Severe Headaches for Dad

[shellybug68]

Well after getting everything squared away for a bit with the pain meds now we are having more problems. Dad started having headaches a bit ago and now for the past 5 days they have been so severe he is vomiting from pain. He doesnt want to eat much and has been acting kinda loopy. The hospice nurse came out Thursday and increased his pain meds a little and said that he was retaining quite a bit of water so put him on Lasix twice a day. She had to come back out yesterday because his pain has not improved. They now have him on liquid morphine out of the comfort pack that they have had sitting in my refrigerater for months. So far both the nurse and doctor are not sure what is causing his headaches but have told me it could be mets to the brain. It is so very hard to see him become weaker each day and to be in so much pain that I dont seem to be able to do anything about. They also heard some wheezing in all his lobes so they brought over a nebulizer and he is supposed to be doing that 4 times a day but so far we have only done two treatments because he just is in so much pain he doesnt want to bother with them. Most of the time he acts as if he is somewhere else, he talks about stuff that we are not talking about at the time and he keeps telling us that he thought he did something when he actually didnt and then complains to us about what he did and we have to explain to him that he didnt do anything. I know that probably didnt make any sense but that is basically the way Dad is acting. He isnt making a whole lot of sense to me. My husband is worried that we may be getting close to losing him but I keep thinking it is just something else causing it. I guess I dont want to let go of him yet but at the same time, I dont want him to have this pain everyday either. We have to wait until Dec. 3 to actually see the Oncologist but I dont think my dad would even feel like going into his office any earlier anyway. He is on oxygen most of the day and getting up and down has become a chore. They brought over a urinal and are supposed to start sending a home health aide to assist in bathing him because I told the nurse he wasnt showering as much because of the pain. It all just seems to be happening so fast. I dont know what else to do for him. Right now he remains in the recliner in my living room all the time. We have a hospital bed and I am wondering if he would be more comfortable if we moved him in there but at the same time dont want him to think we are just trying to hide him in the bedroom. It has always been understood that he would need the bed soon but he refused to use it. He has always slept in a recliner in the living room even at his own house and has been doing so here at mine. I just feel like I am interrupting his sleep most of the day and know that he is getting to the point that he will be more comfortable if he was just in his skivvies or something and know he wont do that in the living room. OK so now I am just rambling but I guess I really just needed somewhere to express all of my emotions and youse guys are always so great here. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks for listening friends. Take care, Shelly

[berisa]

shelly, i am sorry for all happening on your Dad & you. I don't know whether my dad was your dad's case or similar to. But I think this could be a reference to you.

My Dad was dx with limited sclc April this year. There was a time right after the 2nd round of chemo (along with the chest radiation treatment), my Dad acted totally not making sense, he was so confused (forgot what he did), he suspected everything (thought my sister was caught by police) and he really acted like a crazy man that all of us -- family members suffered from his bad temper and his restless behaviours. We brought him to the psychatrist and found nothing abnormal. We brought him to have a brain MRI, found no brain mets. We whole family were crazy for his sudden behavioural changes.

Till now, we still don't know the real reason (you know, we never know the reason), oncologist said he never met any patients like that and he changed the chemo regimen from cisplatin to carboplatin, and coincidently the chest radiation was finished at that time, then his weird behaviours were totally gone. If you want me to guess, I thought this is the reaction / side effect of parellel chemo + radiation treatment. AND, this will only be happened in few people only (say less than 1% of all patients).

I hope this could help you and don't give up. Try to consult the doctor.

[keo4]

Hi,

My dad started acting weird like your dad, and it turned out to be from the oxycotin he was taken. I'm not sure if your dad is taking that medication, but if he is you might want to talk to the doctor about that.

Kathi