well the last 6weeks for dad have not been good.. he has been in bed but says he is not tired.. hmmm.. he developed this horrible scab under his chin, that now looks like it wants to fall off.. he is currently on the 50patch and takes norco every 4-6 hours. my dad is such a fighter and to see him like this is literally heart wrenching... i ask myself if this horrible disease is back, what is his next step? he already did radition and chemo, salvage surgery, and all of this within 9months! so what options would he be left with.. i am asking for all prayers, thoughts and positive vibes for tomorrows visit.. i sent my dad emails that i copy and pasted from this site and im not sure if he even read them.. ;-(.. thank you all again for your positive words.. God Bless..

I hope the appointment goes well and that your father finds some relief. Lots of good thoughts coming your way!

thank you tracy.. i appreciate your thoughts!

Fingers and toes crossed!!! That your dad is okay - I'll keep you in my prayers - hugs!

thank you cheryl.. i will take that hug :-(

Nicki...it's not uncommon that someone on a high doseage of opiate pain medications lays in bed all day. Understand how those drugs work and what they do to the body. Fentanyl is the strongest opiate pain med they will give to a human being (carbofentanyl is stronger but they reserve that for larger animals). It is roughly 100x stronger then "heroine" and works by depressing the central nervous system...slowing breathing and heart rate which makes physical activity tough and energy levels low. 50mcg/hr is a relatively high dosage when you consider how strong that drug is...then add the hydro/tylenol to it (norco) and he is further depressing the system.

I had a special relationship with fentanyl and oxycodone and I was very much confined to my bed for about 18 months because of them. That patch system serves its purpose by negating pain but those drugs have side effects of their own and are debilitating in their own way. They will affect his moods, outlook, physical abilities as they do the job of keeping his pain at bay. The issue I have with these drugs is that usually the medical professionals do not have a plan to get you off of them and if he's become dependant on them he will likely not push for it himself. I know how that one goes.

My heart goes out to your dad..I've been there and it's not fun. Thankfully I had OCF then helping me find my way back from lala land.

Keep your chin up

Eric

Nicki,

Wishing you the best and sending our love and support to you and your dad. We are in this together. Hugs.

Benfry

Thank you all for your responses. Dad's appointment went, "ok".. he was prescribed a stronger antibiotic for the swelling and for the redness in his right eye (not the troubled side).. the ENT did say he thinks it is an infection BUT will never rule out cancer.. ugh.. so we now have a CT scan scheduled for this Friday, which at that time they will pay close attention to the "base of the skull".. really? wow! so over the next few days i can only continue to pray that we see results with this antibiotic (levaquin).. thank you all for your continued support..
God Bless
Nicki