Hi,

I am new here - just registered today. My husband completed his cancer therapy 7/31/08. I am starting to get a little concerned with the rate of his recovery and am wondering if I am expecting too much too soon?

David had a terrible time with gagging/vomiting during his treatment whether he took in nutrition orally or through his PEG. Consequently, he lost 45 pounds. We have talked to two nutritionists about what his caloric and hydration levels need to be for recovery, but he refuses to do more than the bare minimum because he thinks he will vomit. He won't even put any water into his feeding tube to help with hydration. Because of this he is very weak. He won't try any 'solid' foods, either. He sleeps 21-22 hours a day. He only wakes up to take meds and drink Boost and take a short walk around the neighborhood with me in the afternoon. He can't concentrate enough to read, but has been actually watching parts of tv movies the last day or two.

One of his oncologists did put him on an anti-dreppresant last week, but did say that most people are farther along in their recovery process than he is. I realize he has a long road to hoe, but I am starting to get concerned that he has lost his will to recover. Am I just too close to the situation to have a clear picture? It just seems like he is not even trying the things that both oncologists, dieticians and nurses have told him he needs to do to recover.

Thanks for any insight,
Kendall