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Cancer: Nothing about this is normal.

Cancer: Managing Symptoms | Last Active: Feb 13, 2022 | Replies (26)

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@bb21

Talk to your Medical team about every issue.... food, talk to a dietician; emotional, ask for a counselor; vacation, ask if you can miss a treatment if you have something planned or want to. My oncologist told me that taking a one treatment delay was fine. That my emotional state was important. Having visitors; we do not have many and they wear masks but it is not NO visitors. I have had 3 Covid shots and my Flu for the year. I had my dentist send a plan of dental desires to my Oncologists and we decided what I could do and what to wait on. I attend my civic organizational meetings vis Zoom or in person with distancing and masks. We have gone out to restaurants and the owners know that I need to sit in a less congested area, they always help. I too had intestinal issues post-surgery but drank bone broth (& still do) to help with inflammation and ate a cracker with peanut butter or saltines alone as if I were pregnant. I also chew on crystalized ginger & drink ginger tea to help calm the stomach. I ate very small amounts before but many time a day to keep up stamina and protein. Waling actually helps the gut relax and being able to eat more and diffeernt things. Lately I'm in to Asian foods, especially noodles. I add high quality tuna under olive oil for protein or veggies that I steam..bok choy & snap peas or whatever I LIKE. Drink a lot, I am bad but try. I do drink High protein shakes. there is even one that is good for nausea if tht would help. I used Creon for a while but then couldn't see of difference. It did get better after about 6 weeks but I still have episodes and use Galviscon to help settle things...suggested by my Nurse Practitioner.
I know what your wife feels but I need to say to you that you are her main support and your mental health is very important to that support. YOU have to have an outlet. I have other family members, daughter, sister, nieces, that are there to physically and mentally support me, but my husband is my foundation and he is denying or avoiding the possible outcome as well...But I make sure that he has outlets he loves..GOLF with friends. My daughter and sister take me to Chemo most often so that he can do his usual golf day. Lately the weather has interrupted that plan and I can see the difference in his mental state. Please take time for you so that you can be better for your wife. Have her join this group just to voice her issues and talk to other patients. I find talking about my feelings with this group has been so good. I have gotten good suggestions on things. We are thinking about your wife and You. Life has change but create as good a new Normal as possible. Thank you for your prayers and I pray for ya'll...from the south.

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@bb21, thanks for the extensive comments. You sound like you are doing well and have found things that are helpful. I am very happy for you. Everyone's case is different and a lot has to do with how many treatments, types of treatment, surgeries and of course the virulence of the disease. We have 3 oncologists, 3 nutritionists, 2 therapists, 2 support groups etc. But my wife just hasn't gotten any breaks. We've tried supplements, protein ingredients, minerals, prescriptions, everything that has been recommended and most don't get the expected result. My wife went from healthy and able to weight train 3 times a week, bike 20 miles or more a couple times a week to barely strong enough to walk from one end of the house to the other. After her first 9 folfirinox with oxalyplaten treatments she didn't even look like a cancer patient. Even after her distal and more she still looked well. She went from 9 months of NED with low CA19-9 and no visible tumor to having a golf ball sized recurrance that was non-existent in a scan from 6 weeks prior. So back into treatment after more surgery. She had 18 GAC treatments and we were told it was ok to skip a treatment so she could recuperate an extra week and her CA19-9 tripled. Now she's on Onivyde every two weeks and it is rough. Believe me, i cheer her on every day and I still believe that she will be the one who makes it into remission. I don't know your background but I was a lifelong competitor... you name it sports or business and have always led by the philosophy that I'd never ask a teammate to do anything that I wouldn't do myself. My wife gets no breaks in this battle so neither do I. Breaks are a luxury we don't have. BTW, my wife is on other pancan discussion groups and I don't go on the ones shes on and she doesn't go on the ones that I'm on. Despite everything, my wife is still the sweetest, nicest person you would ever meet. Thanks for your concern and prayers.