Please remember that these discussion boards are a public forum, which means open to the public (i.e. non-CSN members) and the content can be found via internet search engines. Members are strongly advised not to share personal identifiers such as real names, email address, telephone number, street address, etc. This information can be used to identify you and link you to the content you provide. Other areas of CSN are restricted to members only and cannot be found by search engines.

Caregivers

Archives for August 2010

Stressful eating habits
We all know about the challenges of getting enough sleep and keeping up with all of the household and medical/caregiving requirements but lately I have found myself doing what I call "stress eating". I try to keep several things around the house for me to eat when my husband has just had a full round of chemo or fatigue…
Am I a terrible daughter?
I already know my mom will, likely, die from brain cancer. And, I know it will probably happen soon, statistically over the next few months. But, she lives overseas and cannot move to the United States for lack of health insurance. I give her all the support I can from a distance. For example, we speak on Skype two or…
He is gone
It is a dark and rainy day and Dale is gone from this world of pain and suffering. He passed peacefully early this morning. The tears are non stop. I will keep in touch. Cynthia
checking the genetic pool
My mom has colon cancer and I jut had my first colonoscopy. It was clear , but I thought I was going to have sme issues. I sometimes have stomach probs. I have to help take care od my mom so that wouldn't have been a good thing right now. I feel blessed. Ktz
Caregiving and Sleep
I am a caretaker for my partner and our sleep schedules seem to be the largest point of frication between us. The chemo that she's on causes her to have an unusual sleep schedule where she takes multiple naps during the day and then gets up at 4 or 5 in the morning and then can't get back to sleep. I usually stay up until…
All I Seem to Want
All I seem to want to do is CRY. I shared my husband's story about his upcoming surgery in the other thread. I am not a cryer and I don't understand or like what is happening to me. During his first round, I was a rock. I dealt with every blow and got through the days of radiation and chemo like a freight train. This time,…
Update - Heard from Doctor
Heard from doctor today and the great news just keeps on coming.... of course the biopsy was positive for cancer, we found that out yesterday. Today's good news is that he will have to have the "big" surgery. He will have modified neck dissection surgery where they will take out a couple of lymph nodes on one side. He will…
Advice please
It seems that time is moving too fast and in the wrong direction. But who can tell GOD what to do. I have been told to prepare for the end which is suppose to be somewhere in the coming 18 months timeline - and that is where I need advice. I am feeling well now and want to plan my exit well before I start losing control.…
The hard questions
With out going into too much detail my husband was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, which ultimately lead to the removal of most of his jaw & all of his teeth. Jaw was replaced by bone from his leg. Six weeks post surgery additional tumor found on opposite side and it had invaded the jaw. Having gone through…
newbie to all of this
Hello, I am realitively new to all of this. In March 2010, my 78 year old uncle was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It started with a huge weight loss and jaundice. They couldn't get a reliable biopsy, the samples were all too bloody and inconclusive. The tumor is about 2-3 cm, it is not vascular and it involves the head…
Biopsy Came Back
No surprise - it's positive. We should hear from doc tomorrow I would think on what surgical approach he will take. I'm strangely calm about it, I guess because it is what we expected - doc gave no indications it would be anything else. Bob took it well. He had a regularly scheduled appt with Medical Oncologist (chemo doc)…
You can't be denied health coverage
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourHealth/you-cant-be-denied-health-coverage.aspx You can't be denied health coverage States and the federal government now offer temporary insurance to buyers who have been denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions. If you've been denied health insurance…
Surviving Loss
I became the primary caregiver for my mother when I was 22, at that time she was diagnosed with cancer of the gallbladder. Facing the reality of her incurable cancer we used the time we had to create memories that helped us make it through such a difficult time, and continue to sustain me today. This is a blog I recently…
To all you Caregivers
Today my caregiver wife and I celebrated our 36 years anniversary; we did some little simple thing like going out and sharing an ice cream together. It was not much but just my way of saying thank you for all you have done for me. As each of us cancer survivors go through hell and back we sometimes forget the chain that…
Hope this makes you smile...
First , let me say that my mother is of sound mind, is 75 and weighs about 90 lbs now and has rectal cancer and is taking radiation and chemo. This weekend I took my sweet little mother for an outing. She loves to embroider by hand so I suggested we take off to Hobby Lobby for her some materials. Something to help keep her…
In Laws
My sister in law didn't call my husband when she found out he had cancer. My normally sweet mother in law was really mad at me for not calling his sister after his first surgery, even though I was calling her and my husbands grown son hourly to give updates, knowing my sister in law eats lunch with mom EVERY day (I figured…
Don't want to cause a fight!
So here goes, I'm ready to take my husbands head off. As his caregiver I do A LOT with little help from friends. This week is his good week after chemo, he seems fine. He had promised to do all the cooking this week so I can relax, he has not cooked one meal yet. I have worked in my home office for 4 hours today, been to 2…
Home from Biopsy
We are back from the biopsy. He is doing fine. Went as expected - doc sees tumor and what appears to be cancer invaded into the pharyngeal (throat) wall behind the tumor. Biopsy pathology will not officially be back until Wed or Thurs, but he is taking Bob's case to the "Tumor Review Board" for discussion on treatement, as…
strategies for dealing with out of town visitors
My husband was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in mid June. Since most of our large family lives out of town we have a number of family members who want to come and visit to see him. We are trying to space the visits so that we have some 'down time' and quiet time between visits. We very much appreciate that these…
work
Hi, my problem is my wife is totally disabled from stroke and i am her caregiver but i cannot work and take care of her, very low income w/o me working and cannot afford in house person to watch her, is there any help out there at all. thanks
Parenteral nutrition
Hi All - My Dad's oncologist recommended IV nutrition via his port. Does anyone have experience with this? I've seen postings related to feeding tubes but not this approach. I'd like to understand some pros/cons if anyone has experience. Thanks, MaryJo
Tough week and getting worse
It's been a bad week. Hospice care started last Friday. On Sunday Dale said it's the best he's felt in a long time, but since that day he has declined rapidly. He has slept constantly all week, not getting out of bed at all. He is not eating and drinking anymore. Hospice thinks maybe a week or two. The pain is being…
Need Help
My husband just finished chemotherapy a few weeks ago and everything seemed to be going pretty well. He LOOKS well and ACTS well yet the doctor recently told us that he thinks the cancer is back and that he needs to have a needle biopsy very soon and surgery soon after that because he about 98% positive about the results…
Biopsy Monday
Please say a prayer for our family bright and early Monday morning, as my husband goes in for his biopsy. History - diagnosed with hypopharyngeal cancer w/spread to one lymph node, in July 2009. Had induction chemo and them chemo/radiation (no surgery). Had pet scan about a month ago and there were a couple of hot spots.…
My caregiving advice - Sorry in advance, I wrote a novel
Hi Everyone, I'm 25 and live in Boston, MA. I'm new to this site, and I really wish I had found it a long time ago. My Grandma was diagnosed with Tongue Cancer 6 months ago. She had a portion of her tongue removed along with some lymph nodes. The doctors wanted her to receive 6 weeks of Radiation. Unfortuntely she only…
Help for the caregiver
Does anyone know of a volunteer organization that would come into my home a few days a week and help me with yard work, cleaning, laundry, errands? My hubbies energy level is just done and he really can't help me. I work 2 jobs to keep things going here, and friends have not really been helping. the 2 or 3 that do, I don't…
Overwhelmed and scared
On the day I moved my mother to hospice due to her terminal breast cancer, the doctors called and told us my husband needed to go on a liver transplant list due to his Hep C. Mom died 3 days before Christmas 09, after six months of travelling to and from hospitals and nursing homes, working full time, and dealing with a…
Stupid Friends
How do you let your friends know that you are disappointed in them without hurting their feelings? I am so tired of asking for their help. They were all there for my husbands surgery but seemed to disappear after the first round of chemo. Don't they know that this will continue until October and then only stop if the…
Is the end near?
If it is true what the dr. say, three to six months to live, then October will be deadline. He gets sicker, then better, then sicker...back and forth all of the time. I, as caregiver, am totally depleted emotionally and physically. Is there a med for that? To top it off, I just found out yesterday I have to have a core…
angry husband
I can not imagine what anyone feels when the doctor says those three dreaded words "you have cancer". I only know what I as a spouse and caregiver felt... devistated. That was 4 years ago. My husband of 5 years (at the time) called me at work to tell me his dr had just explained to him he did not have pneumonia as…

Caregivers

Discussion List