My Husband

My husband has had his internal pain pump for 21 days now and we still can't get him comfortable all of the time. I don't know if this is the way it is going to be through the end or if at some point he will be truly comfortable.  He had a bone scan on the 18th and he has mets to his femur and tibia, both hips a rib and another vertebra.  We went to see the radiation oncologist yesterday and they will do 5 radiation treatments and 1 to the knee for pain control.  I am hopeful this will bring the relief he needs. 

His back is starting to hurt again too and this area has already been radiated.  He received a cyber-knife treatment in August and the pain relief from that only lasted about 6 weeks.   

He is at least getting some comfort from the feeding tube and he nibbles on candy or whatever he thinks might go down at that moment.  Sunday he asked for a hot fudge sundae and ate about half of it.  That was a happy moment for both of us. 

I just don't know how long he can keep going like this.  He isn't himself at all due to the pain meds, the steroids and everything his body is going through.  I really miss my husband, his laugh, and his smile which I haven't seen for about two months.  I am sorry for anyone going through this, patients and caregivers alike.

Hi KatyB - I remember you.  You posted often back when I first joined the board because my Dad was diagnosed with Stage IV EC last year.  He started having trouble swallowing the end of Feb. 07 and died from his first round of chemo June 4th.  He was misdiagnosed at first as having papillary thyroid cancer - very curable - and Hopkins dragged their feet so long which is why he didn't have his first round of chemo until the end of May.  Anyway, it was all fast.  He had a feeding tube and a trach within about 5 weeks of starting to have touble swallowing.  I had hoped and prayed for the miacle of remission, etc., but, now I realize our miracle came in the form of a chemo overdose.  As a result, my Dad never actually had pain.  I now feel it was divine intervention.  I am so sorry your husband is in pain.  I can't imagine the emotion pain you are feeling at this time.  My Mom was with my Dad (dating and married) for 63 years!There is nothing I can say to make it better, but, please know, you do not walk this path alone.  We all walk beside you.  I will be thinking of you in the days to come and I pray your husband's "miracle" comes soon.  - karen

HI Katy-Sorry you and your husband are going through such hard times. This is such a cruel disease. Hope you've had some success with the pain since you posted.  I know what you mean about missing the laugh, smile, etc. Those are things that I always miss most when it's bad. I wish I had more that I could offer you besides a few words. I always push tongren, but realize many of us just think it's too much of a stretch to try, or can't possibly imagine how making a phone call to receive energy from people hammering on acupuncture dolls could possibly help. I always feel those of us facing this disease have nothing to lose, and there are many patients with various types of cancer who have been healed, and I have heard from those who had people who didn't survive that it did give them comfort and better quality of life nonetheless. You and your husband will be in my thoughts and prayers. Hope you have a peaceful, painfree day.