’s been getting (between the hospital and now at home) it’s gotten worse.
Just another twist in the road on this journey with CC! Gotta take the bull by the horns and drag him out to the car I guess!
Sorry for sounding ‘negative’ here, but it just never stops!
HUGS!!!
Margaret
Lainy: Don’t question yourself or beat yourself up for the way the Hospice Facility treated T. You did the very best you could do for him and that is what counts. I would certainly file a complaint with the hospice facility though since what happened is unacceptable!
T is at peace now, smiling down at you.
Soon you will be back on this forum, shining bright as ever! Take all the time you need dear, for yourself!!!!!
Love and Hugs,
Margaret
