Hi
My dad has stage 4 stomach cancer. He has been battling it for 3 years now.
He was diagnosed with stage 4 about a year ago and had the foxfol chemotherapy up until February this year which he seemed to be managing well with.
He had a scan in early may and received a call from his oncologist in early June to inform him there was no progression.
In mid June he started to feel pain in the stomach area and was eventually referred to a and e by his Gp on 1st July.
He had been in and out of the hospital for the next 3 weeks. He eventually had a previously scheduled scan on 12th August which frustratingly was not brought forward by the oncologist despite my requests. Within all this time no diagnosis or treatment of the pain from either the hospital or the oncologist. The palliative care team have been great but fundamentally not been successful in helping with the pain.
on Wednesday we got the news from the palliative care doctor that this scan showed significant progression which we suspected all along, but devastatingly they said they cannot offer him further chemotherapy treatment because he is too unwell! No s**t he’s unwell after being in terrible pain for the past 7 weeks and unable to eat properly and this thing running riot unchallenged in his stomach! I feel the oncologist has not reacted quickly enough to this latest pain and has refused to bring the scan forward all the while my dads condition is deteriorating!!
The heart breaking thing is my dad is mentally full of life and the will to live but his body is not agreeing. I just feel that if there is just some possible palliative treatment out there that his current oncologist is possibly unaware of or not considering, that could kill the pain enough for him to start eating and building up strength he would jump at it, then he could be in a position to continue with chemotherapy to keep it at bay.
My plea is to anyone who kindly takes the time to read this who may have had similar experience and or may know of a specialist or anything I could turn to, it would be so greatly appreciated. We are at a desperate stage and it feels the clock is ticking so quick.
Thank you.
I am so sorry that you’re both in this position. I’m not sure about the palliative treatment as my mom has only just started chemo. Her cancer started in the oesophagus and then presented in the abdomen which is actually what lead to her diagnosis. She’s also been having a lot acid & tummy pain almost immediately after eating but the discomfort continues through out the day. Was your dad having these symptoms before the treatment he was on?
I’ve found that gripe water (usually given to babies) after a small meal (some times before) usually helps with the bloating and tummy pain she has . I give between 0.5ml to 1ml (not exceeding 5ml in a day) have to be careful as it can act as a laxative
I also burp her or give her back rubs to help soothe her.
some of the drinks make the tummy pain worse so we avoid them (complan fortisip and fortijuice did not agree with her) we are now having aymes Actagain juice which seems to be okay but it is hard to get hold of through my gp. I’ve started ordering them online. They also do a chocolate pudding which is soft to eat and also 300 calories. Your dad might like this too? I can see someone has already recommended ensure as well so definitely give that a try too & push for a dietician if you haven’t already got one.
do all that you can to build his strength back up (everything that is within your control) & push your oncologist for palliative treatment options. Wishing you & your dad all the best 
Gabby
