: Re: persisent diarrhea

[Guest guest]

, you go Girl!!! You'll feel so much better when you do. You

may not like all the answers, but at least you'll have answers and a

battle plan can be drawn from there. Hang tough!

Hugs,

Monika

colon_cancer_support , " dciviletti " <dciviletti@y...>

wrote:

> Thank you, all, for your very thoughtful and helpful repliles to my

questions. It's such a

> blessing to be able to turn to caring people like you, who've been

living with this thing for

> so long, for advice and support. I can't tell you what it means.

>

> a, I think of you a lot, I guess because the first post of

yours I read a while back

> sounded like our moms had similar diagnoses, and I was looking into

the future. My heart

> goes out to you and your dad. Hang in there. My mom

also " celebrated " her birthday (#68)

> in the hospital in January. It's the pits.

>

> As somebody else posted this morning, praying helps. I'm still

struggling with being able

> to pray right now (and it didn't used to be a problem!) But I know

from past experience

> that seeking refuge in the Lord and seeking hope in an eternal

future in some other place

> is going to be the only thing to get me through this in one piece.

>

> Cliff, Nick & Jane, Monika, thank you for being there, thank you

for sharing, even as you

> fight your own battles. You've given me important information and

good advice.

>

> We have a consult with the onc this afternoon at 4 pm. I'll be

there with my parents and

> plan to ask some very direct questions of him. Moreover, I plan to

get some very direct

> answers. My patience has worn thin. Seeing my mom wither away, in

increasing

> discomfort, knowing that she will only benefit from hospice care

now, I'm going to insist

> on straight answers and the care she needs.

>

> Thanks again.

>

>

>

>

>

> > My mom (dx 1/04 with stage 4 cc, mets to omentum, liver, ovaries,

peritoneum other

> > colon sites, ascites; surgery 1/14; no chemo yet due to post-op

complications,

> inclluding

> > pulmonary embolism 1/25 and wound dehissance requiring second

surgery to reclose,

> > and general weakness) has had persistent diarrhea since 2/21.

Prior to that, none to

> speak

> > of. But since 2/21, she's only had a few days without diarrhea,

and on those days

> generally

> > she has no BM at all. She's also had several episodes of

vomiting, as well as persistent

> > nausea (controlled by compazine.) Became dehydrated at least once

requiring IV

> hydration

> > at onc office.

> >

> > Onc has now prescribed cholestyramine to help control diarrhea.

(It's a cholesterol

> > reducing med but also works to solidify stool, aparently.)

> >

> > He's also prescribed Flagyl now, " in case the diarrhea is caused

by an infection. "

> >

> > QUESTION: Isn't alternating diarrhea and constipation (or lack

of any bowel movement)

> > pretty typical of obstructions developing? Wouldn't that be more

likely than an infection,

> > given the widespread mets throughout her abdomen?

> >

> > We have another consult with onc tomorrow afternoon. As of last

consult onc was still

> > advocating chemo (FOLFOX) in spite of the fact that my mom was so

weak she can

> barely

> > sit up. He told us to come back in 2 weeks after baseline CT

scans and insertion of a

> port

> > (which the surgeon said he won't do until we're certain mom is in

condition for chemo,

> > which he said she was not, as of last week.) Now, 2 weeks later,

mom is no stronger, in

> > fact even weaker.

> >

> > PCP says chemo would only " hasten her demise " and suggested we

call in hospice.

> Hospice

> > won't come unless mom decides not to have chemo (or the onc

decides she is too weak

> to

> > even try.) Hospice called onc's office and were informed that my

mom " isn't ready to

> call

> > hospice " which is weird because they never discussed it with her

at all. In fact, onc

> hasn't

> > even informed my mom abnout the goals of treatment, i.e. he

hasn't told her that

> chemo

> > won't cure her even if it's " successful. " So how the heck can she

make an informed

> choice

> > about treatment anyway?

> >

> > I'm not very happy with how this is being handled by onc. And now

she's got yet another

> > new med, a potent antibiotic, introduced into her GI system,

which is already all screwed

> > up.

> >

> > It seems pretty obvious that I should talk to my mom about all

the facts of her

> condition,

> > since the doctor's not doing it. Yet my father flips out at the

idea (he's of the " what she

> > doesn't know won't hurt her " school) and I wouldn't be surprised

if he has intervened

> and

> > told the doctor & surgeon NOT to give her full info. (I asked

him, he denies doing such a

> > thing.) Would the docs do that??? She's mentally competent,

alert, etc. --doesn't she

> have

> > the legal right to know, regardless of what her spouse says?

> >

> > I had to chuckle when said her family is mostly

dysfunctional. I've often

> > wondered if there is any such thing as a family that's NOT

dysfunctional! These

> situations

> > seem to bring out the best in all of us, don't they?

> >

> > I don't know what to do. I appreciate being able to come here and

whine like this. Sorry

> for

> > going on so long.

> >

> > You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

> >