Hi Ginny thank u  for update. Sounding positive. One word please please heed Drs advise re painkillers like my oncologist said the clue is in the name painkillers he more than likely will need them. At its worst I was on 6 ibuprofen 8 x 30 mg co codomol and 4 x10 mil oramorph. I took painkillers for over 4 month like dr sayd webstecter are taking them for a serious illness we won’t become addicted if we are sensible. Whatever u do don’t stop them suddenly you need a phased withdrawal from them but more of that later  . Just get him to take them as you are now coming up to the nitty gritty part of trestment. I didn’t loose any weight during treatment but 2 stone in the weeks that followed. 

Dont want to put s dampner on just forewarned is forearmed.  

Good luck and keep in touch 

mash n semolina calories calories is the way to go

h x

OMG Hazel 2 stone ! Yikes . We know worse is to come . But the doctors do watch you very closely don’t they? 

He will do as he is told with the painkillers he won’t go against the doctors advice that’s for sure . He takes about four a day now but she said he could take a max of 8 for now and the morphine 2.5ml when he wakes in the night ! 

Dis you lose your voice Hazel we didn’t expect that this early . X x

Hi Ginny yep I was one of the lucky ones  some  loose up to 4 stone . No I didn’t loose my voice at all but in preparation I got an app for  phone called speak just in case as John lol said he wouldn’t answer to a bell !! 

  Yes you are well looked after during treatment the. NHS at cancer leval are magnificent. We all comment on whrn treatment finishes it’s like being thrown to the lions u get occasional consult appointments and if like me s Macmillan nurse for s few months that’s when the forums do help even more as there’s always someone whose been through it all. 

If it’s oramoroh you can go up to 10 mil x 4 check with nurses therevys also fetynal patches if the oramorph 

Isn’t strong enough so don’t worry. 

Hi Ginny

Good to know things are going ok for you and Chris at this point in the treatment. Hazel is definitely right re the pain relief - you get no medals for suffering so if he needs them then take them . Paul had fentanyl patches at the end as the oramorph exacerbated his nausea. Night times are definitely the worst so make sure he takes enough to get him through. He wont get addicted and he’ll be able to slowly wean off them at the end.

As for weight loss hes doing well but the main weightloss seems to come at the end. Paul lost 3 1/2 stone despite having a RIG and feed pump and he lost most weight during the last 2 weeks of treatment and the 2 weeks after. Whilst he can eat then get as many calories into him as you can. 

Hazel is also right that the hardest time is when the treatment finishes and as she says you are cast adrift - no more daily contact to help alleviate your fears and ask questions of the medics but we’re here to help if you need us. 

Wishing you loads of luck and best wishes

Emma xx

Hi Ginny

My husband finished his treatment - 30 radiotherapy/weekly chemo 6 weeks ago.  One thing he found made a significant difference was doing the swallowing exercises - the pain seemed to appear overnight at the 2 1/2 week stage but getting going with the exercises reduced it a lot - something that the others we met in the hospital also found.  It also helped with keeping eating going despite the chemo nausea which really hit him hard.  His RIG tube was removed today, a great landmark in the process along with a tearful reunion with a fresh tomato yesterday!  

He worked really hard to keep his weight up especially at the end of the treatment - necking the prescription feeds in one go - the importance of weight was something that although our team emphasised it, the shared experiences here have made it more real - thank you to you all! 

Keep crossing the days off - 14 more to go, soon be in single figures!!

Hi Ginny

Nice to hear, by and large, all going well.

Agree with Hazel re painkillers and they are there for a solution and its only temporary and no need to suffer unecessarily when there is a solution prescribed by medical teams,

To put into perspective, at my peak I was on morphine MST tablets and 20mg in morning and 20mg at night then topped up by 10mg oral morphine as and when required. Basically morphine in system 24 hrs a day..In addition was on paracetamol 4 times a day.
Co codamol + 2.5ml morphine doesnt sound very much to me, but agree some manage on a lot less. I'm not medically qualified but I was told both by my medical team and my GP that I shoudnt mix and take  co codamiol and morphine together. I guess the trick is whatever works, dose wise, to alleviate pain but might be worth mentioning taking together.
On weight loss, I have posted many times on here my struggle with appetite and fatigue and lost 3 and half stone recovery period and in short space of time. I'm on action plan and supplements even now. I have also posted a detailed explanation a few posts ago that detailed a little more insight from my medical suppport team.

Please keep us posted on progress and hope continues positively.

Onwards & Upwards
Ian

Hi J4

Great stuff and sounds really positive. Agree re swallowing exercies as great emphasis was given by my Speech Thearapist over this and advised the benefits during and after treatment if done regualrily so well done.
Again good advice re keeping on the weight and thats great weight seems stabalised and ok.
 

Really positive post and sounds like doing really well. Great to hear positives.

Please keep us posted with progress.

Onwards & Upwards
Ian

Hi Ginny good to hear Chris is doing well, I can only back up what the others have said re pain my team said dont put up with it and take the meds offered.

Dave 

Hi

That sounds like a lot of pain relief. I would check with a Dr over the co-codamol and paracetamol? As it sounds as though you are overdosing on paracetamol, as co-codamol contains paracetamol.

Regards