My Dad just diagnosed

[Morwenna]

Hi to everyone,

My Dad was diagnosed with PC 3 weeks ago and this website has been such a support to me and reading all your stories has really helped so thank you My poor Dad has been fit and healthy all his life so to see him so poorly is such a shock!! He is only 62. Back in August he had some blood tests because he had been feeling unwell and was diagnosed with diabetes which we thought was strange as he is very slim and eats healthily, his blood sugars would not regulate so he was put on insulin but it didn't improve. Then he turned jaundice so was sent for more tests and scans, he had a stent put in a few weeks ago and was feeling better but is so thin!!! Yesterday he was sick and spent the day in bed although today he is a bit better. The gp has given him amoxycillin!! Does this mean he's got an infection?? I thought it was just a sickness bug that has been doing the rounds!!

It's so worrying seeing him like this, his tumour is inoperable and he is due for a biopsy in a few weeks then chemo to follow that. Any tips on weight gain would be very much appreciated.xx

[hope1977]

Hi

I am sorry to hear about your dad. it is the worst thing ever. my dad was the same ate well always healthy food, no drinking or smoking so it was a real shock. Dad has been losing weight every week for the last couple of months.(he was offically diagnosed in oct) he finds it hard to drink as well. he has tried tons of the different weight gain drinks but they just werent going down well at all. for a few weeks he couldnt stomach any of them. he seemed to go downhill after having a couple of sessions of chemotherapy then on the 3rd visit the nurse said he wasnt really fit enough to continue for the time. the chemo nurse had suggested a steriod dexamethrasome which after calling the oncologist who then told me to contact the GP (nothing seems to be straight forward) did prescribe this as it can increase your appetite. he started on 2 tablets a day (4mg) that made a bit of difference but they have recently upped it to 8mg a day and this seems to have made a difference, so i hope it lasts. he is still up and down but we are pleased that he is having a few more up days now. you will see lots of posts about adding cream and butter to food. using full fat milk,it all helps. the problem is if he is not eating much to start with you need something to add the cream and butter to! ice cream also seems to go down well with dad. also he has just tried ensure, which is a powder you add to milk so its really likea milkshake and it has 600kcal which is a lot. hope this helps. Good luck xxxx

[Morwenna]

Hi

Sorry to hear your Dad is going through the same thing, it's such an awful shock isn't it xx

I did buy Dad some full fat milk,butter etc. But he thinks this may have caused his sickness yesterday as he's not used to so much fat in his diet so he's not having it now!!! As for the ensure type shakes, do they do them for diabetics? As the tumor has caused him to have diabetes. Its hard to get calories in him when he cant have sugar!

Also I'm reading a lot about creon, do you know much about it?

Thanks for your reply xx

[AnneD]

Just wondering if you have seen the section on diet and pancreatic cancer.

It looks at the impact of pancreatic cancer on diet and nutrition and contains information on managing dietary related symptoms.

http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/information-and-support/diet-living-with-pancreatic-cancer/diet

Morwenna, I have no pancreas now and so am diabetic but I do have a carbohydrate-rich diet.

I calculate how much insulin to take depending on the carbohydrate content of a meal.

Can your dad do this or is he on a different kind of insulin regime?

Anne

[laura]

creon is SO important when you have problems with the pancreas, the pancreas is unable to break down the foods to aid digestion, this is where creon comes in.i never cease to be amazed that creon , or similar, is not part of the help given to those suffering with pc my hubby also became insulin dependant upon diagnosis, this was march 2010, now he eats what he wants [ has his own chockie drawer in fridge!! ] and the diabetes appears to be no longer there! so do get some organised asap, bri takes 25,000, about 10 a day, you cannot overdose, but you can certainly not take sufficient? hope this helps, love laura xxx

[PCUK Nurse Jeni]

Hi Morwenna,

Sorry to hear about your dad.

Will email you some suggestions.

Kind regards,

Jeni.

[Morwenna]

Hi Anne

I will have a look at the diet section, thankyou.

Yes Dad is on insulin but is still getting the hang of it, I take it you give yourself a bit more insulin if you have lots of carbs?

Morwenna

[Morwenna]

Laura

I have today rang and spoken to Dad's CNS about Creon as I've been reading on here alot about it and the GP wouldn't give him any so she is sending some out for him thank goodness!!

Thanks for your help

Morwenna x

[laura]

hi, glad you have it sorted, now dad has been presribed them your dr will have to do the same!

so important how you take them, for a cereal type breakfast bri tkes two, one after a few mouthfuls and one towards the end, if he has toast he will take another one, the capsuls contain loads of small "balls"! and the capsule disolves over the food to digest it. bri always found red meat much harder to digest and needed extra.

one with a snack. one or two with a sandwich, at least three with main meal, you cannot overdose so dont worry, just get dad to understand, when bri was on a lot of ensure he still used them, same with glass of milk,

i understand creon is not needed with fruit, which we eat a lot of, there are differant strengths, ours is 25.ooo

hope this is of some help, i can only relay our regime, love laura x

[laura]

meant to say u can add cream to the icecream? cheese/cream to soups etc laura x

[Morwenna]

Thanks for the diet info Laura xx And Dad has started Creon now...yippee xx

My Dad has to go for an MRI scan on Saturday does anyone know why he might need this as well? Then his biopsy is on Monday and I've heard people saying this can make you poorly...is this true? Just want to be prepared for what might happen!! And how long does it take to get the results on both of these tests, I'm keen for him to start chemo asap but do we have to wait and see what the results are first? So many questions!!!!! Sorry!!

Morwenna x

[laura]

morwenna, mri scan looks at things in more detail, bri has ct scan every 12 weeks, but has had mri, dont worry too much [ easy to say, sorry] what ever they have planned its in your dads interest, so many on here say how difficult it is to get things started, cant help re biopsy as bri had his while "out" for attempted whipples!, wishing dad and you all the best love lauraxx glad he has started on creon x

p.s we have always been lucky to have our results of scans within a week, guess hospitals vary, our oncologist always asks for them by a certain date, and they are there x

[Morwenna]

Hi Laura

I see you live in Cornwall, so do I so I guess we use the same hospital?!

Thanks for your help as always xx hope Bri is doing ok?

Morwenna xx

[laura]

hi guess so, just outside Truro? you can always mail me if you wish, i live near st.austell

always happy to help if i can, my bri laughs at the knowledge i have aquired since diagnosis, hadnt heard of pc before,

so its only layman info i can pass on, but if it helps only one person, thats good.

i do hope you experience the same good care that we did/ still do.? take care love laura xxx

[jenna]

Hi Laura l have been looking at your posts. So good to read about Bri and how you have managed since his diagnosis, Gives others hope and thankyou for sharing your story and all your encouragement to others on here.

[laura]

thanks jenna, have looked at your posts, have you only made the three?, not of course that you have to do lots [sorry ] just wondered if id missed something, so was being nosy, well whatever your reason. nice of you to message, thks laura x

[jenna]

Hi Laura would be happy to send you an e-mail/ private message but do not know how to do this. J

[laura]

jenna i am happy for the moderators to give you my email address, look forward to hearing from you, love laura xx

[PCUK Nurse Jeni]

Hi Jenna/Laura,

I will sort this for you.

Jeni.