My Dad My Dad

[Ellie]

I am breathing a huge sigh of relief tonight. After an awful night and day of worry, it turns out my husband has blood clots in his lungs, not cancer that has spread. He will need warfarin for 3 months to get rid of the clots, but it shouldn't affect his chemo.

It's still a step backwards to be in hospital with this problem, but it could have been much worse, so I am so very relieved.

Ellie

[lorraine]

Hi

Iam very pleased to hear that the cancer has not spread and they can do something with the clots,its' true what you say it just feels like one step forward and 2 steps back.Dad came out of hospital today,they couldn't find out how/why his temp was up,they just said he had an infection.One doctor said we carry our own viruses and because dads blood count as low he may well have infected himself?

No chemo next week he's having a break for another week,then he will start again.Dads under Reading Hospital and staff in the cancer unit seem very nice.

A nurse came in the other day to ask dad some questions and she asked him what he had, and he explained to her that he had p/c .It wasn't nice to hear my dad say p/c it made it sound real if you know what i mean.Dad knows he's got it but he deals with it at the moment by thinking it's not there.Not sure if thats good or not?.

How long will your husband be in hospital for?

As for your husbands chemo iam sure the doctors will do everything possible for him,and get him started on the best course to suit him.Dad has one once aweek and even that knocks the stuffing out of him.

Stay strong for each other,i know it's hard sometimes and it's easy to say.I get strength from this site as i can talk to people about things and find things out so iam prepared for when/if anything happens (well hopefully prepared if you can ever really be).Its like rideing a rollercoster at the moment that you have no control over.Anyway i hope your husband starts to feel better soon and starts chemo.

Thinking of you

Lorraine

[lorraine]

Hi

No chemo for dad this week,doctors are going to change it as it seems too strong for him to cope with .

He has no strength and is tried all the time and has been in/out of hospital since his 1st lot.

Doctors are not 100% it will do anything anyway,i would be so upset if he went through all this as he his now to be told sorry no more treatment.He would have wasted 3 months being stuck indoors /hospital for nothing.But i know we have to try and dad wonted to try,i just would rather it be good quality for him than how he is now, at least he was going out doing things before he started chemo.He's also lost more weight because he was in bed for four days he's lost muscle weight which really shows .

Lorraine

[tc0001]

Hi Lorraine

My Mum also went thru 3 months of chemo and was really struggling with it. She missed two weeks of the 2nd cycle due to infection and after the 3rd cycle discovered it wasn't working. At least now she doesn't have the weekly trek to hospital only to be ill two days later. Its not easy but we have to make the most of everything.

Good luck to your Dad and yourself and family. I tend to lurk on here just to know I'm not the only one.

Best wishes

Tracey

[lorraine]

Hi Tracy

Sorry to hear about your mum.Hows she getting on now after chemo.dad seems to be so weak due to chemo does strength come back once its stopped

Thinking of you all

Lorraine

[tc0001]

Hi Lorraine

Sorry for the delay in replying. When my Mum was having chemo we monitored blood pressure and temp. It seemed that chemo was Monday, she was fine Tuesday, Wednesday her blood pressure was really low followed by a raised temp that lasted until Saturday morning. She was fine during the weekend but then the routine started again.

Since the chemo she was very bright at first but has since had a very bad infection and been in hospital. Her MacMillan nurse has said the infection was so severe it could be six months before she recovers. She is now very weak and struggles to do most things. I believe if this hadn't happened she would be a lot stronger now.

I honestly think that she improved when the chemo finished.

Good luck

Tracey

[lorraine]

Hi Tracy

How are things going?

Lorraine

[lorraine]

Hi

Just a note to say my dad has nearly finished his 2nd lot of chemo just 1 more month to go then he will be rescaned.The chemo had to be reduced 2 weeks ago as it was making dad to ill and he seemed to be in and out of hospital.But the last 2 weeks he's said he's felt the best he has in a long while.He still feels very sleepy after chemo but nothing like before and high temp/shakes have stopped too.His weight has dropped to 10.4lb he used to be 13.7lb but doctors dont seemed to be too concerned about it.I just hope we get a little bit of good news in a months time,i know its never going to go away,but i keep praying every night .x

Lorraine

[lorraine]

Hi Can anyone give me some advice

Dad seems to forget things alot at the moment,and it seems to be getting more noticeable.

Could it be due to the cancer spreading even more from the liver and p/c or due to chemo or just the fact he is thinking about stuff so much.Has anyone else gone /noticed this with a loved one in advanced p/c.

Regards

Lorraine

[kazzie]

hello Lorraine,I am new to this board,and have only just found it,our story is Dad who is 67 was found to have cancer cells in pancreas and liver in the beginning of august it took till middle of september to discover that it was pancreatic,he has been told by his specialist 1maybe 2 years,he has now started chemo,and is half way through his first course of 8 weeks,he seems to be ok at the moment still at work but has cut down his hours,he has a bad cold at the moment and that seems to be pulling him down at the minute.The reason i decided to write this was last weekend his memory seemed to have gone completely and I had never seen this in him before,he was telling me the same conversation over and over again within the same minutes and I too was wondering the same thing,reading all your posts was like deja vous it is exactly how I am feeling and at the same time.

I do hope your Dad is feeling a bit better ,and my thoughts are with you ,him and the rest of your family alongside ours

Karen

[lorraine]

Hi Karen

Thanks for your message,and iam sorry to hear about your dad i take it hes not having the whipple op

Dad is ok this week spoke to him tonight and hes' had a nice day,and chemo hasn't affected him too much this week.Abit of a bad day on wednesday but thats it,now he has a week off then his last set.

I think our dads must have so much going on in their heads that maybe they don't really take things in,you know how it is when sometimes someone is chatting away you say yes and nod but really your thinking about something else.And what a big thing to have to deal with and think about.

But i do think that the chemo affects it too.How long is your dad having chemo for(how many courses).

Hope your dad shakes his cold off soon

Take care and my thoughts are with you and your family.

loraine

[kazzie]

hello Loraine, good to hear hes had a few good days, before we found out about him having cancer he had asked us to go in shares with him on an allotment,which we had said yes too,we then found out 2 days after it was p.c he had the allotment plot,but its been keeping him going planning and designing slightly obsessing over it to my mums mind,but hes loving it,It was quite a rundown one so myself and husband are working like trojans every weekend for him but bless him he is out when he can and feels really good for it,his chemo is on fridays so he always seems ok to come on saturdays and then on sundays feels abit ill,but I really think this has been a blessing in disguise,he was building a greenhouse last weekend and today he is out there burning all the weeds down with a flame thrower,he keeps coming in for a rest but is out there a lot of the day,and everyone is round tonight for fireworks and bonfire over there so hopefully he will still feel up to it,have a good weekend,prayers and thoughts with you

karen

[lottied]

Hi Lorraine I just wondered how you and your family are coping . My sister who is 45 years old is going through exactly the same thing right now. She was diagnosed in july this year and had the whipples op on the 22nd of August. The results are exactly as you stated for your dad and she is about to start chemo, level 2 on tuesday. We can only wait and pray but times are hard and like you I am trying to be strong and positive. I will be thinking of you all and know I am feeling the same pain you are suffering. Love Denise

[lorraine]

Hi Denise,so sorry to hear about your sister, p/c is just horrible and so hard to deal with but we just have to take a day at a time .

I look on this site most days but sometimes i just carnt write,dads looking so thin he doesnt look like himself at all anymore .He starts his last lot of chemo today so any new will be before xmas ( if they will carry on or not with chemo)

Sometimes when i see him its like 1/2 of him has gone already.sorry i find it very hard to be strong at the moment.

Dad does have good days and trys to do jobs in the garden/house but then he over does it, and then pays for it the next day.

Send as much time as you can with your sister and try to stay positive ( i should take my own advise i think !).But i know that can be very hard

Please let me know how things go with chemo,take care of yourself too.

Lorraine

[Ellie]

Dear Lorraine

It must be so very hard to see your Dad go through this, and it IS hard to stay strong all the time, so just want to say I am thinking about you.

Love

Ellie

x

[kazzie]

hello Loraine and Denise I do hope your dad and sister are having a few better days and that her first chemo went ok yesterday,

My dad this week doesn't seem to be so good he has just sat for 4 days now not talking even to the kids and believe me thats hard ! so hence i've been quite tearful too,I just dont know is it the chemo or is it the cancer ,I read what has been written but sometimes a day at a time is so hard ,like you I read on here most days and somedays cant bring myself to write ,but thought Id give it ago today,but my thoughts keep going back to "why am I like this just think what he's going through"then I feel worse I'm sorry if this has sounded very sorry for myself I really dont mean it too this just seems a vent.I am thinking of you all and hope your next day is ok

Karen

[lottied]

Hi thankyou for your replies.

We're going through a very bad time at the moment. My sister had her first chemo on Tuesday. Yesterday (Friday) we had to have her admitted to hospital. She was being very sick, bringing up green bile. She was very dehydrated and looked so very, very ill. She is weary after 4 months of constant pain. who said they would look after her on the clinical trials, had no beds and and 11 people waiting for beds yesterday. I am so angry and now think my sister is being used as a guinea pig. She was admitted at 2 oclock at our local hospital and didn't get on to a ward until 7 oclock! All that time on a hard trolley when she is so painfully thin.Cried all night but I think we're allowed to let it out sometimes. Waiting to see what the doctor says this morning, she had an xray last night and they are trying to get her scans from x (edited-moderator). x (edited-moderator) said the sickness we described is not a side effect of the chemo. My sister said if this is what she has to go through then she doesn't want the chemo shes due to go again next Tuesday. Thanks again for your replies. Love to you all. Denise

[kazzie]

hello Denise,was just wondering how your sister has got on? Dad had a bad time last week,and reading back on what i wrote didnt sound good,but he seems to be much better this week,he has his last chemo this friday,and then his tests to see how its gone so next week we will be on tenterhooks.I do hope your sister is feeling a bit better,and that you too are managing.thoughts are with you xx Karen

[lorraine]

Hi

Dads having a blood transfusion today hes not been good all week.Last chemo on tuesday next week so fingers crossed.

Thinking of you all

Lorraine

[kazzie]

Lorraine,thinking of you,hope all goes well

karen

[lottied]

Hi to you all. Thanks for asking about my sister. Hope everything goes o.k with you. Lots of love and best wishes to you and all your families. Tomorrow I take my sister into Bolton Hospice. Have spent all day today with her, I love her so much. The prognosis isn't good and x (edited-moderator) say unless she asks don't tell her. I'm finding it very very hard now and everyone is so angry and upset. She had her chemo again yesterday and another next week that's if she wants it. As long as she is well cared for and looked after that's all that matters. The ambulance is due any time after 8.30am she said it's going to be a long night. Thinking off you all .Keep positive I'm trying too, because I know I have to be strong Love Denise X

[lorraine]

Hi

Been having a bad few weeks, dads has gone down hill alot in the last few weeks.He goes to bed alot,hes not been eating much this week and he is now on a 5ml slow dose morphine.We go the the hospital on monday to get the results of the scan/chemo,(has it worked i dont think so).

Dads really unsteady on his feet and keeps tripping.

Waitrose who he works for are payiny for him to go and see our family on the Isle of Wight, next week by private ambulance,which i think is very good of them but also it will be tuff because i think this maybe the last time he will ever go back.All 3 of us are going for the day,dad would not be able to go for the day in a normal car,it would be too much.At least he will be able to rest/lay down in the ambulance .Dad was going to spend xmas with us but i think with 2 small kids around it will be too much.Iam really starting to think this is the last xmas dad will have,and the way hes gone down hill in 3 weeks i.am starting to think that dad wont be around for too much longer .Sorry to be all doom and gloom,put when i have my dad with tears running down his face talking about what is going to happen its very hard .I thought the weeks after his op were hard but its not a patch on this watching him waste away .

P/C sucks

Lorraine

[kazzie]

Lorraine,I am so sorry to hear your news,it will be lovely for him to try and get there all beit for a day,I do hope it goes well,my husband has offered to take my mum and dad down to London in between xmas and new year to see family as my dad wouldn't be able to drive.My dad has been told about some honey by his nurse and has just bought some to try about £40 a jar but its meant to increase the white blood cell levels while they are having chemo,and I do hope it works for him,I dont know if any one else has heard of this if so would love to hear.Lorraine thoughts are with you try to be strong and hope you do have a lovely day. xx Karen

[lorraine]

Hi Karen

Thanks for your kind words.

Ive not heard about this honey,but i hope you find some and it does the trick . I hope your dad/mum have a nice time in London too,its always nice to go a see the lights this time of year.

Take-care

Lorraine x

[Ellie]

Hi Lorraine

Just read about your dad. So sorry to hear he's not doing too well. It must be so very hard for you to see him like that.

What a lovely thing for his company to do, arranging for him to go and see his family. I hope all goes well and it brings him comfort to see them again.

Thinking of you and sending my best wishes.

Love

Ellie

xx