Arnold, Cptmac, Lynette524~
Please forgive the post to "Arnold"...I was trying to respond to each of your posts individually, but then saw my post went to the bottem of the heap! Not familiar with the way these work yet.
OH MY!!!! You cannot imagine the JOY I am experiencing at this moment!!!!
Since my initial post, I have been watching my Husband just be in bed and looking as though he would not make it to the next minute. I was peeking my head in and seeing if his chest was rising and falling. I absolutely could do nothing else. I couldn't concentrate on paying the bills or making the phone calls or working my job (process health care claims at home for a major insurance co). I was so scared he was not going to be here anymore! His last shower was a week ago yesterday...this is a man who took a shower every day upon waking and sometimes again later if he had been doing manual labor of some sort. AND, he wouldn't take any of his meds! AND not eating. The most he has eaten in the past 8 days is ALMOST 10 oz of carnation instant breakfast (I added a bit of heavy cream to the whole milk and an all natural, high calorie and protein shake mix to that - anything for calories)! Yesterday total consumption was 12 oz of apple juice, very lightly sugared.
SO, and I must say this was a challenge as he was a bit irritable at me "repeating myself" about him not eating - the challenge was to read your posts out loud to him. Don't you know he was all - nodding of the head, "Cereal??? I was thinking about that the other day" he says. Coke?....he just looked at me in wonder. Please forgive my not remembering at the moment who said that their spouse said the patient needed to eat to live...but that is just what I wanted to tell him...and when I did he still didn't eat. Hence, my total frustration and fear.
The Oxiplatin (sp?) is causing him a great deal of peripheral neuropothy...especially that he has it in his throat. It is very difficult for him to swallow. I feel so sorry for him! As well, he has suddenly developed a huge case of acid reflux...something he never experienced before this beast was upon him...and it is severe. The doc said to try Zantac 2x daily. However, he developed a severe bout of hickups and belching and yet no relief from the Zantac so we quit that.
I was so delighted that he finally agreed to let me read your posts to him that I could just get up and shout! He was impressed and grabbed a cereal box from the pantry and was reading it. I had to come here and post my thanks to you immediately!!! I do pray he will at least give SOMETHING a try now.
Thank you again! I appreciate your responses so much I am not proofreading this post as I can't wait to get downstairs and see if he has at least decided what he might want to try and eat.
In appreciation
Marcella