A few questions

Hi there, I’m very happy to explain all I can I order that you understand what’s what.

Firstly I’m at home and my Darling (wife) is the only other human but we have a menace of a cat - Mr Vicious.

Initially I was prescribed paracetamol two pills 4 times a day with codeine 4 times a day to give a boost (I can’t have Ibuprofen due to my anticoagulants)

The nerve pain I was experiencing in my chest was why gabapentin was initially prescribed at 100mgs 3/day which last week was doubled to 200mg 3 times a day.

The oral morphine was only for acute pains but the slow release morphine capsules were added to give me a background pain relief day and night. 10mg twice a day (this was doubled to 20mg twice a day this morning, during a call from the hospice checking my dosage, after I had a weekend of hellish pain).

The oral morphine I’m allowed 6 times a day (every 4 hours) 10mg at 5ml via a reusable syringe.

Any questions?

Oh, thanks. I have been giving him 2 x para every four hours when I remember. I tell him to remind me but with everything I have to do, I forget till he mentions the pain. I have been given codeine and cocodamol as well so I tend to give him cocodamol at night. However, lately as pain worse, I have given him one of them during the day too. He can be either a bit of a drama queen one minute, but then not say anything until the pain has got bad again, when I am aware, keeping on top of it is better than waiting till it worsens. He always has paracetamol to hand but has never been any good at taking meds and I have to always prompt. I will ask doc tonight whether I should maybe cut the cocodamol and go for the oramorph at bedtime and see how he is. 

I was surprised that you had a hospice involved as thought that only happens when you no longer live at home. Glad you at home with your Darling, but not so sure about Mr Vicious . I had a Main Coon cat a few years ago. He was absolutely beautiful and huge, weighed a stone, but if he had enough of a fuss he would whack you with his paws and sometimes claws out. He was a little bugger and so independent. 

Cats are tricky at the best of times.

The Hospice have the best knowledge about pain relief so they advise my GP. It’s working well.

As for getting the pills in before the pain, it absolutely essential you do. I’ve got piles of pills and I’ve got alarms on my mobile and iwatch to ensure I don’t forget any. I soon know about it if I miss some.

So get organised and get a contact with the local Hospice. I only had to ring the nurse hot-line and introduced myself as a cancer patient and the rest was automatic.

I wish you well 

Thanks x