Hi all,
Not necessarily looking for advice, but if anyone has any suggestions or has been through something similar then it'd be good to hear from you.
My Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 oseophageal cancer in November. He also had a stent fitted but since then he has deteriorated quite rapidly.
He hasn't been well enough to start treatment, but if/when he does this will be a combination of chemo and immunotherapy.
He's been in and out of hospital the last few weeks but our main concern as a family is that he isn't able to stay well at home which creates a vicious cycle. We are waiting for a gastric endoscopy to be done as he hasn't had one for a few weeks to see what is going on. Until then, he's just on fluids and ensure drinks but he's struggling to hydrate himself enough, with or without encouragement. His pain is being managed by a pain patch (and liquid morphine or paracetamol where needed) but he's struggling to sleep most of the time (even with sleeping tablets).
His mood is very low understandably and he's not doing anything he enjoys anymore. My mum and I are doing what we can for him but it's just so difficult seeing him have such a poor quality of life. We do have a wheelchair for him (borrowed from someone locally) and we've took him out a couple of times, but we have to be careful using it because the front wheels swivel and jam when faced with even very small bumps. We have been referred for a wheelchair of his own but we aren't sure when this will be available.
We are under the care of a palliative care team and a district nurse but we do feel like my dad needs something more, although we don't know what would help or make a difference.
We are speaking to his GP tomorrow, and hope to discuss his mental health and sleep issues etc. Then we speak to his consultant on Thursday to have a review and see if there's the possibility he could be well enough for treatment etc.
In the meantime, it just feels very bleak on a day to day basis so it's been a struggle!
Hi jrsh5126
Welcome to the community I hope you find it both informative and supportive.
When my wife was very ill, actually before her cancer was diagnosed but it turned out actually suffering from pyometra she got too weak to walk any distance at all. Initially I managed to borrow a wheelchair from the red cross but then I managed to find one online that was not too expensive.
Janice was barely eating at the time but was quite in to sucking ice cubes, that at least did help to get some fluid in.
Has your dad had a needs assessment - see here, that can be really helpful in seeing what they need but also can help highlight how those needs might be met.
.<<hugs>>
Steve
