Stacey, I have wondered from the beginning what type of facility your husband was being treated at. The doc sounds to me (in my own uneducated opinion) like he is not quite with it and not following the treatment guidelines for treating OC patients. He even disagreed with the other doctors right from the start about the primary mass. Makes me wonder just how many OC patients he has treated.
This whole situation stinks!!!!!
Im very concerned about your husbands intake! He will not be able to fight the cancer and the brutal treatments without proper nutrition. I cant believe this physician said a feeding tube was not an option for your husband. Not even a nasal tube? Hydration is NOT nutrition. Malnutrition can be a life threatening situation for your husband. I dont want to scare you or make you worry unnecessarily about things. His body is burning up calories at an incredible rate not only with fighting the cancer but also trying to heal from the treatments. This is why he needs a minimum of 2500 calories every single day. Even skimping a couple days can put a patient in danger of malnutrition. Ive seen this firsthand and watched hundreds of members struggle. The ones who turned their intake around did ok while the ones who didnt were eventually hospitalized. Ive never seen a doctor refuse a feeding tube for someone and say it was a virus. Nutrition and hydration will make or break a patient, without enough calories he will suffer more and feel terrible. His body wont be able to fight. Please talk to this doctor again and if necessary go over his head to the higher ups at the facility. This doc works for you and everybody has a boss! Its a hard situation to be in, a caregiver wears so many hats.
Of course all patients and each situation is slightly different and unique. I have not seen doctors change the radiation dosage due to a patient having a difficult time. I have seen a doc cancel a couple of the last treatments for only one or 2 members. This situation is NOT the usual one at all.
Many here including myself pretty much had to suck it up and continue thru til the end even though we were very ill. I ended up hospitalized several times for malnutrition and dehydration and that was with a feeding tube. I felt so bad I actually thought I was dying. Once I was so sick I couldnt even walk, my son pushed me in a wheelchair and the doc took one look at me and admitted me. This is why I am so concerned about your husbands situation, I am hoping to spare him and your family from going thru what I did.
Wishing you and your husband had an easier time of it!!!
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