Long Weekend - Husband is now on IV fluids at home

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depressed63
depressed63 Member Posts: 61 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Friday's appointment didn't go so well. He has lost 10 lbs and he was dehydrated. They gave him fluids and he's getting a bag a day at home for six days. My first experience learning how to hook up an IV bag to his picc line. We didn't have an IV pole so we used a floor lamp...it works but it looks so redneck. They are suppose to drop off an IV pole off tomorrow.

My husbands stomach cramps were caused by delayed chemo nausea and not the shot. His body aches were caused by the shot. He stopped taking the nausea pills the day after they unhooked the 5FU. He stopped because he thought it was giving him the hiccups and the hiccup medicine they gave us wasn't working. They gave us another one that works better. His throat is raw and he has sores. They gave him lidocaine. It seems to be helping a lot better than the magic mouth wash but it doesn't last that long. It only last long enough for him to swallow the vicodin and get some soft food and water. They took his blood and his white blood count NE # was 0.8 and the paper said low is at 1.5. They took it again and it was 3.8. The nurse said he will get the peg in before radiation starts and I'm so glad he's not against it anymore.

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  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #2
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    lol, I did that too, before I got my pole. My friend even fashioned me a little hook for it.

    I hope he gets to feeling better, and I am glad that he is getting the Peg tube before rads, because he seems to be having difficulty with sores, and raw throat now. Radiation will likely make that worse, so I think that is the best plan of action.
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #3
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    Thank You, Lidocaine
    depressed,

    Glad he's getting the PEG - it'll make a real difference - not just for food, but water, too.

    Lidocaine was magic for me - I never got it til a hospital stay, but then afterward, I pressed my doc for a presecription. It lasted just long enough for me to get some swallowing in. The Miles Mix (my docs' version of Magic Mouthwash) did not help with the pain; the lidocaine was a real blessing.

    As for the white counts - lots of us have white cell counts that tank - hope his doesn't dive as deep again. Sounds like things are looking up for you. Good.
  • Jan Trinks
    Jan Trinks Member Posts: 477
    #4
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    Hang in There!
    Sorry to hear about hubby's all of hubby's ordeals but glad he's at home. Hope the mouth sores go away soon. My husband had that after the first chemo and 5FU but it only lasted about a week to ten days. His magic mouthwash worked great but then everybody's different. Hope everything is uphill from now on! God Bless!

    Jan (Basketcase)
  • Lelia
    Lelia Member Posts: 98
    #5
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    sweetblood22 said:

    lol, I did that too, before I got my pole. My friend even fashioned me a little hook for it.

    I hope he gets to feeling better, and I am glad that he is getting the Peg tube before rads, because he seems to be having difficulty with sores, and raw throat now. Radiation will likely make that worse, so I think that is the best plan of action.

    'Redneck IV pole' cracked me up too!
    The stuff I've rigged up during my husband's recovery is pretty redneck too, for instance instead of buying a shower stool I duct taped bubble wrap over the top step of the kitchen stool to provide a soft & waterproof seating surface, it works great!

    Sweetblood is right on as usual: get the PEG tube *now* for maintaining good nutrition and hydration during treatment *later*. Our OncoDoc--whom we like, trust and respect--insisted on the chest port central line for chemo, but kinda left the PEG issue between us and RadDoc, who was (unfortunately for us) not nearly as communicative as he could have been. We didn't understand when prior to treatment he offered 'a feeding tube if you want' (!!) and we hadn't yet discovered CSN so had no idea what he meant. We have the PEG now, after a ten day stay in the hospital due to preventable malnutrition, dehydration and pneumonia.
  • Daddisgrl
    Daddisgrl Member Posts: 116
    #6
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    What's wrong with a redneck
    What's wrong with a redneck IV pole? LMAO!

    Please call the doctor & demand they give him ACTIQ pops for pain. He does not have to suffer. You will probably need to have your pharmacy order them; it may take 3 days to come in. I use CVS & Walgreens for narcotics; local super markets don't normally like to get stuff like this in.
    There are also Fenanyl patches that last 24 hours. My hub was given those 1st- I begged for the pops for months; they wouldn't give it.. The patches made my hub puke if left on longer then 3 or 4 hours & it's why they "humored me" with the Actiq pops. I got the idea from Bret Hudson (Hudson brothers & Kate Hudson's uncle); he used them during his fight; but his Dr gave them sooner.

    What's good about the pop is that you only need a small amount to make the throat feel better; one pop lasted my hub all day. It was the only pain medication that actually helped his sore throat & mouth pain.

    Tell me; why do they have to suffer? There is no need to; these are made for cancer patients.

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