| | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 17 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 17 | My husband is going downhill fast. He is loosing about 2 pounds a day, or 47 lbs in the last 7 weeks. On the last day of his radiation he went to breakfast in the wrong place and signed an AMA which automatically kicked him out of his nursing home and hospital, leaving him an out patient. So I packed him up and brought him home Tuesday. By Wednesday he was was into his second day of not eating drinking or taking his medication so I called 911 and the ambulance took him to the local hospital where they treated him with 4 IVs for dehydration and sen him home. He would have left AMA anyway so maybe that's why the doctor sent him home. Now it is the end of his 3rd day with no food water or medication, tomorrow the weekend lies ahead and Labor Day is Monday so there is nothing I can do for the next 3 days. Tuesday we have lab tests and maybe a visit with his Chemo doctor. I am hoping they an readmit him to the VA hospital despite his AMA dismissal at the Tampa VA. I or they cannot force him to get a PEG nor can they force him to be readmitted to the hospital. It's a shame he went all through this chemo and radiation only to come home and die from malnutrition and dehydration. My diary is here: http://www.angelfire.com/emo/earn/
Husband 79 metastatic cancer neck lymph nodes, biopsy Moffitt showed base of tongue, tonsil & vallecula. VA in Tampa - Teeth out 6/16, Radiation 5X7 and Erbitux 7/13 Carboplatin 8/4 - Amifostine added 8/6
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,004 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,004 | Sounds like you are in a hard place as caregiver. I'm sorry I'm not familiar..what is AMA? I guess it's not something that nurses could keep him from doing? I would imagine since he went through the treatment he has the will to live and I would think he would want to nurish himself. I know a lot of people use Carnation VHC...has a lot of calories and just needs to be swallowed. Or Ensure...there are all sorts of different things. Can you try any of those?
Suzanne
***********
T1 SCC on right side of tongue
Age 31...27 when diagnosed
4 partial glossectomies
No chemo or radiation
Biopsy on 2/2/10-Clear
Surgery needed again...no later than April 2011
Loving life and just became a mother on 11/25/10
It's not what we CAN'T do..it's what we CAN do:)
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2009 Posts: 24 Member | | Member
Joined: Aug 2009 Posts: 24 | Your husband's course of treatment seems like it has been extremely difficult and it is not getting any easier. I would hope that if he can't take any nourishment that you have him readmitted soon. If he is unable or unwilling to be admitted you might want to consider asking for help from the social service department. They may be able to help him navigate through the medical system and get both of you the help he needs to keep fighting.
Base of tongue spread to 2 lymph nodes.stg?? Dx 5/5/09 peg
Tx started with 35 rad, 7 weeks cisplatin, 2 weeks 5-fu.
completed second course of tx with reduced dose of cisplatin &
5-fu. All clear
Post radiation swallowing difficulties 12 years later
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | There is a nasal feeding tube that can non surgically be placed in his stomach in a few minutes and is meant for temporary feeding situations just like this. He needs to get calories and hydration or really bad things will start to snowball out of control including constipation, severe nausea, dehydration, and even kidney failure.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,004 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,004 | You are right David. After one of my surgeries my doc was going to put me in the hospital unless I promised to drink a lot of water and at least 6 cans of Ensure. I didn't realize how sick I was...it messed with my emotions too..
Suzanne
***********
T1 SCC on right side of tongue
Age 31...27 when diagnosed
4 partial glossectomies
No chemo or radiation
Biopsy on 2/2/10-Clear
Surgery needed again...no later than April 2011
Loving life and just became a mother on 11/25/10
It's not what we CAN'T do..it's what we CAN do:)
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | It sounds as if your husband is discouraged and it is controling him . Maybe a professional to talk with him might help?? He has to either get nousrishment or die. This for sure none of us want to happen. Good luck and he is in the prayers as you are also.
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April.
--- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
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