Not eating

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Not sure if I am duplicating this on another part of the site, but  my husband (77) was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer about a year ago.  He has multiple bone mets throughout the skeleton and whilst initially on Firmagon (hormone therapy), he has changed to Prostap as he had too much pain from the first. 

He has bladder incontinence which is manageable by wearing pads but has been having often uncontrollable diarrhea every day for nearly four months.  He has had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy so far and oncology say nothing to do with the cancer.  He recently had an MRI to rule out spinal compression and a contrast ct scan.  Nothing sinister found that they didn't already know.

However, my biggest worry is that he can no longer can eat.  I have tried everything, obviously including his favourite foods.  He can manage sweet things like fruit, yoghurt and soft deserts but he just cannot mange more than a couple of mouthfuls of any savoury food and is having Energy drinks supplied by the doctor.

My questions are, do other sufferers have bad diarrhea and is total lack of appetite and inability to eat normal.  He is going downhill so fast and also getting dehydrated too. I am at my wits end trying to help him.

  • No way, jam first.  Cream first is 'dirty'!!!! There are certain rules in life and the other on is the toilet roll end has to hang outward over the top. The other way is totally illegal!!

    Cheers

    Gina

  • Hi Stromness, thanks I try and do my bit.  It was only four years ago when I was looking after my mum with dementia and prior to that my dad with Alzheimers. 

    I would have liked a longer gap in between as Richard hasn't been well for at least two years after having a partial bowel removal for suspected cancer which turned out to be benign.  I think his whole outlook and demeanour changed since then and then Covid didn't help.

    As to my work in Fleet Street, very boring really.  Started at 17 with Associated Newspapers (Daily Mail, Sketch and Evening News) in the typing pool.  There for a week and then asked to work as PA/Secretary for the Personnel and Training Director. A lucky break and position for someone so young and inexperienced.  I stayed in that position for a year or so and then became Assistant Training Manager running courses for the journalists and editing staff. Working in that industry you learned to take long lunch hours, drink loads and swear even more!! One of my best mates in the Daily Mail was Mac, the cartoonist.  I have three of his large original cartoons framed in my hall, two of which included a couple of my ideas and additions.  

    Have a great Sunday.

    Gina

  • [deleted]

    Steve (SteveCam)

  • Gina, I used to be in the Newspaper business.  

    As a Paperboy!!

    I thought it was funny.

    In my really younger days we used Newspapers for toilet paper.  A long long time ago, in the Outside Loo.

    It was a nightmare in the winter!!!

    Steve (SteveCam)

  • Ha ha.  Richard always tells me about his home life in the 40s/50s where they didn't have carpets on the stairs, and an outside loo with newspaper for paper too.  I hope it was the Sun and not the Daily Mail though!!!

    Gina

  • Gina,  This was the 1960s in Wallsend.  I remember using the "People's Friend", my Nana's favourite.

    There was also the "Radio Times" at Christmas (double issues).  Luxury!!!

    Steve (SteveCam)

  • Did the oats improve the scones?? 

    Gina

  • Steve,

    Well there's posh - the Radio Times. Puh, how the other half lived !!! JoyGrinning

    Gina

  • Very much.  Also, once I forgot to put the cheese in, so I rolled the scones in grated cheese.  Unbelievable taste.

    Steve (SteveCam)

  • Only at Christmas mind!

    I even think there might have been a Yellow Pages.  That might have been for guests only, or if the Queen dropped in.

    Steve (SteveCam)