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cancer has taken over
Feel like Im losing the battle, emotionally for Jack, I have fallen in to a depression, and Im stuck, I get up in the morning get Jacks, meds, flush his pik line and feed him and then start cleaning, and continue making sure he gets enough nutientment through the day, watch tv, and sleep then I wake up make dinner for his…
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Managing stress
My partner and I have been together for 19 years. 2 years ago he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. In a nutshell, he's done chemo, had a recurrence, did radiation, and now has another recurrence, this time a tumor growing inside the bone of his sacrum. He started a new chemo regimen 3 weeks ago which includes…
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Experience with administrating IV's in ports
Has anyone had experience administrating IV antibiotics into the port? I have a home health nurse that will be doing this for my husband 2 times a day and then I myself will do the same they tell me in addition to flushing the port itself. I've never experienced anything like this before and I'm really nervous about it.…
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caregivers need to help & support each other...
Cancer is a horrible way for anyone to live and to live with it, it's so easy to fall into that rut, of doing it all, taking care of your spouse, significant others, fathers mothers, a child, friends, and the list goes on.. I have been living with cancer for 11 months now, my fiance, who was d/x last Aug 1st 2008 with…
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Support Groups for Care Givers
Does anyone know of a good support group for family members dealing with a sick veteran? My grandparents live far from the rest of the family, in West Virginia and my Grandfather is battling cancer and the aftermath of a stroke. My grandmother has a lot on her shoulders taking care of him and my uncle who is also a Vet…
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Medical care & Sci-fi movies
My hubby was in the hospital last week again with pneumonia. On the 3rd day they told me he was ready to leave (which I still doubt) and they wanted to send him to what they called a "Rehab facility" for about 2 weeks for physical therapy. When he was released from the hospital we went to this "rehab facility" which was…
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home from the doctors
Well it was good news about Jacks appointment, with the trachea, It is the right size the problem is his salivia glands are not producing enough salvia, which is keeping his throat so dry, they were suppose to tell us about the salaine bullets, to put in his trachea to keep it moist, see we always learn as we go, I am…
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informed consent?
cancer in remission 5yrs and counting, thanking god every day. i recently had my beautiful baby girl in may of this year. i a deaf person and have been so since birth recently moved to southern state a year ago from MO. i've never had any problems with MO. when i went to my doctors office in MO there was always an…
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chemo started again
Well Jack did good on his chemo on Monday I found out what the drug is it is Erbitux, so I guess we now just wait for the famous rash, which Im told it is a good sign that means the drug is working, He was slept most of the day yesterday, in between of taking care of me, I yesterday, vomiting all day, we look like a real…
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New here too. How does one deal with everything? Venting again.
I just don't know where to begin. The kids are finally gone and I have my house back. Dale has been having trouble breathing and after they left he expressed his how he feels. He called the ENT a got a prescription for prednisone . Now that's some scary stuff. Seems to be helping. The ENT wants to see him today. We live 2…
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Started chemo
Well we started chemo again , we are trying an old chemo, Eribux, now we are just waiting for the rash so I hear, Jack is feeling ok, moving a little slow today, He tolerated the first treatment good, he had a little itchmess when he first started, so the had to slow it down some, If anyone can let know what to expect with…
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Bad news...what next
Yesterday we got bad news. My husband's recent scans show that all his tumors are growing, and there are some new spots as well. I feel like we've entered a new phase: "the beginning of the end." We weren't expecting great news, but this was so much worse than we anticipated. He was getting treatments of veneralbene (sp.?)…
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New Method for administering Chemo w/o side effects
I'm not sure where else to post this - I wish there was a category for "Treatments." Anyway, this is pretty amazing - take a look: http://www.gizmag.com/isoflow-isolate-tumour-chemotherapy/12820/
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Taking care of a spouse/partner
I've been caring for my spouse for over 5 years as he battles kidney cancer. We are both in our early/mid 30's and been married 11 years. Are there any other spouses around our age dealing with cancer and marriage issues? It seems that although all marriages go through difficult times because of cancer...younger couple…
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In the hospital again
Well Im back I was staying away because I had to do some soulsearching, and I know in my heart Im doing the best for Jack, and plus on Friday night I had to rush Jack to the ER again , He had an infection, again , they are not sure if the 1st infection just never totally went away, or if the tumor in his neck got an…
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Last night's meltdown
It's been 8 months now and I think I've kept it "together" for the most part until last night. I try so hard to be patient with my husband knowing what he's dealing with, I really do. But it seems that the more time that passes the harder it is to please him with "anything". He's better since they stopped the prior chemo…
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Caregivers really do know best...
Hospice nurse dressed the progressive skin breakdown on the radiation site on mother-in-law's chest with Sulfadene dressing. She called me later and said, whoops, I forgot that she is allergic to sulfa drugs...but I don't think it will be a problem (she said). ITCH ITCH ITCH ITCH..... Then she wants to use silver…
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Is it an obvious decision to start staying hom more?
I am taking partial family medical leave to take my hubby to appointments etc - but his condition his deteriorating and I'm feeling more and more torn to be home with him I don't know really what I would do for him at home because he is still mobile but doesn't really get out now but is able to take care of himself - I…
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I am so upset , im just sitting here crying
I DO MY BEST TO TAKE CARE OF JACK, AND I ONLY CAME TO THIS SITE TO GET SOME SUPPORT AND MAYBE SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS WHAT I AM DEALING WIHT BUT AFTER GETTING A RESPOND POST FROM THIS GUY ( SOCCERFREAK / JOE ) HE PRETTY MUCH SAID I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE HELL I WAS DOING , BETWEEN THE FEEDING AND JACK'S PAIN MEDICATION, WHO…
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Young People Living, and Laughing, with Cancer - NPR
I listen to NPR / Public Radio while I work and Terry Gross on Fresh Air had an interview with two cancer survivors that is very interesting. Here is a link - if it does not work as a hyperlink then copy paste it. VERY interesting program today... http://wamu.org/programs/fresh_air/ Joke (ala Terry Gross) What do you call…
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HUSBAND ONLY 45 WHEN DIAGNOSED-CAREGIVING IS HARD JOB
Hello everyone, first off let me say I didn't know there was a caregiver site until one of my online friends told me about it. I want to start out with we are all caregivers, my husband Jeff was diagnosed on April fools day with Esophogeal Cancer, we were devasted, we had no idea that he had this or even signs of it, he…
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Atmosphere
My husband is walking around on eggshells like the world has already come to an end... Shushes me all the time if I am talking, laughing, humming....Like I can't make ANY sound around the house. Have mother-in-law set up in the living room and I am set up to work from home in the dining room (no wall between the two).…
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Pain management
My husband has been diagnosed with metastisized kidney cancer 3.5 months ago and we have been struggling with pain management ever since. I am looking for any advice on how you judge how much pain medication to take. Right now he has a fentanyl patch and is taking hydromorphine for pain and baclofen to ease the muscle…
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back from the doctors
Well his sister went to the doctors with us today, and Jack lost 6 more pounds and she just looked at me like it was my fault, The doctors at the hospital was the one who told me that since Jack is on antibotics do not give him his protein power because it has an affect on the antibotic, so I dam if I do and I dam if I…
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oral cancer
My husband has cancer at the base of the left side of his tongue and 1 lymph node is affected. He is in the 4th week of radiation plus erbitus once weekly. He is doing well considering.He continues to drink water, but for nutrition is doing Boost thru his feeding tube. His pain medication is Vicadin. He seems to be a…
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he gets mad if I control his meds, please help
Not sure how to deal with Jack when he takes to much of his pain medication, he sometimes gets so sedated, i worry that he is going to OD, I sit up all night just to make sure he is breathing, Im not sure if he takes it to make the physical pain to go away or the emotional pain, I feel at a lost. I would swear if it was…
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Good Free books
I found this website www.blochcancer.org a few weeks ago and had them send me their 3 free books. The books are very interesting. The person who wrote them was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer but was "cured" after 2 years....he lives 26 years before passing away from heart disease not cancer. Just thought I'd pass this…
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New here too. How does one deal with everything?
First time posting. I feel so helpless. My man (we are not married) of 11 years is dying. He has cancer of the vocal chords and has chosen not to have any further treatment. Radiation is out of the question because he had it 3 years ago. The doc wanted to do Laryngectomy and he said no.He would rather go on living the way…
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BREAST CANCER / DRUG'S DOSE
IAM GOING TO BE TREATED WITH CHEM THERAPY AND I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW DOCTORS DETERMINE THE DOSE BASED ON 'BSA'.MY WEIGHT IS 80 Kg AND 157 Cm TALL , IF DOSE IS 600 mg/m.sq.(d1 and 8)WHAT WILL BE THE DOZE FROM THIS DRUG IN mg .OR,WHAT IS THE RELATION BETWEEN WEIGHT ,TALL AND BODY SURFACE AREA. BEST WISHES
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What do we do now? Totally overwhelmed
This is my first post, and I can say that just reading through the board, I take much comfort knowing we are not the only family going through this (and then I get mad... why are so many people suffering this? Motivates to help create better solutions!). At any rate, my mother was happy and healthy - so we thought - until…