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How can a survivor make you as the Caregiver's task less stressful
To all the caregivers out there, as a survivor of several battles of cancer I am wondering what a survivor can do to make your job as caregiver easier or at least less stressful. I hope not to have to go down this road again, but that said I feel we can all benefit from this question. Just so you are aware I did assist in…
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Last Treatment... (?)
Went to the hospital for my mother-in-laws 'last' radiation treatment. Congratulations all around. So, why did I feel so sad? I think she felt sad, too, as she wept a lot. We left not hearing "you're cured" or anything like it. In fact, we still need to go do more tests, scans, x-rays to see where it is, has been or plans…
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Tele-Health
I'm so excited and happy. After many denials for home nursing from the insurance company I found out that the Visiting Nurse Assoc has a Federal Grant for tele-health. The insurance and/or medicare pays nothing and neither will you. I got a call this morning and they will be here to set it up for us on Wednesday. See…
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losing it....HELP!!!!
My mom was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in March. Life has been HELL!!! I live with her and take care of her when she is not in the hospital. I have lost friends and apparently my mind and there is so much more to go. I am lost. I love my mom more than anything in this world, but I feel like I'm losing myself. People I…
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What next?
It looks like my dh's surgery is going to be pushed back ANOTHER week - what the heck? Does anyone out there understand he has cancer? He needs to have that surgery done to remove the darn tumor??? I guess the Lynch Syndrome Test might not be back in time and they need it to decide how the surgery will be...jeez put a rush…
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to SonSon
I was not meaning that you thought I was selfish...the majority of the post was in response to MichelleP...the last statement was to you, where I thanked you for your comments to me and understanding. I am sorry for the misunderstanding! I definitely was NOT intending that email to you and I should have separated it…
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help help help help help help help
wife Deb is a 15 year breast-cancer survivor we need support help and guidance of another caregiver to help us a shoulder to cry on do the right thing and make the right decisions even if it means helping fill out certain forms a week to search out where we can pick up insurance my wife is being treated at Dana-Farber…
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kids
ok for those of you who dont know me im a 42 yr old whose wife has sclc-ed and shes not doing well.Treatments have stopped,and hospice has ben brought in.Barb has ben doing well emotionally however there seems to be much ado about telling my kids(boys,11&13)about whats happening and whats going to happen.On two diffrent…
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dogs
a little background to get started...i live with my wife barb,our two kids and two dogs in a small 3 br ranch.Barb was diagnossed in nov 07 with sclc,and at that time her mother came to stay with us.Her mom does not like dogs,and during this visit mother in law complained about dogs constantly.Barb told her mom "you can go…
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how to juggle helping your mom with cancer AND help myself?
I nvr realized there was a "Caregivers" section here....my question is my mom has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer with liver mets....onc said 6 mo to 20 months, i refuse to believe this....its been 4 months and i dont like to count months, but its getting harder and harder to take care of myself during this ordeal. I…
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Been running myself to death and its just the first month
My fiance was diagnosed with extragonadal mediastinal germ cell tumor (yolk sac) 4 weeks ago stage 3 (possibly stage 4). He has been put on a ventilator to help him breathe because the tumor is blocking his airway and collapsed his left lung. It is causing pressure on his heart that caused pericardial effusion. They…
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Physical Activity
My husband had surgery on June 1 to remove a large part of a metastasized kidney tumor. For one month prior to this operation and until today he does minimum physical exercise. He has been going to physical therapy twice a week. Now, he is having pains in different places in his body...neck, pectoral muscles, ribs, lungs.…
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Should I Push or Just Support?
I'm watching my husband go through chemo. He is getting less and less active. He used to want to go for walks every day, but now he sits a lot and watches tv a lot. He has basically told me to back off, he'll walk when he feels like it. I see him getting weaker and weaker, and some is from the chemo, but a lot of it is…
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The F Word
This was actually posted on another message board that I frequent. I love it and found it wonderfully helpful. I hope you do, too. Kimby The F word Fatigue is the most common challenge of cancer -- pervasive, life-changing, and not responsive to rest. But there is an answer By Julie Mason, The Ottawa CitizenJune 28, 2009…
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My family is already a mess and we are in the early stages
My DH was dxed with cancer 3 weeks ago - still in the process of going to different drs, setting up surgery and after treatment. And my family is already slipping. DH is in denial and contradicting everything I try to tell my kids - they are 16, 14, 12 - he is making so light of this, acting like all the drs. appts are a…
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GUILT
I was really looking forward to today. My daughter was just home from college and had offered to drive my husband the 1 hour drive to radiation treatment today. I got up early and hooked up his TPN bag to his pik line. I so needed a day off to regroup and get a few things done. I mostly just needed a break from the whole…
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How long.........
Can anyone one on Folfox 6,during their first round,tell me what is the average amount of time to go without being able to eat? My husband still after DC on Thuresday si not able to eat more than a bite or two of food a day.
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Husband has pseudomyxoma peritonei
husband has stage lV pseudomyxoma peritonei-does anyone have clear understanding of prognosis in terms of time?
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well all HE*^*^ broke loose in a very strange way last night!
Well, I just posted the other day that my family was a mess with DH's dx (3 weeks now). I really appreciated all the support I received here...last night it all came out and it's really strange - I feel so much calmer and in control and if I do say so myself - I really held it together and was able to function! We were all…
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just was told no more treatment for hubby
my husband has bladder cancer --- he's beat the odds in treatment every time . now his specialist has said no more treatment it's simply too much for him . he's being referred to hospice . we are both believers so we are still hopeing and not giveing up. yet we know his time is short . we simply want to spend the time…
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How do you deal with your loved ones taking their emotions out on you?
My husband is only beginning this journey through cancer...his first chemo is this Thursday. He is already "snapping" at me a bit...I know he is so anxious about all that he is going through. I keep telling myself "you always hurt the one you love" and I know he doesnt mean to be irritable with me. I am trying my hardest…
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How can I get a social worker?
I need your advise please. My husband has stage 3 (possibly 4 depending of further testing). Our insurance company (an HMO) has denied home health care as well as a social worker. The woman I spoke with says he is capable of transporting himself to doctors etc. Our primary physician disagrees and well as myself. He is…
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Cancer humor
Hey - I wanted to share a funny moment from my mother-in-law. She has metastatic breast cancer and has had mastectomy of her left breast. She has taken to teetering around and also fell in the bathroom this last Saturday (don't worry, no broken bones, cuts - not even a bruise!). She started talking about it the other day…
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help
I am asking for help and i guess support. Today I feel so alone. I been married less then 2 month My huband has bone ca with unknow primary site. He just finished radiation to diffrerent sites in his body. Later today we will go to the hospital for more testing- cat of lung and abdomen stomack etc to find the primary. Then…
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too soon --- to say ........
my husband is in hospice . i called the nurse to see how he's doing and see if he was awake to talk to , not wanting to wake him up if he were sleeping . she was oh he's sleeping most of the time then needed to talk about funeral arrangements . i was oh --- i don't know ---- i need to call the crisis pager and talk to them…
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Please help! Can my boyfriends chemotherapy affect my skin or body thru fluids?
My boyfriend is going through strong chemotherapy treatments via port and I am concerned that the chemotherapy can effect my health through the exchange of body fluids, specifically saliva. I have recently formed a rash around my lips that seems to be severe chapping but is fairly sore and I am wondering if anyone can tell…
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ptss and cancer caregiver
Hi: Many years ago I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress syndrome (not in the military). I have learned to cope pretty good with my stress but a couple of months ago my husband was diagnosed and treated for throat cancer. According to his doctor he is doing "outstanding well". I am not. My stress level is over the top…
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grief and feeling so helpless/planning future
my husband comes home from rehab tomorrow ... with hospice following close after . my husband and i have a soulmate relationship . it's ripping me up inside knowing that all too soon we will be seperated until it becomes my time to join him . i had seen my case manager and began flipping through emotional stuff grief fear…
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Rehashing the past
I wonder what experiences others are having with their loved one reliving the past. Specifically - past trauma of initial treatments, surgery, pain and the like. My mother in law often starts to talk about the suffering she had in the initial stages of her treatment. She usually does this until she starts crying. I am…
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chemo day 2 and three need hope
Well,I can say all started out really well on the first day of chemo. Sean was hungry and ate some,however day two and the start of day three aren't not going as well. We have been dripping 5FU since about 12:30 Tuesday and by the end of day one going into day two thing have went down hill. He can no longer eat and…