Jump to content

Not LC but have a question


Littlegirl

Recommended Posts

My cousin went in to the hospital have her gallbladder removed while on vacation last January. They discovered cancer in the duct leading to the gallbladder. She has been in and out of the hospital ever since then (mostly in) and has not ever been well enough for them to treat the cancer. She's not been able to keep any food down for quite some time now and has been receiving nourishment via a feeding tube. Recently the doctors have decided that the feeding tube is only feeding the cancer and so it has been removed. How long can a person last without nourishment?

Thanks, Karen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Karen,

I am very sorry to hear of your cousin's situation. My Mom had ovarian cancer many years ago. Radiation had fried her small intestine and it literally crumbled when they opened her up to see what was going on. They connected the few usable feet that were left and told her she couldn't obtain enough nourishment without a small intestine. They told us that without fluid it would be a matter of days and with IV fluid/feeding a matter of weeks. She lived one month, but did receive IV fluids/feeding. It is hard to say how each person will react, but thought I'd give you our experience.

Take care and prayers for your dear cousin.

Welthy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Karen-

It depends on if she is getting any fluids at all (water by mouth), because it will happen faster if she becomes dehydrated. I believe I have usually heard 10-14 days. I think that was with the famous case in Florida where they removed the woman's feeding tube.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm so sorry to hear of your cousin's fight. :cry: How incredibly hard that must be for your family.

I can tell you from experience that Mom was able to live for almost three months with almost no food...only liquids...but she originally had alot of body fat that her body used up in that time. However, if she's unable to take even liquids by mouth, the body dehydrates much faster and, in general, it's thought to be not much longer than a week.

Sending hugs and prayers to you and yours...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It takes about a week to die without any nourishment. In 1998 my grandmother had a massive stroke and lost her ability to swallow. Hospice was called in and explained that it takes about a week to die that way and that the person is beyond experiencing hunger or thirst. She was kept comfortable with Roxicet drops and died 6 days later.

So sorry your family has to go through this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all your responses. To be honest I'm not sure how much liquids she is getting. I know her time here on earth is very limited. So sad to see someones life change overnight. She went on vacation in January and her life has not been the same since, and never will be.

Thanks, Karen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.