Gwenny, he should not be having pain, especially enough that it makes him short tempered. There is no reason whatsoever for him to tough it out. This is one occasion when taking drugs is okay, and believe me, there are some mighty fine drugs out there! I can count on the fingers of one hand the pills I took before I had radiation and chemo. I do not like to take medicine. However, there came a time when the pain was interfering with everything, and I cried uncle. Should have done it much sooner. Being macho (or whatever female equivalent is) is not appropriate here! You tell him to get some of those good drugs and his outlook will improve 100%.
Joanna