Debra,
The doctors and nurses at MDACC are wonderful at treating cancer but there seems to be little connection between the clinic and the social workers and wellness folks located there at the Wellness Center. I got very depressed after my treatments ended and I recall that at my 8 AM feeding, I would think..."the only thing that I have to look forward to is my 12 noon feeding". I felt pretty hopeless.
I contacted a social worker that I had met in a MDACC support group and she told me about a local group called, I think, Cancer Care that provides 6 free counselling sessions from a psycholigist for cancer patients. She also turned me on to a men's cancer support group. Oral cancer support groups are few and far between.
I only saw the counsellor once, but I did begin attending the group ( although most of the men had different issues...they had issues like losing sexual function to prostate cancer and my problem was that I could not swallow a damn thing.) I also started taking a 2 mile walk in the neighborhood every day. I made sure I had a couple of little errands to run every day, and , since I lived alone, had a friend or family member stop by to visit.
In a short while the depression seemed to melt away. Debra...this is a tough time. There are no two ways about it. The bottom line is that we do what we have to do and we get through it. Unlike Cindy, I have never experienced it from the caregiver side, but I am sure that, in many ways, that is harder, since you would love to help and feel powerless to do so.

Hang in there...things will get better.

Danny G.

Debra,

Only 1.5 weeks to go and this is his first breakdown? That is wonderful! I think I had mine 2-3 weeks into a 7 week treatment.

It is really important now to take one day at a time. There might be some really bad days in the next 1.5 weeks as well as some so-so or even good days. For me, I will say that every day after the treatment ended was a good day. I had some days where I have been tired or sick, but all managable and I was just so glad to be done. Even the peg tube seemed much more managable after the radiation and chemo where over.

Best of luck to both of you during the next couple of weeks and feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions!

Sarah