Well for a start, it's dad's decision and he can only know the results by trying it.
If he's prepared to give it a go then he is determined to get the best out of it.
You may have read in recent posts about strange tastes that some men suffer with the chemo.
He could take frozen pineapple sticks (or cubes) to chew on while he is having it (but he will need to be careful of the build up of acid making any ulcers he may get that much worse.)
One of the members in that discussion said he took his frozen fruit in a thermos flask so that it stayed frozen which I thought was an excellent idea.
Will you or somebody be going with him?
Try and ignore what others say. A lot of people blurt out the first thought in their heads without processing the affects.
My stepmother has just been told by a "friend" that she knows somebody who died recently from Scleroderma which my stepmother has and needs urgent treatment for.
Not what you want to hear when your choices are limited.
At best you can say those people think they are being helpful. At worst, they are thoughtless idiots and not worth bothering with. !
I'm not suggesting it will be plain sailing for him, but he may be one of the lucky ones who gets through it without too much drama and discomfort.
If he starts to suffer the side effects of sore mouth etc, make sure he deals with it straight away and that he doesn't try and soldier on.
Tell him good luck from us. Please keep us up to date and if we can help oir advise then you know by now that we will
Edited by member 08 Feb 2018 at 15:42
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We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails |
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Thank you Johsan for your support and advice and I’m sorry your step mother has also been on the receiving end of such thoughtless comments. It makes me so cross!!! My poor sister got very upset when the neighbour went over. I won’t be waving to her anymore - hrrrumph. I’ll be doing absolutely everything in my power to support my Dad and I’m pleased to say his GP has acted quickly and we have a McM lady visiting him next week (someone suggested I sort this out so thank you to whoever advised - possibly Lyn) xxx
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Hi Pen
I was so sorry to read your latest posts, like the others who commented, I too am so surprised at the speed at which things have changed for your dad. May I ask how old he is? I can’t remember if you mentioned it before. My hubby and I are on the waiting train again at moment. He had a bone scan and ct scan yesterday so until next week it’s going to be sleepless nights for me! He still snores his head off fast asleep which is brilliant! We see our oncologist tomorrow with his 4 weekly blood test results his PSA has doubled since last time to 24 and has risen in big leaps over last 4 months.
Our nurse has said radium 223 might be next step if there is more spread in his bones, has your oncologist mentioned it to your dad? It’s akready in his lymph nodes but if it’s got worse then it’s chemo for that. He is on enzalutomide at moment but I’m not sure it is working as PSA is up, Lyn has given me some ideas about what to ask oncologist tomorrow so I think that will be helpful. I hope you your dad can get on track with some more positive treatment. Sending you my very best wishes. 😘
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My husband finished his chemo last November. I have to say it was nowhere near as bad as we imagined it would be and side effects were few. We were understandably anxious about the process (from dire portrayals by the media mostly!) but the chemotherapy team at the hospital were amazing and reassuring. Mild side effects from treatment on days 3-5 were sorted with buscopan for stomach ache and paracetamol for leg pain. We did take the advice of taking along frozen pineapple on a couple of days and he never suffered from ulcers or sore mouth.
The main side effect by the end of the treatment was fatigue and breathlessness but 2 months later husband is swimming over half a mile a week and taking long country walks. Strangely his hair has come back dark....never been that ever before. Just awaiting an appointment at the end of the month to see what effect it has had.
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Thank you Pretty Lady I’m so sorry you are in this situation too. Dad is 73. I can’t believe we went from thinking hopefully it’s under control to this! It’s been a very very difficult and upsetting week. Please have everything crossed for his chemo journey and I will have absolutely everything crossed for your husband xxx
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Thank you Suelor that’s really encouraging, I’ll pass on this message to my Mum and Dad. I hope I’ll be able to pass on our experience and expertise in the future to someone else who needs it. I’ll have everything crossed for your husband x
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Just to let you know that chemo did not go ahead today as Dad’s heart rate was too high and they want him to see a Cardiologist :o(
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Really sorry to see this PenP
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
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Sorry to see this PenP.
Fingers crossed it's just a blip caused by anxiety?
We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails |
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Hi pen p
Sorry to hear this I’ve been thinking about you today, hopefully it is just a bit of anxiety. X
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I am Mr Anxiety !
I fully understand maybe where dad is at. My one night stay after surgery turned into 14 nights.
Gentle calming and bolstering and the only thing that works for me is breathing control. Under duress try to ensure exhaling takes twice as long as inhaling. Teach him to count and focus on his breathing. I swear it works x