A bit of a silver lining

Sandi1
Sandi1 Member Posts: 277
in Colorectal Cancer #1

So, if it is at all possible, my husband and i received some good news among this horrible news we received.  For quite a while, my husband was unable to eat anything really solid - meat, vegetables etc. we assumed it was because of the "hospital food" and just having surgery and being in pain.  Well it continued to the point where all he could eat was yogurt, applesauce and drink Ensure.  We mentioned it again to the doctor and she decided to send him for an esophagusgram, turns out his esophagus wasn't moving when he swallowed - so he is the good news - there is a pill for that.  He has had 5 doses so far and is able to eat small meals without throwing up. His only problem now is that he is constipated and in alot of pain from that, i don't know what that is from but we will talk to the doctor about that now.

This happened after i told you all that i was going to continue praying for a miracle, may not be a miracle but at least something is going our way.

Sandi

 

Comments

  • LivinginNH
    LivinginNH Member Posts: 1,456 Member
    #2
     
    Well that's certainly some

     

    Well that's certainly some good news! :)  Even the smallest of victories can seem monumental at this point, and he must feel good to be able to eat real food once again.  I used to give my Rick a dose of Miralax every morning, and that helped him with the constipation to a good degree.

    All my best,

    Cynthia

  • Sandi1
    Sandi1 Member Posts: 277
    #3
    LivinginNH said:

     
    Well that's certainly some

     

    Well that's certainly some good news! :)  Even the smallest of victories can seem monumental at this point, and he must feel good to be able to eat real food once again.  I used to give my Rick a dose of Miralax every morning, and that helped him with the constipation to a good degree.

    All my best,

    Cynthia

    My husband

    my husband has been taking, Senokot, Milk of Magnesia, Ducolax and some meds from the gastrointerologist.  Nothing seems to work and he has awful spasms that make him cry. I asked him to describe them to me, so i would have an accurate description for the doctors - he says it's like have really bad gas pains.  He eats only because he knows he has to, otherwise he tells me he has no appetite, and he said everything tastes like salt, if when there is no salt in the food.

    Another hurdle to deal with, but glad at least when he eats he keeps it down.

     

    Sandi

     

  • janderson1964
    janderson1964 Member Posts: 2,215 Member
    #4
    That's great news Sandi. You

    That's great news Sandi. You both deserve some kind of a break. Surgery and meds can cause constipation. Also since he hasnt eaten any solid food for a while there isn't much to push through. Hopefully solid food will help jump start his system but certainly see what his doctor says as well. Constipation can be really miserable.

  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #5
    Sandi1 said:

    My husband

    my husband has been taking, Senokot, Milk of Magnesia, Ducolax and some meds from the gastrointerologist.  Nothing seems to work and he has awful spasms that make him cry. I asked him to describe them to me, so i would have an accurate description for the doctors - he says it's like have really bad gas pains.  He eats only because he knows he has to, otherwise he tells me he has no appetite, and he said everything tastes like salt, if when there is no salt in the food.

    Another hurdle to deal with, but glad at least when he eats he keeps it down.

     

    Sandi

     

    Exactly what I was suffering

    my spleen surgery turned out to be more then spleen surgery, it was also to flip back my intestines, cut scar tissue and fix a hernia.  

    I kept having build up of gas, couldn't go to the bathroom, (except occasionally diarhea) had 4 trips to ER along with one hospitalization for four days, they couldn't find the problem with the CT scans, they said it was this or that, had partial colonoscopy (can't remember what it's called) they did not find any problems.  Gave up eating just was drinking because pain too intense.  

    During spleen surgery flipped intestines was found with scar tissue involved which was narrowing the intestines (ended up with blood clots coming out rear end as well before surgery corrected this).  

    Have them keep looking for the problem, gas would not even pass through at times and you want to crawl out of your body to get away from the pain.  I feel for him, I totally understand the pain.  My heart goes out to you both, keep looking for the source of pain.

    The solution before surgery was to give me stool softners, take milk of magnesia, probiotics, none of which were going to fix the problem.

    Winter Marie

  • LivinginNH
    LivinginNH Member Posts: 1,456 Member
    #6
    Sandi1 said:

    My husband

    my husband has been taking, Senokot, Milk of Magnesia, Ducolax and some meds from the gastrointerologist.  Nothing seems to work and he has awful spasms that make him cry. I asked him to describe them to me, so i would have an accurate description for the doctors - he says it's like have really bad gas pains.  He eats only because he knows he has to, otherwise he tells me he has no appetite, and he said everything tastes like salt, if when there is no salt in the food.

    Another hurdle to deal with, but glad at least when he eats he keeps it down.

     

    Sandi

     

     
    Oh dear, he might have a

     

    Oh dear, he might have a blockage.  :(  Would the doctor consider sending him for a CT scan?  Rick had several blockages during his treatment, sometimes they were only a couples of months apart.  They finally had to put a stent in to open up the intenstines at the point of the blockage - it was due to scar tissue as Winter Marie mentioned.

    Dang, and here I was picturing him happily eating his dinner....    :(

     

  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #7
    I used Ducolax for

    I used Ducolax for constipation and child suppositories. The suppositories aren't big and they normally work within 15 minutes. Just insert and lay down for 15 minutes then try to go potty. :) or if he gets the urge sooner.  I was in pain so bad one day, that I cried and I never cry!    The pain is intense.   As soon as I started feeling a slight gas pain it was ducolax and a suppository.  Hope  all goes well. 

     

    FYI,  just sharing, we never know what can give us cancer.

      I drank the wine just to keep from getting constipated again, then I learned that my allergy to all alcohol could be the culpri. drinking alcohol hurt my immune system, by my body trying to fight the alcohol and leave my cancer cells unprotected.   I would get red at times when drinking wine; I just let it go as the AsIan Flush.  Nope, I learned that for 10 years those 1-2 glasses of wine in the evening were killing me, while I relaxed. OMG. 

  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #8
    LivinginNH said:

     
    Oh dear, he might have a

     

    Oh dear, he might have a blockage.  :(  Would the doctor consider sending him for a CT scan?  Rick had several blockages during his treatment, sometimes they were only a couples of months apart.  They finally had to put a stent in to open up the intenstines at the point of the blockage - it was due to scar tissue as Winter Marie mentioned.

    Dang, and here I was picturing him happily eating his dinner....    :(

     

    CT Scans

    All CT Scans showed absolutely NOTHING in my case.  I think it would take an MRI.

    I was lucky I had Dr. Visser who when we discussed my spleen, we discussed my pains and he said he would look around while in there.  So we had everything possible listed for him to operate if needed, such as scar tissue, obstruction etc., were all listed as possibly needed and approved by me for surgery.  I love that surgeon!!!

  • fatbob2010
    fatbob2010 Member Posts: 467 Member
    #9
    Great News

    Sandi,

    Great to hear that your Dear Husband has made this progress.  You must be relieved.  Keep up the prayers and expect more miracles, no matter how insignificant they may seem.  

    Respectfully,

    Art

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #10
    An improvement is a blessing

    I am glad that he is seeing an improvement.  I hope that the trend continues, and he will be able to eat normally and his body functions will get better. 

    You will continue to be in my prayers. 

  • Kathleen808
    Kathleen808 Member Posts: 2,342 Member
    #11
    Sandi

    Sandi,

    That is good to hear.  I know how it is finding the little things to celebrate.  I'm sure he is happy to be able to eat some small meals.   You continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

     

    Aloha,

    Kathleen

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