Hi all.
Hubby was diagnosed with base of tongue squamous cell carcinoma that has metastasised into his lymph node, is just about to start his final week (week 6) of RT and had his 2nd chemo on wed/Thurs this week just past.
He is struggling to eat and drink and seems to be giving up on life.
I have tried making him various different smooth or soft meals, but he says they still hurt to swallow or taste bad and he is surviving on around 3 cups of tea and one ensure drink a day, but even then he mostly brings them back up.
He is on oramorph and paracetamol suspension but it doesn't touch the pain. He has asked repeatedly for more help with the pain and it took us till last week to get the meds he is on. Up until then he was on effervescent cocodomol which hurt.
When he was admitted for his chemo they had to give him extra fluids be or the chemo, but then he managed to eat veg soup and steak pie, but won't eat at home (even if I blend the soup smooth with plenty of stock) He says he had to eat in hospital as there was no other choice, but he's not eating or drinking at home and he is now shrinking in front of me.
I feel he could do more to help himself, ie use his nebuliser more than once a day, eat or even drink even though it hurts, take his oramorph more regularly, but obviously I don't actually know what he is going through so it is easy for me to think that way.
His dad is the same and will only ever take half the dose prescribed if his GP ever prescribes anything for him.
I don't know what to do without being a nag and bullying him into doing things and all I can do at the moment is cry (it doesn't help that the effectiveness of my HRT is not what it should be after me having covid a couple of weeks back and it knocking my system for six)
Any advice as to what I can do to help him. I've tried reminding him he's eating/drinking for survival rather than enjoyment, but it has no effect and seems to make him dig his heels in more.
I feel so selfish letting it all upset me like this, but I just want him to keep fighting and do all he can to help himself make a full recovery.
