Husband J Severe D & V

Leila,

Thank you so much for your kind words. I know you are going through it yourself trying to cope with the loss of your dear Dad so very much appreciate your taking the time to comment. John is enjoying his 'late retirement' as he calls it. He is a very young at heart 71 and was working full time up to his diagnosis on 23rd June and stopped there and then, so strange though it may seem, he has seen this time at home as a bit of a bonus. Although he was ill after the chemo, he has had input from the palliative care nurse from the outset and they have tried to get him on top of the pain which have helped him to cope. He has lost 8 inches from his waist and has shrunk in clothes from ex large to medium. I have never seen anything like it and often cry silent tears to see him so frail. His morphine dosages have increased yesterday quite substantially so we are a little fearful of the next few weeks. However, we are trying to keep positive and are seeing the children and grandchildren as much as possible and laugh when we can.

Our daughter E who is 19 and is autistic and has a learning disability recently raised £110.37p (can't forget the 37p...) for MacMillan by organising a coffee morning at her day centre at Able to Achieve in Yeovil. We are so proud of her as she sent off for all the material and made posters etc and took great pride in banking the money. She told Macmillan when they rang that it was for her Dad who has PC and will die soon (people with autism don't do abstract or tact...) but the Mac nurses had been very nice. It has been hard for her to understand what will happen, the uncertainty of it all being quite unsettling for her but she is being very brave and helpful as are our other children.

Love & best wishes,

Linda x (aka ElsieG)

Linda,

It is hard to see them so frail. I remember accidentally seeing Dad change his top and I could see his ribs. My heart broke so much for him. It is so very tough. But we have to swallow hard, and carry on. I was so strong when I was with Dad, he must have thought I was heartless, but my boyfriend would pick me up from the train station and I would just break down and cry.

Are the steroids helping with his appetite? Is he still losing weight?

Oh Linda your lovely daughter, how good of her to raise that money all by herself. She must be very pleased with herself. It must be very hard for you to help her to understand about John?

Leila xx