Health Issues Cancer

[Moll Flanders]

This year has just left me exhausted.... aiming to build up energy for 2014...

My husband had his first cancer treatment this week and it went okay and he hasn't had any negative side-effects as apparently flu like symptoms are a common side-effect. I made the mistake of looking on cancer forums for information and read some very worrying stuff about bladder cancer so I think I'm just going to focus on his treatment one day at a time and not worry too much about the future as it's too overwhelming. He feels fine in himself so that is good.

(One thing that made me feel better was that his family were advising him that he should eat meat to make himself stronger (as everyone knows that meat cures cancer) and his cancer nurse said that eating more vegetables would be the only thing she would recommend diet-wise.)

 

[KLS52]

Kasandra

Moll

 

[Ann Chovie]

(One thing that made me feel better was that his family were advising him that he should eat meat to make himself stronger (as everyone knows that meat cures cancer) and his cancer nurse said that eating more vegetables would be the only thing she would recommend diet-wise.)

Hi Moll
Sorry to
Hear about your hubby but glad that his treatment went well.

Seem to be all kinds of conflicting advice about recommended diet within the health service.

Some of my patients are told to eat traditional meals of meat and two veg. Others to avoid red meat. Others to avoid diary. And a lot are told to avoid meat and eat fish and vegetables only.

I find I have to grit my teeth often as my patients relay what dietary advice they have been given as protocol forbids " promotion of personal lifestyles".

However it is often the case that one of the first foods the body rejects during chemotherapy if appetite is diminishing is meat. Lots of life long meat eaters find themselves repelled by even the sight of meat. Often their partners will panic that they will not survive without it ..

Which gives me the opportunity to remark lightheartedly as I point at my ample frame " well I seemed to have survived ok! "

 

[Kasandra]

Hi moll

The journey of cancer is not an easy one.

My dad was lucky he never felt repulsed by meat during chemo.

Thinking if you x

I know,my dad was told to avoid dairy and sugar

 

[shyvas]

My husband had his first cancer treatment this week and it went okay and he hasn't had any negative side-effects as apparently flu like symptoms are a common side-effect. I made the mistake of looking on cancer forums for information and read some very worrying stuff about bladder cancer so I think I'm just going to focus on his treatment one day at a time and not worry too much about the future as it's too overwhelming. He feels fine in himself so that is good.

(One thing that made me feel better was that his family were advising him that he should eat meat to make himself stronger (as everyone knows that meat cures cancer) and his cancer nurse said that eating more vegetables would be the only thing she would recommend diet-wise.)

You are right Molls, one step at a time. He has your loving support and that is as important as his chemo.

I remember you saying that he doesn't eat vegetables or fruit. If you made him some homemade vegetable soup and fruit smoothies, would he consider tasting them ?

Usually soups and smoothies go down well when the appetite diminishes.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I realised I probably didn't mention that my husband isn't having chemotherapy at the moment, he is having a treatment called BCG which is usually given as a vaccine against tuberculosis. BCG treatment for early (non-invasive) bladder cancer - Cancer Information - Macmillan Cancer Support

I remember you saying that he doesn't eat vegetables or fruit. If you made him some homemade vegetable soup and fruit smoothies, would he consider tasting them ?

I have been giving him banana smoothies actually as that is the one fruit he will eat.

ETA He will also eat Heinz tomato soup!

 

[shyvas]

I realised I probably didn't mention that my husband isn't having chemotherapy at the moment, he is having a treatment called BCG which is usually given as a vaccine against tuberculosis. BCG treatment for early (non-invasive) bladder cancer - Cancer Information - Macmillan Cancer Support



I have been giving him banana smoothies actually as that is the one fruit he will eat.

ETA He will also eat Heinz tomato soup!

Prehaps you could sneak in either a few blueberries or a small kiwi into his smoothie ? He'll get all the vitamins and antioxydants without the taste.

 

[Ann Chovie]

Just at work and a bit upset.

I had a client ring me up in floods of tears because she has been trying all week to encourage her husband to eat and he has given up trying as he cannot keep anything down. She was given some anti-sickness tablets which make him worse and she is currently crushing them into milk in the hope that he will take them anyway as she has nothing else. He cannot tolerate dairy so that is not working either.

She rang me because she does not want to 'bother' her consultant and medical team and so is persisting with medication she knows is not working. She has been up all night and sounds so stressed I feared for her own health. She phoned me hoping that I can offer her advice as I know 'you will listen'. Unfortunately she is not my patient and I am not on her medical team so it is outside my remit to do this. I took some time to listen to her pain and panic though because she obviously feels no one does or they are all too busy to do anything but issue medication. She was frantic, totally at the end of her tether. Her husband is terminally ill and in pain but she had sat all night not daring to ring anyone for advice as she did not want to bother anyone.

All I could do as calmly and nicely as possible was to explain that caring for her husbands welfare is not'making a fuss' , and anyway sometimes making a fuss is the only way you get heard. I

told her that her husband is her main concern and upsetting, annoying or disturbing people in order to make sure he is comfortable and receiving the correct treatment is worth the risk of 'hacking off' someone. Sometimes those of us not practiced at being assertive or persistent need to learn quickly that this is the only way we will be heard.

The client told me that her sister is a GP receptionist and told her the same. Her experience was that those who shout the loudest get heard.

This is my experience too..my clients that ring , email, and write frequently to check progress of their case are not necessarily the ones I warm to most but they are definitely the ones that catch my attention and get dealt with quickest.

It is sad but true and is not a reflection of my unwillingness to help everyone as soon as I can but merely a consequence of an overloaded NHS and unrealistically high work loads. This is doubly the case for medical staff and nurses in particular in my experience. One nurse told me that at present their department is under staffed and nurses do not have time for things like 'talking to patients' at present.

 

[ledboots]

Too bad cannabis isn't legal in the UK. It could help her husband with his appetite. :-(

 

[Moll Flanders]

It seems like my husband is feeling worse and worse after each treatment, which I assume is a normal side effect. I just made him go to bed as he isn't feeling well after the one he had today. He only has one more treatment from this round and then he has to have a biopsy and I think the next course of 6 treatments starts again in 3 months.

 

[Ann Chovie]

It seems like my husband is feeling worse and worse after each treatment, which I assume is a normal side effect. I just made him go to bed as he isn't feeling well after the one he had today. He only has one more treatment from this round and then he has to have a biopsy and I think the next course of 6 treatments starts again in 3 months.

Yes Moll it is normal. At least he will have a break soon to give him chance to build up his strength again.

 

[thefadedone]

Moll.

 

[KLS52]

Sorry, Moll.

 

[Kasandra]

hi Moll i am so sorry to hear, this must really be so hard on you. what is the update on your husband now?

we were so grateful that my dad was spared of doing more chemo, it helped the cancer from spreading but as it is already terminal the dr suggested they do radiation this time around to focus on the areas where the cancer is eating away the bone marrow and my dad is experiencing a lot of pain.

His been going for radiation every day this week and I am hopeful that this will ease the pain his been suffering.

I think its esp hard on the person having to live and experience the emotions of the person fighting the cancer. Molly !!! I keep you and your husband in my prayers.

Sorry I havent responded to your posts or anyone in awhile, I have not been in a good space and was trying to find a way to deal with all the emotional stress.

We can't take away the suffering of a loved one, we can just acknowledge it and then do the best we can to look after ourselves and be there for them when they need us.

 

[Moll Flanders]

we were so grateful that my dad was spared of doing more chemo, it helped the cancer from spreading but as it is already terminal the dr suggested they do radiation this time around to focus on the areas where the cancer is eating away the bone marrow and my dad is experiencing a lot of pain.

His been going for radiation every day this week and I am hopeful that this will ease the pain his been suffering.

It sounds like that was for the best, I hope the radiation can alleviate some of his pain.

My husband is just waiting to have another biopsy next week to see if the first treatment worked well. I'm just crossing my fingers that it did work and it hasn't become invasive. He seems fine at the moment health wise and he is still off work on full pay, his work is excellent concerning sick leave as he is union.

 

[shyvas]

It sounds like that was for the best, I hope the radiation can alleviate some of his pain.

My husband is just waiting to have another biopsy next week to see if the first treatment worked well. I'm just crossing my fingers that it did work and it hasn't become invasive. He seems fine at the moment health wise and he is still off work on full pay, his work is excellent concerning sick leave as he is union.

Fingers crossed Molls.

 

[ledboots]

hi Moll i am so sorry to hear, this must really be so hard on you. what is the update on your husband now?

we were so grateful that my dad was spared of doing more chemo, it helped the cancer from spreading but as it is already terminal the dr suggested they do radiation this time around to focus on the areas where the cancer is eating away the bone marrow and my dad is experiencing a lot of pain.

His been going for radiation every day this week and I am hopeful that this will ease the pain his been suffering.

I think its esp hard on the person having to live and experience the emotions of the person fighting the cancer. Molly !!! I keep you and your husband in my prayers.

Sorry I havent responded to your posts or anyone in awhile, I have not been in a good space and was trying to find a way to deal with all the emotional stress.

We can't take away the suffering of a loved one, we can just acknowledge it and then do the best we can to look after ourselves and be there for them when they need us.

Kassandra, is there hospice where you live? They can help a lot with comfort care and to give your mom some respite.

 

[Kasandra]

I wish hospice was an option but my dad will not go for that yet. At the moment my dad is in a lot of pain in the place where the marrow was eaten away in the bone. He had 5 sessions of radiation which aren't working yet for pain.

His very stubborn man and my.mom must do everything.

I am doing a lot of meditation and yoga to.keep myself positive and in a state of wellbeing.


Molly hope you guys get.good news x

 

[KLS52]

((((((Hugs))))) for Moll and Kasandra.

And (((((Jenna))))).

Sending prayers, well wishes and healing vibes to all.

 

[PTree15]

((((((Hugs))))) for Moll and Kasandra.

And (((((Jenna))))).

Sending prayers, well wishes and healing vibes to all.

Ditto.