Lady Salt Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 David's pain continues to increase, his weight continues to go down. He is 5 feet 8 and his weight tonight was 50,4 kg. We contacted the pain doctor on the 1st because the pain was too much to handle, and he doubled up the dose of his medication with no apparent benefit more than a week later. His hemoglobin was 78 last week, he looks so pale, so skinny, so forlorn. He is fading away and all I can do is watch... I try cooking high calorie recipes that end up in the garbage can uneaten, make smoothies that go bad in the fridge... I want him to be home, I dont want him at a hospital, but the increased medication is doing funny things to his mind, and he is more and more often talking totally out of context. I am not sure if it is because he is too weak or because of the pills that make him dizzy, but he keeps falling down. He already split his lip open in one occasion and today he hit his head when he fell.. we live in a two storey house and I have to go to work every day. I spend the day terrified something is going to happen to him and I am not going to be there for him. My mom is living with us but she is almost 80 years old and does not speak english... I don't know what to do. Has anyone gone through something like this? Is there hope? Does the pain go away? Can I do anything for him other than cry like a baby after he goes to bed? Please tell me what do do.. he is my whole love, my half soul and my three quarters everything else... Please help me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ztweb Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I cannot honestly say that I have been through this, but I do know I have read many a post here on this site where people were talking about their loved ones talking out of context or about bizarre things. You are not alone in that. I have read where people come out of that. Stay strong! Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiesia Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 If he is so skinny... It is not a permanent solution but it might build up his strengh: did you try IV's with glucose, lipits etc ? You can get some 3000K each day that way and it could help him fight the pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Salt Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 For some reason his doctors have not seen appropriate to give him IVs. We have the appointment with his oncologist on tuesday to review the results of his last CT scan (keeping fingers crossed) and I will definitely throw a fit if she does not do something about the weight issue. I think IV are going to be the way to go. He insists that the pain does not let him eat. Thank you for your suggestion! And thank you Jen for giving me no small amount of peace with your comment. Sometimes I dont know if I am making a big deal out of nothing or if I truly need to worry about what is going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoastLadi Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I'm going to be honest with you and at this point you need more help. I hate to mention hospice, but if you want your husband to stay at home that is probably the best thing you can do for him. I tried to get hospice in with Carlton, but like your husband was not eating, constantly sleeping and always dizzy, he fell 4 times in one day, almost seriously hurting himself. The decision was made by me and his dr. to bring him back to the hospital. I guess it was meant to happen that way. There is no easy way to deal with what is going on right now, I hope that you have a good support network, well for one thing you definitely have a great support here, and crying as much as it feels awful you need to do. I am sorry you have to endure this, but when you and your husband go to his onc. stress pain management, sometimes it's a "trial and error" type of thing where eventually they will get it under control. Grace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dscherer Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Though I don't have alot of experience with this type of pain after surgery, I have read from many how extreme the pain can be. Please discuss this with your Dr. to see what else they can do. The pain meds alone can do strange things to the mind. I will pray for good scan results and that they can find a way to manage the pain. Please keep us posted. Prayers to you both, Dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fillise Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I don't have any experience with the kind of pain you are talking about, but I wanted you to know that I will be saying prayers that the onc. can do something to relieve the pain for your husband. ((((Hugs)))) Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eileen Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Although this did not happen to me, it did to my sister after her surgery. I think the chemo and radiation really knocked the hell out of her and she had pains in her front and back and nothing helped. She could not even walk. She finally went and got nerve blocks and that eased her pain. Ask the Doc about nerve blocks---it basically deadens the nerve cells in the area of the operation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treebywater Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Your profile says he is on Oxycontin? What else is he getting for pain? DO keep raising cain let them know his pain is not managed. You are doing all the right things regarding weight gain. Is there anything that even sounds appetizing to him? Is he on anything for break-through pain? And just throwing this out there--if I remember right with Pat's Brian, and a couple of the others something that helped pain even though it wasn't a 'big heavy' was motrin gelcaps or something? Anybody remember or experience this? I will do a search later to see if I'm losing my memory again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Salt Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 David is taking right now: Oxycontin - 20 mg - 4 pills every 8 hours (Long term pain management) Oxy-IR - 10 mg - 2 to 4 pills every hour as needed (breakthrough pill) Apo-Gabapentin - 300 mg - 1 capsule every 8 hours. Nortryptiline - 10 mg - 3 capsules at bedtime Methotrimeprazine - 5 mg - 1 pill at bedtime (new prescription we got today from the doctor) Thank you all for your answers. I can't wait to talk tomorrow to the oncologist about his weight and hear what she proposes to solve that issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyr Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Hi Lady Salt: my hubby accidentally took too much oxycontin over the course of a few days. It put him into respiratory distress and he was talking "crazy talk" not making any sense at all. It all ended up with a trip to ER. Sounds like too much oxycontin. Perhaps the onc could suggest different pain meds or at least a consult with a pain management specialist. Good Luck & God Bless wendyr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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