Sleep Problems

I never had sleep problems until I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At least nothing that I couldn't conquer on my own. Now sleep is the fatherest thing from my consciousness. My doctor gave me ambien and it is fantastic. I am not a druggy. Don't even take asa or vitamins except once in a while. So I didn't want to take a sleeping pill, but no choice. With ambiem I NEVER have a hangover, no matter how many hours of sleep I get or don't get and it takes effect in just a little while. TIP: it will have more of an effect on an empty stomach.

Hi!

When I found out I had Stage IV lung cancer in January, I was TERRIFIED and couldn't sleep. My doctor perscribed Ambien also, but the insurance company wouldn't cover it. So he gave a different perscription. It took away a lot of my fear of going to bed and just lying there in fear and sadness all night. I was able to feel less fearful in general.

I took the meds every night for 30 days and then decided to try to cut back. I did and discovered the fear and shock were going away and I could sleep pretty normally. It's been five months now and I haven't needed help sleeping in months. But I keep that mediation around so I'll have it if I need it someday.

Hang in there. You will feel less scared and troubled at night as time goes on. And if you decide to keep taking the medication, that's fine. We all need to be kind and caring to ourselves when we are faced with something so unexpected and scarey.

Leslie

Dear Leslie, thank you for your response. I think you sound very beautiful. Just thought I would write a little. I am newly diagnosed. I think the strangest thing to deal with is the responses I receive from loved ones. If I hear how are you feeling one more time I am going to completely get well so I don’t have to hear it. I love them for it but it sure does get old. I keep wanting to go back to my old world and every time someone shows loving concern it takes me back into this sucky cancer thing. I have my whipple on Tuesday along with ovarian cyst removal and maybe even a hemorrhoid or two if I am lucky. Why not as long as I am on the butcher block. The hospital is nice, the doctors good, my family and friends very supportive but I still had rather stand on my head in a chicken factory and hang naked chickens. Or maybe visit Russia in the dead of winter and clean the sewer system. However I am going to kick cancer ass on Tuesday. So there. Tonite you are in my prayers, I have been reading romans, it is good.

Hello, friend. (I'm not sure what your first name is or I'd use it.)

You are the first person I've ever written to on a chat line and it was so nice to hear back from you so quickly. If there's anything I've learned from this cancer it's that it makes all the difference to go through it with someone by and on your side. Feel free to use me as a sounding board if you need to unload, be honest, whatever. Oaky?

I've been really fortunate to have a husband who has always been my best friend and best listener. He didn't want to talk about the cancer in the beginning, though, because it was so scarey for him.

But, I needed to talk and I told him I needed to be able to talk about it with him like I would any other problem. I told him I didn't want him to be afraid of my illness and treat me differently. It made a big difference. I don't want to talk about it all the time either anymore. But, when I need to share that I'm scared once in awhile or sad or mad, he's able to hear it and be there for me.

Luckily, I don't seem ill at all, so even though everyone knows, everyone in the little rural town we've lived in for 4 years treats me with less concern (the awful "how are you feeling?") and more regular friendship and conversation. It's so good to know people care, but, like you, I don't want to feel like the poster girl for cancer. I'm still ME and the cancer can't take that away!

You sound like you're feeling a little better in your mind about everything. Be optimistic. Do whatever needs to be done legally and financially, write down whatever you want people to know if you can't tell them later. Then just go with the flow, do whatever you can to heal yourself, and remind yourself that you DO have control over how you chose to react to the cancer.

Enjoy whatever you can about each day. Sounds like Pollyana or denial or something, but it really is not. It's as much reality that you can see a beautiful sunset, eat something tasty, laugh at "America's Funniest Home Videos" or whatever is fun for you today as it was before. You may have burdens to carry now that weren't there before and that can be rough for periods of time. But the beauty the humor the fun is still there - just don't block it out. Laugh whenever you can. Rent movies that made you laugh before. It really, really helps and is healthy for you, too.

Glad to know you! Good luck with all the medical stuff. If family members seem to want to help and don't know what to do, tell them that bringing laughter and happiness into your day is the greatest gift they can give right now. Ask them to tell you a joke, send you a funny cartoon, watch a funny movie with you. Remind them you need to get your emotions and mind back on track and need to forget cancer and doctors once in a while. You are still YOU!

Leslie

Hi again Leslie and hello Leslie’s husband, my name is Karen. I live in Irving Texas and am a 48 y.o. nursing student with two more semesters to go. I live for humor and bluebell (that is southern ice cream). 2 husbands, 3 pregnancies, several pets and jobs ranging from bus driving to the navy to CNA. I am very open with my life and so have been with my cancer also. I went in for a physical and on a routine vaginal exam the doctor felt a mass on my ovaries. Then mri, ct scan, then 1 march the dreaded and ever optimistic--you have a mass on your pancreas but it’s probably just a cyst. Then the twilight zone. If one is to get sick, nursing school is the place to do it. My son is in the navy also and is here for my surgery. This is nice but I would rather have memorized all the cat muscles again that have to throw him the cancer ball. By the way do you know how getting up at 3 am is like a pigs tail? It’s twirly!!! I am cleaning house tonight in preparation for the relatives. Your message was WONDERFUL and if there is one thing I have changed about myself lately is that if I have something good to say to someone I say it. I try not to miss good things any more whether it is a movie or a flower or a joke. Right now I am balancing that fabled "positive attitude" with the ever unpopular "I might die". I know I should do legal stuff but I don’t want to. And financially I think I will leave my wallet somewhere so some unfortunate person can steal my identity. If I put it off legal stuff maybe I can find the black hole out of the twilight zone. I just saw "CRASH" with my son. WOW what a fabulous movie. Phych all the way. I am liberal and despise racism, sexism and all the rest of that bull. This movie turns all of it on its ear. Wanna hear my cancer diet: here it is:
BREAKFAST: salmon for the healing effects of protein and fibrin and vitamins
LUNCH: salmon for (see above)
DINNER: ice cream to counter the effects of the salmon and provide the cat with proper nutrition.
Well gotta get back to cleaning. My son is at six flags today and I have to say he has been a blessing to me because he needs me and treats me like the same old mom. Mom can you cook some chicken and dumplings, mom can you iron my shirt, mom are you going to wash today. It’s GREAT.

Hi Karen , you sound like a wonderful positive person. my Father in law has been recently diagnosed with PC .
How are things with you now if you dont mind me asking,
god bless you xxx
J

hi, jj n. so sorry to be getting back so late. i am very well. thank you so much for asking. i was very blessed to be able to have a whipple procedure to eradicate my cancer, and have had an octreotide scan to verify this. at first i was on coumadin due to heparin induced thrombocytopenia, now my only med is pancreatic enzymes. i don't even have to take insulin. my graduation from nursing school occurs in december. dr. carlton barnett, pancreatic surgeon in dallas who did my surgery is the best doctor i have ever met. best wishes for your father in law. i will pray for him and address his name as father in law, god will know. i have come to learn from people i speak with, that the human body can be taken to great extremes of illness and still bounce back very effectively. i have found such great support from the american cancer society. god's grace is inexplicable. god is my provider and my safety net. please write back and tell me more about your father in law. god bless you and your family. your family must appreciate your love and support very much!!