Suzie Q

Call the doctor NOW! He needs to be evaluated. This could also be a stroke.

My dad had gastric bypass and a feeding tube because of obstructive tumor in his small intestine. Yes, you can go home with a g-tube. You may beed a pump, and some have a portable pouch so you can take it with you. We had to fluch Dad's tube every 4 hours with tap water. His flow rate was very slow because he couldn't tolerate a fast rate, so he was prone to plugs. If you have any problems with that, please PM me. We had great sucess with a small 10 cc syringe to force out the plug. Oncologic surgeon also okayed a little hydrogen peroxide when the plug was very tough. If you have problems with spillage from the tube site, it can be bery painful as the stomach acid will eat at the skin. A barrier cream works well keeping the spillage off the skin. I hope this will allow time for the esophagus to heal. Maybe a stomach acid reducer will help prevent backsplash into the esophagus. best wishes, Suz

Karen, I am so sorry that things are not looking good. I know how much you want to find some thing that will work for him, yet there is a point at which we must not go chasing down every bunny trail in hopes of a working treatment because of how nuch our loved one is going through. Your love for your DH is evident. You've taken on this fight WITH him, and that's a good thing. Do not doubt your encouragement for him. You mentioned that some "old" chemo options may still be open to him. Do discuss this with the doctor, just to be sure, but with his tenuous liver status, the treatment may be too much for him.. Much support and many prayers coming your way, Suz

I remember walking 5 or 6 blocks to the park to go swimming or ice skating with a friend. Back then, it was ok to do that without a parent. I remember the band "Asia." I remember those hard root beer candies shaped like barrels. We'd load up on them plus a few Bazooka gums and get change back from a quarter! I remember stirrup pants with tunic sweaters (yuck!). I remember when I thought 35 was old!

You have my sincere sympathies.

Prayers going out that Keith will be accepted into the Swiss trial and that his pain and stomach issues will be relieved.

Lori, I think you are wise to obtain all the information you can before presenting the best options to your mom. In her emotional state, it is best to give her firm options so she does not attach to one option that really may not be viable. Good luck Monday. I hope at least one of the facilities is very nice and can offer all the services she needs. Enjoy the weekend!

Stop me if you've heard this one before... A blonde walks into a pizza joint and orders a personal-sized pizza. The cook asks if she would like her pizza cut into four or six slices. She ponders this for several minutes, and tells him, "Just make it four. I don't think I could eat six slices!"

It seems that someone with the user name "gdpawel" posted with quite a bit of info about this. Try a search by author here.

Oh, Lori! I feel for you, because I think I know what lies ahead of you. Although my dad did not have brain surgery, he was hospitalized last year for over 3 months, most of that time confined to a bed. He was extremely weak and had lost a great deal of weight (and censequently muscle mass) and went to a "rehab" facility. And yes, it's a nice name for a nursing home. They got him strong enough to sit into a wheelchair, but he had to return to the hospital and lost some progress. He was discharged "wheelchair-ready" and had physical and occupational therapy at home, but only for a few weeks. It seems that once they show the patient the exercises and make sure that the exercises are understood, they discharge the patient. Expect your mom to need a commode. Gross, I know, but for a few weeks, it is better than trying to wrangle her into the bathroom. She will also need a walker. When she is strong enough for the toilet, get support rails for the toilet. These are easily installed and are a great help. Will she be getting a hospital bed? These really are beneficial as they usually can be lowered closer to the floor so she can get up easier than with a traditional bed, plus the head/feet can be elevated. The mattresses leave a lot to be desired, but a memory foam mattress topper can solve that problem. Find out how much coverge they will give her for nurse aide/home health care assistance. I doubg yout SF will be good about helping her with her ersonal care needs, especially in the middle of the night! Boy, you are in a sticky wicket. No bathing facilities on the family room floor, so a hospital bed set up there would not be optimal unless she is ok with sponge baths only. And leaving her in her bedroom all day keeps her separated from the activity of the house and makes it hard to motivate her to do her PT exercises and receive visitors, because she would be essentially confined up there. I don't have any advice, just plead your case to the insurance case manager, and if you get nowhere, move up the chain of command. Someone HAS to be able to work with you on this! Just an afterthought: is it possible to get into a "nicer" nursing home and get the insurance co. to pay their usual reimbursement rate and your parents pay the difference? We considered this with my dad but chose the home care option. Hugs to you, dear. Don't try to do it all yourself! ~Suz

Mom calls me Suzie Q or Suz. Don't know where that came from, other than the fact my middle name is Sue. Dad called me Snail because I was always the last one ready to go anywhere (also the only girl other than my mom, so I should have been cut some slack !). He also called me Bones because I was skinny as a kid. Those skinny days are long gone! My brothers used to call me Keeder. Apparently I could not say my name properly and they allege it's how I said my name. I think there's a conspiracy afoot. ~Suzie

So great to hear your news!

Um...Please tell me these are not snapshots of your friends!

Larry, I'm so sorry things have come to this point. May your faith see you through the days ahead and comfort you in the knowledge that your beloved is in the tender care of her Lord.

The hospital staff will not want your dad to be dosing himself with his own medications. It would be better to make waves and get pain management involved. IV continuous drip morphine can work well, with a patient-controlled bonus booster so much per hour. Pain patches work well for some people, too.

I am speechless... My sympathies to Leslie's family.

Deepest condolences to you in your loss. She is now at peace in the light!

Eppie, you can look up the chemo drugs in the Physician's Desk Reference (PDR) online. Sorry, I don't have the link any longer. Look for ototoxicity for any of the chemo agents he's been on. Good luck.

Don't waste your time with worry. It's ineffective and useless. Worrying does not change the results. Realize that while we can control some things in our lives, we are not in control of the big picture. Surrender yourself to the higher authority.

Tina and Charlie, You are in my prayers!

spunk

Thank you all for your condolences. Bless my mom's heart, she was his main caregiver, even with her own illness. She said an angel appeared every day to help in some way, in the form of one person or another. She never knew who it would be, but there would always be someone! And Ginny, actually my mom nicknamed me Suzie Q. Dad always called me "Snail" because I took forever to get ready and was ALWAYS the last one in the car! Thanks again to you all.

OOPS! #3 should read I am not Russian.

I may be too late on the bandwagon, but here goes: 1. I faint at the sight of blood. 2. Our house is evenly divided with right- and left-handers. 3. I am Russian.

I can't lay clain to this one, but my DH loves potato chip sandwiches. Two slices white bread smeared with Miracle Whip & the potato chip crumbs from the bottom of the container. I love ketchup on my egg sandwiches. Does that qualify as an odd combination?