Another day at Markey

VivianLee5689
VivianLee5689 Member Posts: 546
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Just had our rounds with the oncology people. David's chemotherapy and radiation has been put on hold. They do not think he is well enough to undergo treatment at this time. Their goal is to get him taking enough nutrition and liquid through his PEG. He has been put on the continuous feed pump and started at 10 ml per hour. They gave him some phenegren because he became nauseated after flushing his tube. He has some residual kidney pain, for which they are giving him morphine. He still is taking IV fluids at this time. The are scheduling some scans for him to make sure nothing has spread and that his kidneys are not damaged since the Cisplatin is hard on the kidneys any way. I still have a difficult time with the diagnosis of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. I have asked multiple times if they are sure this was from the cancer and they say it is.

Comments

  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898
    #2
    I'm so sorry
    So sorry to heat about this. Not sure if you saw my last post to you regarding a PICC line for David to get his feedings. It's just a thought but at least that way he wouldn't have to digest it and risk getting nauseas.
    So if the doctors are sure it's from the SCC, do they know how severe it is? Are they concerned about his bones at all? I know treatment has gotten better and better. How are his levels today? I've been thinking about you both all day. Make sure you tell David that a lot of people are praying for him.
    Billie
  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #3
    Billie67 said:

    I'm so sorry
    So sorry to heat about this. Not sure if you saw my last post to you regarding a PICC line for David to get his feedings. It's just a thought but at least that way he wouldn't have to digest it and risk getting nauseas.
    So if the doctors are sure it's from the SCC, do they know how severe it is? Are they concerned about his bones at all? I know treatment has gotten better and better. How are his levels today? I've been thinking about you both all day. Make sure you tell David that a lot of people are praying for him.
    Billie

    Prayers
    Prayers for both you and David
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #4
    Thank you for the update....
    I've been wondering about him all day...so now he has a PEG...GOOD!! If he has to do phrnegren to hold back the nausea, then so be it, at least he's getting nutrition...I'm wondering if once his calcium levels are closer to normal if his nausea might not disappear. I hope so!

    Continuing to send positive thoughts and prayers your way...you deserve a break...

    p
  • VivianLee5689
    VivianLee5689 Member Posts: 546
    #5
    hwt said:

    Prayers
    Prayers for both you and David

    Thanks
    Yes they have given him Calcitonin (injected in to his stomach several times) and Zometa via IV. His levels were down to 9, but because it is triggered by his cancer, he will continue to struggle to keep his calcium levels down unless they are able to get all the cancer. We haven't discussed the PICC line, they really want to retry the continuous pump since it seemed to work right after surgery. The reason we didn't have one at home, was David said he didn't want it because the motor would disturb his sleep. As you can imagine he has totally changed his tune on that one. Now we just have to wait to see how all the scans that they have planned turn out. This is not how I planned to spend my first 6 months of marriage. I posted to my facebook page today. Vacationing at Markey Cancer Center, does anyone know where the pool is? I cracked myself up, that shows you how desperate I am for a good laugh. Thanks for your prayers they are more appreciated that you know.
  • VivianLee5689
    VivianLee5689 Member Posts: 546
    #6
    phrannie51 said:

    Thank you for the update....
    I've been wondering about him all day...so now he has a PEG...GOOD!! If he has to do phrnegren to hold back the nausea, then so be it, at least he's getting nutrition...I'm wondering if once his calcium levels are closer to normal if his nausea might not disappear. I hope so!

    Continuing to send positive thoughts and prayers your way...you deserve a break...

    p

    Phrannie
    He has had a PEG since the beginning. Problem was they were doing gravity feeds and they were making him sick.
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #7
    VivianLee5689 said:

    Phrannie
    He has had a PEG since the beginning. Problem was they were doing gravity feeds and they were making him sick.

    Oops...
    sorry....(I did think he got it awful quick :))...
    p
  • luvofmylif
    luvofmylif Member Posts: 344
    #8
    phrannie51 said:

    Oops...
    sorry....(I did think he got it awful quick :))...
    p

    I am praying for David and
    I am praying for David and you. I am glad at least he is being treated more aggressively now and hoping that he will feel better soon. Please keep us posted on this board. I am sorry for all he has been through and just hoping soon, real soon, he will be feeling better and able to enjoy everyday life again...and you too.

    Joan
  • NoDuck
    NoDuck Member Posts: 134
    #9
    Familiar
    Vivian -- your hubby's problems with feedings and nausea are very much like the problems may husband had. He had trouble with gravity feeds, liquid food intolerance, extreme nausea, acid reflux. Once he got on zofran twice a day and phenergran every four hours he got better. The feeding pump helped alot and after a couple weeks, he was back to gravity feeds with mo problems. But it took several days for the meds to work. And the nausea meds were like pain meds for him -- take them on schedule and stay ahead of the nausea.

    Instead of the kidney complications your hubby has, mine had c. Diff, a terrible bacterial infection that causes high fever and extreme diarrhea. He ended up in the hospital for 6 days. But his came at the middle of treatment, not at the first like you guys are dealing with. He only missed one radiation treatment but had to forego the third cisplatin chemo because of the bacterial infection.

    All that to say we all have our setbacks and hurdles we did not plan for. Trust your doctors, trust yourselves and most important, trust God. Prayers for you both.

    Deb
  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898
    #10
    VivianLee5689 said:

    Thanks
    Yes they have given him Calcitonin (injected in to his stomach several times) and Zometa via IV. His levels were down to 9, but because it is triggered by his cancer, he will continue to struggle to keep his calcium levels down unless they are able to get all the cancer. We haven't discussed the PICC line, they really want to retry the continuous pump since it seemed to work right after surgery. The reason we didn't have one at home, was David said he didn't want it because the motor would disturb his sleep. As you can imagine he has totally changed his tune on that one. Now we just have to wait to see how all the scans that they have planned turn out. This is not how I planned to spend my first 6 months of marriage. I posted to my facebook page today. Vacationing at Markey Cancer Center, does anyone know where the pool is? I cracked myself up, that shows you how desperate I am for a good laugh. Thanks for your prayers they are more appreciated that you know.

    Calmer for the moment
    It sounds as if things are calmer for the time being, thank God! I'm glad David changed his tune on the feeding pump, funny how being sicker than a dog will make you see things differently.
    I'm sorry your first six months of marriage have been less than blissful, something's are simply unfair.

    I'm glad you at least are having a hint of humor about all this. Hopefully your FB friends don't think you have gone off the deep end haha
    Try and keep that chin up and get some rest. Oh and after you check out the pool you should schedule a massage :-)
    Billie
  • ToBeGolden
    ToBeGolden Member Posts: 695
    #11
    Humor
    For those of us desperate for any kind of humor: Or for those of us desperate enough to think almost anything is funny: there is http://www.punoftheday.com. Stolen from its pages is the following (I warn you that you must be desperate to read on).

    A relief map shows the location of rest rooms.

    You can see the state of my mind. Rick.
  • carolinagirl67
    carolinagirl67 Member Posts: 153
    #12
    VivianLee5689 said:

    Thanks
    Yes they have given him Calcitonin (injected in to his stomach several times) and Zometa via IV. His levels were down to 9, but because it is triggered by his cancer, he will continue to struggle to keep his calcium levels down unless they are able to get all the cancer. We haven't discussed the PICC line, they really want to retry the continuous pump since it seemed to work right after surgery. The reason we didn't have one at home, was David said he didn't want it because the motor would disturb his sleep. As you can imagine he has totally changed his tune on that one. Now we just have to wait to see how all the scans that they have planned turn out. This is not how I planned to spend my first 6 months of marriage. I posted to my facebook page today. Vacationing at Markey Cancer Center, does anyone know where the pool is? I cracked myself up, that shows you how desperate I am for a good laugh. Thanks for your prayers they are more appreciated that you know.

    Vacation
    You are so funny! We spent so much time in the hospital that I often referred to it as a vacation too. We had a great view of the river and room service. He is in the best place though and he will get good care and when you are worried you will have someone you can ask right away. Take care of yourself too. Sending prayers your way. Donna

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