Need Advice

Hello, my name is Evelyn and I am the caregiver to my sister "Pretty Barbara" who is mentally retarded. She was diagnosed with esophageal cancer on December 1, 2006. Since that time she has lost 15 pounds. We have no way of really knowing how much pain she is in. Due to her mental capacity, along with other health problems, our family opted to not put her through surgery. Due to the fact that she really can't tell us how much pain she is in we really don't know how to medicate her. We grind her food up very fine, some days she eats, and some she doesn't. Can anyone share with me anything about this situation.

Evelyn,

I'm not sure I can really help you, but my husband has just finished 9 straight weeks of chemo and besides the nausea side effect that he would feel about 5 days every three weeks, he's fine.  He has had no pain since the chemo started.  In fact his swallowing is much better.  He is very strong willed and will fight this all the way.  I'm telling you this because some people may not be in pain I guess it depends on one's body and the extent of the cancer.  Maybe your sister is not feeling as she normally would but maybe she's not in the intense pain that some feel.  I don't know if I have helped at all, but the way my husband feels may be just the way your sister feels.  Let's hope so.  Good luck!

-Stong4him