JoAnne,

Thank you for your warm thoughts and wishes. Yes, mom is still eating her Bassets... Indeed, her intake of the ice cream has increased to almost 1 pint per day. Thankfully, WA-WA decided to carry it again... I now don't have to buy out every pint at McCafferties each week.

Mom is very close to moving onto stronger pain meds.. She is in a precarious quandary right now... The tumor tentacle growing down her throat is getting so big now that swallowing pills is a impossible without them getting stuck. The hospice nurse got everything in liquid form. But unfortunately, the liquid form of these meds burns the heck out of her mouth. She tried the butter method on half a pill. She wasn't happy with this option.

Her first modified method (eating a spoon of ice cream immediately after taking a spoon full of the meds) is not alleviating the burn enough. Next, she tried mixing the meds with the ice cream. Sadly, when she swallows the (partially melted mix) some of it coming out her nose, the vicodin burns her nose (and mouth).

My sister brought mouth spray to num her mouth. But, mom can't open her mouth wide enough to spray in her mouth. Next, my sister filled half teaspoon full of the vicodin in several mini ice cube tray containers. The tray was put in the freezer Friday night. On Saturday night, my mom was going to attempt to eat and swallow the frozen mini vicodin cubes. Sadly, the alcohol in the vicodin wouldn't freeze (ugh...). I guess that is the same alcohol that burns her mouth.

She has zero fat so pain patches will not work properly.

Suppository is yet another option. Mom wasn't keen on that option.

I brought up the idea of getting a PEG telling her that the meds could be administered from the PEG (along with nourishment and fluids). She snapped at my saying that she couldn't live alone once she gets the PEG.

The when to say "enough is enough you can't live along anymore" is sooooooooo hard to determine.

Thanks,
Paul