Update on my Dad

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-16-2006
Update on my Dad
9
Mon, 06-12-2006 - 4:20am

I've been so busy with things at home that I haven't been able to get back to update you on my dad and his fight with colon & liver cancer.  


He had a colonoscopy and has now started chemo.   He has lost about 35 lbs and is just a wisp of what he was.  He also has no energy or appetite.  His liver is quite bad, but is still functioning at full strength.  He is still living alone and last monday (3 days after his 1st chemo session) he collapsed in his kitchen and didn't have the strength to get back up for a very long time.  I flew down to be with him on tuesday and make arrangements for him to come up here (I'm 500 miles north of him) but am having problems with his friends who don't want him to go with me.  They keep telling him he won't get the care and treatment he needs to cure him, even tho both his GP and his Oncologist say we have a great Oncologist up here and he should be with his only family (myself and my daughter)  This is really confusing my dad and putting him in a stressful situation.  Finally we got him to agree to come up just until his strength is back (thanks to the oncologist saying exactly that).  These so-called friends are trying to get him to stay with them and they'll look after him, but how can I believe they will look after him when they can't drive him to his appt's, can't seem to find time to get his prescriptions, or do any shopping for him.


I do have some questions about chemo, the side-effects and how to stimulate appetite.  My dad has developed the hiccups since starting chemo and they are causing more pain than the liver cancer.  Has anyone had this happen to them and if so, how did you control them.  The doctor gave him meds to stop them, but it's not working.   He also doesn't want to eat anything.  I am able to get him to eat cream of wheat cereal in the morning and broth for lunch but dinner is not happening...only a bite or two then he pushes it away.  I have been adding whey protein powder to his cereal and soup to help boost him but is there something else I can do to help him along?


Fighting to do what's best for dad.....

Kim


 

Kim

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-24-2006
Mon, 06-12-2006 - 11:03am
I am sorry to hear about your Dad. I would take him back with you if it is possible. I know everyone says take the help that is offered but no will take care of him like you and your daughter will. They may say they will but I would do what you are doing. The hiccups my husband also had them from the chemo but the doctors gave him a prescription and it worked maybe ask the doctors if there is another one and tell them this one is not working. My husband went through the same thing with not eating you just have to keep pushing and offer all kinds of things my husband ate alot of oddles of noodles because that is what he wanted and at that point I was giving him whatever he asked for and hoped that he ate it my husband has lost 35lbs since all this started in Oct 2005. Ask the doctor about a pill called maranol it is a marajuana pill it is good for the appetite it worked somewhat for my husband. I know how you are feeling just keep up the hope and offer him everything under the sun to eat something will interest him. Just watch the supplements you are giving him some counter act with the meds and some done but they also made my husband sick. MY husband ended up with a feeding tube, but thats another story.
m26
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-16-2006
Mon, 06-12-2006 - 3:02pm

Thanks, m26, for the words of support.

Kim

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Tue, 06-13-2006 - 5:50am

Hi Kim, nice to see you again and thank you for the update on your dad.

Judy

cl-ivhjude

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2004
Tue, 06-13-2006 - 5:45pm

Hi Kim,
I was just wondering about your father's liver cancer. How did the doctors initially try to treat it? Did they ever explore radiofrequency ablation or surgery or any other procedures to treat it? Were the tumors in more than one location in your father's liver? My father's liver has one large tumor and a few smaller ones...I am just so scared. My father is soo skinny to start with so if he has to go through chemo which I am almost sure he will have to...he will just wilt away to nothing.. I am so scared..My father also has two tumors in his left lung. He was just diagnosed so we are just starting our journey and I have no clue what to expect...

Any advice or just sharing your experience with this would be greatly appreciated..

thanks,
Sarah

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Wed, 06-14-2006 - 5:56pm
Sarah forgive me for jumping in on your post to Kim but I just had to post to you.

Judy

cl-ivhjude

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-16-2006
Wed, 06-14-2006 - 7:58pm

Hi Judy, thanks for the information and words of support.

Kim

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-16-2006
Wed, 06-14-2006 - 8:14pm

Hi Sarah,


The doctors only did the colon surgery to remove the tumors from there.

Kim

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 11:33pm
Kim if his immune system gets low and blood work will tell you that, then keeping him from anyone sick is really important.

Judy

cl-ivhjude

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 11:38pm

''That was Jan 8, 1997.''


Kim when I read this it took me back a bit as it is the exact same day I lost my mother to cancer.

Judy

cl-ivhjude