Question terminal cancer

Hi Minnie62 and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.

I'm sorry to read that your husband has terminal cancer with less than 6 months predicted. It must be a very distressing time for you both.

My own experience with the medical profession is that they will tell you everything you want to know, if you ask, and don't hold anything back.

I can see that you've joined the supporting someone with incurable cancer group which would be a great place to post your question as you'll then be connecting directly with others in a similar situation to yourself.

If you'd like to post there clicking on the link I've created will take you straight there where you can then start a new post in the same way as you did here. You can also join in with existing conversations by clicking on 'reply'.

When you feel up to it it would be great if you could update your profile with your husband's diagnosis and treatment so far as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. If you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.

x

Hello Minnie62, I'm sad to read about your husband's diagnosis of terminal cancer.  It must be such a shock for both of you right now.

I hope you have supportive family and friends to be there for you, to talk to, to go out and have a coffee with etc.

The doctors have told you both that life expectancy won't exceed six months but that is as ever a guess on their part.  It could be shorter or longer.   That means that his diagnosis is serious and his disease is not treatable so any symptoms that appear can be treated but the underlying disease cannot be eradicated by surgery or drugs.  I'm not sure what you mean when you say "am I reading too much into this"   Some doctors are very good at explaining the prognosis and will list all the care still available to you and your husband.  Others just give the news bluntly with no other info.  There is still plenty of care and support available for both of you as Latchbrook has already said.

The "just in case meds" are a normal part of preparation for someone nearing the end of their life and nothing to be scared of but the prescription should have been discussed with you both and not just appear.  The meds usually include a sedative, a pain killer, an antisickness and possibly other meds.  These are for emergency situations that can occur depending on the person's area of diagnosis.

Is there a nurse specialist assigned to your husband or a referral to community palliative (ie;not curative) care?  Ask your GP for a referral if not as they can be with you every step of your husband's journey.  

As your husband is already in pain with his arthritis his GP should help with that and should be working with the palliative care team to provide care for your husband.   I wish you both all the best, take care x