Bowel cancer, stoma, illestomy bags, my journey with my fathers illness

Where has the time gone.... A quick update...

jabs - After all the worry as we thought he would have to get the district nurse in for the wend was away with DD - he managed to do his own jabs, he's really confident with them now.

Weight - It is all going the right way, in the last 3 weeks he has put on 8lbs, he now weighs a stone more than he did pre-op, he looks well for it.

Food/drink - All going well, last wend i did a batch day of casseroles, so some gone in the freezer, - so know he likes them- there for when he needs them.

Chemo - just started think cycle 3 or 4, lose track, everything is going ok.

follow up apps - We go back to see the oncologist in January, then in Feb he goes back for check up due to the medical trial, He is so chuffed that he is on the medial trial, as he can give something back.

Onwards and uwards, x

time for the update...

We got through Xmas ok, then dad came down with a cold and chest infection, thou it came on his chemo free week....

He had a check up with the oncologist and he's pleased with the progress thats been made so far.

His weight still increasing, he put on 2lbs in the last 3 weeks.

At the chemo review, as well as getting told off for not checking in with the oncology unit over this cold / chest infection (to be honest he got into his head that he would be rushed into hospital), he had to another blood tranfusion as his hemoglobin levels were low, so we had to go back the following day.

From there his chest infection got worse, so middle of the night we were told to go to a+e as there was no beds..... got there 4am he was put in a side room, I left about 6am as they were taking him for chest x-ray.

he was let out at following afternoon as they hadn't got a bed (they needed a side room for him), he had iv antibiotics, a course of antibiotics. - he had to stop his chemo tabs, so weve had to move following appointments a week on.

he's had most of the weekend in bed / settee - hes a lot better almost back to normal.

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Quite funny I shouldn't laugh he has to go and buy new underwear - in a bigger size.... his waist line has increased....

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Confidence wise he took a bit of a hit, he came across his swimwear, (budgie smugglars), and said he would never be able to wear them again and he would never want to go swimming again....

I have suggested to get a pair of swimshorts - no at the mo he won't accept the bag in relation to moving forward.

it feels like he has accepted the bag, - but he is using it as an excuse to limit things.

xx

Thank you Chorlie, it sounds daft but to get someone's else experience means a lot to us all.

Hope you get sorted out ok with the bags, dad gets on well with the convex style, his bug bearer to it all, he has a fiscal just under the stoma.

Thank u so re swimming, trying to work on for summer holidays as one site planning on going on has indoor pool, dd loves swimming, hoping by then he'll feel ok.

Bless him today - been to boots - 70% sale - leave him sat on the stool by the photography side while i do the grab and run, - got some toiletry sets with the posh boxer pants - asked did he want to try a set - if he don't get on with pants still got the toiletries - no was the firm reply- got 3 sets for Xmas - sorting bags out at home, he then says i will try a set of underwear - opens the package - I like them - don't suppose u need the other 2 packs - yes I do - typical man....

I guess as I started this thread to charter the ups and downs of my father, he had his one year CT scan, folowing a 6 month check up with the oncologist - he got rushed into hospital with internal bleeding, he needed blood transfusions - did rectify the situation, following nearly a week in hospital, where he had tests, a further scan, we had a phone call to see the oncologist - the following day.


It wasn't good news, they found cancer.... he has a small tumour on his small bowel and a tumour in his lung, - its inoperable....

Any care will be pallative... the first step is camera to see what is happening and any more concerns re internal bleeding, they may / may not take a biospy.

A view to starting chemo in January.

At present he has decided not to tell his wife (my mum) and my daughter, outside of the hospital system - the only people that are aware - daughter school, (as she and my dad are inseperable - they were supportive last yr when he first had cancer), 2 very close friends of mine.

I feel awful burdening them with this, to say my heart is breaking is an understatement....

...........

Although some may know me from other threads, I'm trying for now to keep this side of my life away from those threads, so I can have some normality - while we as a family get our head round this.
xx