update on my husband Jarrell

ifalk
ifalk Member Posts: 29
in Esophageal Cancer #1
I just wanted to post an update on Jarrell. He stopped all treatment over a month ago and went with hospice. This was the best choice he could have made. Since going with Hospice he is living his life again. He has improved a great deal. His quality of life while recieving treatment was almost 0. He wasn't eating, wasn't sleeping' was in constant pain. He did not want any visitors nor went anywhere except for his treatments. I was so stressed out watching all this my days were just a fog of fighting for the treatment and medication I had no time nor energy for anything else.

This last month has been a joyfull month for us and we are enjoying every day now. He is eating again, enjoyoying a little garden work ( that was his passion before he got sick). His sister came for a visit from Michigan and we all had a great time. Our granddaughter now spends alot of time again with her beloved poppop. He still wears out and needs to rest, but he gets up with such vigor it is truly amazing. All I can say is thank you hospice. They have managed his medication to a point that he is very much pain free and the burden they have taken off of me is incredible.

All I can say is anyone who is not living a quality of life with the treatment should most deffinatly check out hospice. I know the day will come when I will lose him that has always been a fact treatment or no treatment I just feel that what ever time we do have he is living it not suffering through with the treatment. I know allot of people do very well on treatment with few side effects, Jarrell did at first. When the side effects become harder to handle then the illness itself he felt it was time to say enough.

Just wanted to post the update and let people know Hospice is not an end of life it is a quality of life for what ever time that is left

Ida

Comments

  • mruble
    mruble Member Posts: 174
    #2
    Good to hear that Jarrell
    Good to hear that Jarrell has improved since going with hospice. I'm sure it was a tough decision but it sounds like it was the right one for him and for you. Treasure every moment. Good days are such a gift.

    Mary
  • sandy1943
    sandy1943 Member Posts: 824
    #3
    Ida, After going through
    Ida, After going through treatment, I beleive it is so much more important, if and when I reach the stage that treatment would just prolong life, I will choose quality over quanity.
    When I was in treatment I had no quality life, but I knew that there was a chance of a cure, but if I knew I was going to die from the desease, then I would choose to stop treatment. Life is to good to waste what time we have left.
    So glad Jarrell is enjoying life now.
    My prayers are with you,
    Sandra
  • JReed
    JReed Member Posts: 428
    #4
    Enjoy every moment!
    Hi Ida:

    Thank you for the update on you two. It is wonderful to hear that hospice has made such a significant change in the quality of life you now have. Glad that Jarrel is doing so well and it sounds from the tone of your post, this is welcomed relief for you also.

    Keep on enjoying every moment you can and tell Jarrel I'm a farmgirl and though I hated our gardens when I was living at home - I sure do miss all that good stuff now. But husband won't let me have a garden because I don't keep the weeds out and it would look like you-know-what!

    Hugs from Michigan
    Judy & Don
  • ifalk
    ifalk Member Posts: 29
    #5
    JReed said:

    Enjoy every moment!
    Hi Ida:

    Thank you for the update on you two. It is wonderful to hear that hospice has made such a significant change in the quality of life you now have. Glad that Jarrel is doing so well and it sounds from the tone of your post, this is welcomed relief for you also.

    Keep on enjoying every moment you can and tell Jarrel I'm a farmgirl and though I hated our gardens when I was living at home - I sure do miss all that good stuff now. But husband won't let me have a garden because I don't keep the weeds out and it would look like you-know-what!

    Hugs from Michigan
    Judy & Don

    from Michigan
    Hi Judy

    We are from Michigan also. I was born and raised in Alpena, Jarrell in Marquette and Niles. We met in Lansing at Fisher Body. Know all about the Michigan gardens we sure had our share and just can not get the great fresh veggies here in Florida, even if you grow them your self. Just not the same.

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