Hello Mandy......I can only imagine the frustration and fear you are both feeling. To see your husband in such pain and not be able to find any help for it must be so distressing. I wish I could offer some help for you both but I am at a loss knowing where to tell you to turn. I can only comment on where you might find some help as far as his diet goes. He really needs to be getting a balanced diet in order to build his strength. Rebuilding his immune system back to an optimum level is of the utmost importance too. If he is comfortable taking liquids then I would suggest you find some of the brown rice protein powder and some of the Greens type fruit and vegetable powders which are available at most health food stores. You can mix the powders with juices or water and they make a tasty nutritious drink. Several of these a day should certainly help him as far as getting a more balanced diet. I can't imagine in this day and age that there is nothing more they can do for his pain. If I were you I would nag and nag the doctors until they pay more attention. I too live in a country that has universal health care and I have found from experience that one must be really serious and determined about advocating for the patient or they may be overlooked because our doctors are so overworked. Here is a website on cancer and nutrition which I have found very helpful
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=52 and I hope it will be a help for you too.
I'll pray for better days ahead for you both
On 2/2/2008 Petes Wife wrote:Hello
My husband is 53 and had a whipples operation on 4th July 2007, and is now undergoing 26 sessions of chemotherapy and is on constant pain medication. He is in constant pain 9 months on. We keep being told by Doctors he's bound to get a lot of pain as he's had a major operation, but it's been 9 months and I don't know how much more he can take. He is unable to eat any savory food and lives on cakes and biscuits which no medical people seem the slightest bit bothered about. He is so weak all of the time and nobody from the hospital seems to care. He is getting very depressed and thinks it would have been better if the cancer had taken it's course rather than living like he is now
I am at a loss as to what else I can do to help him or where to go for help. If anyone reading this has any ideas or tips that may help I would be very greatful.
PLEASE CAN ANYONE HELP US
Mandy
UK