Rough week

I haven't posted in awhile as we have had a rough week dealing with chemo. Rickie went in to the doctor’s office last Monday, Aug. 29th for his usual regime of Erbitux and Irinotechan, and then returned on Tuesday morning for his sandostatin shot. He has never really suffered from nausea, but this time as soon as we got into the car he had to grab a plastic bag to spit up into. He had been taking Zofran, but it just didn’t seem to help at all. From there things just seemed to get worse. He has rarely complained in the 11 months we have been on this journey, so I knew it had to be really bad when he complained of a terrible headache and nausea. He never really threw up just lots of mouth watering and total lack of appetite. He had insisted on going out for a walk in the 110 degree heat, and I think that began his hydration problems. By Wednesday evening I was quite concerned as I could tell that he was dehydrated and just refused to take much in. I wanted to take him to the doctors for hydration on Thursday, fearing the coming holiday weekend, but he refused to go. I know he was afraid that if he went the doctor would want him to go into the hospital and he did not want to do that. I was so worried that he was shutting down; I got little sleep that night or the next. Friday morning came and I told him I would play it his way only if he would hook up to his feeding pump and take in as much as he could all day. We tried to get in more than three cans, but the formula he is on is just so rich that he says it fills him up too much. Finally on Saturday I got him to drink some vitamin water, and beef broth, as well as water and a couple of ensures. It’s such a scary thing. Each night I told him, tomorrow will be a better day and he agreed. Monday he was feeling better, and yesterday he had a doctor’s appointment, where he received hydration, which perked him up considerably. We discussed with the doctor the fact that the Zofran did little for him and he suggested that he try using phenergan gel for the nausea. We also discussed the fact that maybe the dosage of the chemo should come down a little as since it was prescribed in March he has lost 50 more pounds. He agreed that that probably was a good idea. I did read a few of the posts during the week, mainly the ones dealing with the stopping of chemo. I have never really commented on those because that is not the direction Rickie has chosen to take. We have discussed the fact that chemo would probably be with us until he decides no more, and that it is his decision to make and I have given him my blessings to do what he feels is right for him. He knows that I will be right there beside him every step of the way. Since we have had good results with the chemo; the cancer has shrunk from encompassing almost the total length of the esophagus (20 cm) to being just at the GE junction and 4 cm into the stomach, the bone mets have supposedly resolved, and at this time no other organs are involved; he feels that it is worth it. He is a very strong willed man, and is determined to continue to fight this. I am just hoping next time he will go in for hydration before it gets so bad. Hopefully today will be a better day as well.
Cheryl
Wife of Rickie Stage IV EC dx Oct. 2010