Totally in awe of my wonderful Husband!

YAY! Great news about your Dad D76! Really chuffed to hear that. I hope and pray he's turned a corner and it's onwards and upwards for you all now! My hubby doesn't have sickness by the way, just doesn't fancy food and when he does eat, he's full really quickly.

Thank you so very much Leila for your lovely words of encouragement. Just a quick post from me today as we are off for the blood transfusion this morning but.....can I just say.....hubby is just not normal (in a very nice way). He's amazingly well this morning, chemo tolerated after a good night sleep and he's back to his usual self, only ability to eat would be nice. We always joke about him not being normal - nothing seems to faze him, even large does of sleeping pills wouldn't knock him out. His answer, I've never been normal and I don't intend to be now!

This has given me a massive boost so I'm trying my friends to woosh all my good vibes and energy over your way!

Not just Proud wife today but very very very very proud wife! xxx

Dear PW

I was so pleased to read that your husband was feeling very much better this morning, and I hope his transfusion went ok.

If he continues to feel full quickly, it might be worth trying this tip if you haven't already done so. Although you've mentioned that your hubby finds drinking easier than eating, my husband used to find the Ensure Juce drinks too filling. But when I converted them into jelly form he tolerated them much better.

It was actually one of the lovely nurses here who suggested I try this and it worked!

W&M xxx

a

Well that teaches me for opening my big mouth. Transfusion went well, home for about an hour this evening when hubby had a really bad turn and started shivering. Then all of a sudden really bad break through back pain and feeling ever so unwell so it was straight back to the cancer ward. They think it could be an allergic reaction to the transfusion or an infection, should know more tomorrow, they've obviously kept him in overnight.

I feel double my age tonight!

D76, I told my hubby about your post, I think you've got more chance of being struck by lightening but I love your spirit so you carry on being a pratt as long as you want. When I get my breath back, i may well join you in being one too! Good on your Dad tonight! That's comfort food at it's best. I will check that book out.

Night night sleep tight all xx

PW, I do hope this morning finds your hubby much improved. W&M xxx

Hi PW,

I hope your husband is feeling better this morning and they dealt with the reaction. This cancer is a roller coaster! Look after yourself as well and I hope you get him home today.

Stay strong,

Love Sue x

PW

Hope all is well today. You certainly have to get used to instant changes with PC. There is just so much that can happen. As Sue says, stay strong.

Catherine

I hope your hubby is okay PW. Sending you both hugs. x

PW, hope you have seen some improvement in your hubby today. Take care of him and yourself. Thinking of you both.

xxx

Thank you everyone for your kind messages. Hubby back home and dare I say it....fighting fit. I think we'd been lulled into a false sense of security for the first 10 months when we had it relatively "easy" in comparison, if you can ever call this evil disease "easy" and the progression has come as a massive wake up call.

You are so spot on, this is a total and utter roller coaster. Seeing him have such a bad turn gave me a fright but whereas before, I thought I'd go into panic if anything went wrong, I was actually quite calm and able to reassure hubby and drive him to the hospital in one piece!

It seems that because he's had so much liquid in the past couple of days, i.e. chemo and a blood transfusion plus perhaps a little bit of ascites, that has put pressure on the nerves near the pancreas which is why he was suddenly in really bad pain as well as reacting to the blood.

Another good thing to come out of this is, hubby thinks he's invincible and wants to forget he is ill. For the past few days, I've kept asking "hows this and hows that" and he got really cranky with me - I'm lucky my head is still intact! Now he sees how quickly and without warning his condition can deteriorate and realises it's better to act as soon as we see something's wrong rather than wait for it to escalate out of control.

An early night is in order me thinks!! xxx

Hi PW,

I hope you got your early night, and a good sleep and I hope your Hubby (that word always make me think of my Mum and Dad) is now feeling better. These scares certainly keep you on your toes and I am glad you coped better than you expected too with the crisis, we just get this strength from somewhere when we need to it must be hidden inside and we just do our best. sending you a ((hug)) just in case you need it if not save it for later! take care love sandrax xx

Hi PW,

Pleased he is back home and well. This disease is very relentless and it has it's own rules, does what it wants, when it wants.

PW, there will be many times when you will think you cannot take anymore, but you will, and the reason for that is love. Love can make you as strong as you need to be, to help the one you love. I have no doubt whatsoever.

Leila xx

Hi PW checking in on how the hubby is doing and a massive thanks for your kind donation...starting to think about my next challenge I've found the fundraising bug I think.

Watching a loved one go through what this awful disease throws at them is horrendous and just when you think physically and emotionally you can't do it anymore the strength is there, I'm sure he is proud husband to have such an amazing loving wife. Love to you both xxshelxx

You are very welcome Shel. Never in a million years of Sundays would I be able to do anything like boxing or running marathons so instead, I will always happily donate what I can to anyone on here to support such a worthy cause.

Had to take hubby back to cancer ward today. I suspected and am hoping he has ascites, as he eats literally a handful of food the whole day and is full immediately. He looks preggers and has all the other symptoms. He's having chemo tomorrow and then an ultrasound to see what's going on and we will have to take it from there. On the basis that he must consume around 800 -900 calories max from the ensure drinks, he's not losing weight which leads me to believe that fluid must be building up. i hope it's that as the alternative doesn't bare thinking about.

Any advice or experiences of what to expect with ascites and it's draining gratefully received.

If love can make us strong and I'm sure it can, then we are all strong like an ox! xxx

Over here now just read your lovely message on my thread...big cyber hugs needed both ways I think.

The ascites draining didn't seem too painful and uncomfortable for mum and the relief was immediate, mums was carried out in the iv suite and was roughly 4 hours.

Ask your Dr or nurse about procal, they are like little Yakult bottles with 3 X 30ml shot of high calorie high protein mum really likes them and we know if she had 1 bottle she had 300 calories with zero fuss or effort.

Lots of love, thinking of you both xxx

Sorry PW, no advice to offer on Ascites Trevor only had it slightly right at the end, but I just wanted you to know I am thinking of you both and offering a prayer for you both too.

This bloody awful disease is relentless you pick yourselves up and it knocks you back down again, all we can do is continue the battle, and hope the news is good. sending another cyber ((hug)) love sandrax xx

Tell me about it Sandra!

Went for chemo today, they only gave him gemcitibane - didn't think he was up to having abraxane this time. Afterwards it was down to ultrasound - no ascites.

However, tummy very swollen and he's able to eat nothing now really- feeling full after a few mouthfuls literally. Oncologist arranging a barium swallow next week, thinks it could be a swelling or blockage.

We will indeed continue the battle. We are not giving up easily! xxx

Hi PW, sorry to hear of your husbands problems with eating, my Dad struggled with not being able to eat much and feeling full quickly so he then had a barium meal X-ray done and they were able to quickly diagnose a restriction and fitted a stent in September last year that really made a massive difference and enabled him to eat pretty much normally again. It is good that they haven't detected any ascites, hopefully they will be able to resolve what ever the issue is soon. Is your husband able to manage liquids? Whilst my Dad was having eating problems my Mum used to blend food up into a liquid form for him which seemed to help.

X

Hi there Paige

Many thanks for your post, that has made me feel heaps better. I thought it was bad news the swelling was not ascites but what you say makes sense and fits in with what the oncologist said. It's just that his tumour markers are up but that could be because he's just started chemo again and liver function tests getting worse.

Yes, liquids not a problem - he's been living on ensure and is happy with that plus I try to make things like yoghurt drinks by blending fresh fruit and live natural yoghurt.

This forum is just so wonderful - there always seems to be someone who's been there, seen it and got the t shirt which is just incredible for us newbies!! Thank you again Paige, I may be able to sleep tonight xx

Thinking of you both. Stay strong, you are doing a marvelous job.

Linda G

XXXX

Thank you Linda, you stay strong too, I can't begin to imagine what it must feel like to be in your shoes.

Paige, can I ask you a couple of questions:-

When your dad couldn't eat, did he have jaundice, was he losing weight and was he vomiting?

Dr Google here has looked into stents but hubby has none of the above, only he is putting on weight or staying the same weight (he weighs daily, it's a ritual!) despite such low calorie intake. His only "problem" is being unable to eat food. Today, he says he feels 9 out of 10 and fighting fit. If you saw him, apart from his pregnant tummy, you would never know he was ill.xxx

Hi PW,

The mention of jaundice I would imagine is probably in relation to a bile duct stent which my Dad did have to have fitted on another occasion when he became very ill towards the end. When I used to google I realised searching duodenal stent was helpful for finding information about restrictions affecting eating. My Dad had problems with eating on two separate time periods, I didn't mention the second as your husband is in a very different place to where my Dad was at that point, my Dad in general was extremely ill and couldn't even keep fluids down in the end and as you say your husband it still feeling well which is good, on this occasion when my Dad was struggling with eating my Dad did gain weight but he gained a lot of weight and was bloated as food was sitting in his stomach due to the restriction but he had extreme vomiting, as in litres of fluid and again this is obviously not the case with your husband. On the first occasion back in September last year when my Dad was still feeling relatively well he would be bloated sometimes until he was sick, he was losing a bit of weight as he was eating solid foods which he would then throw back up due to the restriction although I think he did manage to stabalize his weight with a liquid diet.

I hope your mind can be put at ease soon once they find the problem, if your husband does need a stent it really did make the world of difference for my Dad when he needed one In September last year, he went from a liquid diet for weeks to eating steaks/burgers just a couple of days after the stent. Also In the world of PC , of all the issues that can arise a resriction is probably one of the easier issues to resolve., though I know still a very distressing situation to be in.

Thinking of you both.

Xx

Hi Paige

That's just it, he's not vomited once in the past couple of years from memory and certainly not from when he was diagnosed. Oncologist mentioned a swelling in his tummy but what he meant by that I don't know. I suppose he means cancer spread, who knows. Hubby's tummy getting bigger and bigger and he's got the worst cough ever but no fever. They sent a sample for culture on thursday but I've just called the ward and no results known as yet. Now his back is hurting him when he coughs and I'm not happy with his breathing, other than that, all hunky dory this end!! I am going to get him assessed today. When he says he's not feeling well, I know he's really not well.

I am sitting here worrying how much further his tummy can swell without there being consequences. He's not losing weight but no eating either so somethings going on.

I am aware that no-one can give advice but if anyone has been through anything similar, please let me know.

Thank you!

P.S. we always, always have emergencies over a bank holiday weekend! It's 2nd nature now LOL. Got to joke or I will cry (again) xx

HI PW

Sorry to hear that your husband is still feeling unwell. I can only give experience not advice. However, my husband did have this swelling and it was ascites but it was not immediately detected. Since your husband has had an ultrasound and nothing detected then it seems to be something else. Not eating and not losing weight was associated with fluid collection in my husband's case. He is in the best place for attention. Please let us know how you get on. We are all thinking of you both.

Catherine

Dear PW, very sorry to hear the latest with your husband and hope you get to the bottom of what's wrong and that it's easily treatable.

W&M xx