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Mum managed a poached egg last evening and...a kind of sponge cake in cream. Plus a small portion of tomato soup, a thick milk shake, tea, a little bit of a smoothie and water. Think that's around 800 calories.
I've been sleeping less well again and upon waking my stomach is still in knots.
Sometimes pain does not necessarily mean the cancer is worse and it can be that a growth is pressing on a nerve.
The pain was better controlled yesterday(but she is on several small does of Oramorph(sp?)but the lowest dose possible.
A nurse at the home still thinks that age is taken into account and that they do give often up(That's a personal opinion of course, no proof but with what they see each day I suppose they'll have a more informed view)
Of course it may be we cannot change things and have to accept the situation but you know they said if the tumour was bleeding they would try RT again...
She does not seem confused though she sleeps a lot. But if you are in bed a lot and...being given meds I guess you would. If that happens that's when Mum is given I assume sedatives to get her through the long nights.
Someone said that Mum won't be able to stand an op for a colostomy(that may be true)its a major operation and if confused she may try to pull it off but Mum seems not to be so confused and I think that has been mainly due to either water infection or anemia when it happens. I've explained what it entails and Mum understood what it entails, that as an option and said "Yes" if its offered.
They have managed to have Mum sit up again in a chair in her room and in the lounge but not when I am there, that's usually in the mornings. The care is more or less what I was doing when Mum was at home, I think that I could again and have her in familiar surroundings for however long Mum has. I think I would be entitled to getting more care and Mum would love to come home.
Mum may eat small portions but she has not given up on nourishment. I just wish I could offer a more varied choice so she is not bored with the same things.
I assume the home is following a routine that they have been given from the hospital and not doing their own thing. It's still down as palliative care.
I'm about to get ready to visit her again and take all my little selection of food and drinks in again and hope today is another reasonable day. You don't always know until you get there.
The other day she seemed not so good but picked up within 15 minutes of my arrival.
I've been sleeping less well again and upon waking my stomach is still in knots.
Sometimes pain does not necessarily mean the cancer is worse and it can be that a growth is pressing on a nerve.
The pain was better controlled yesterday(but she is on several small does of Oramorph(sp?)but the lowest dose possible.
A nurse at the home still thinks that age is taken into account and that they do give often up(That's a personal opinion of course, no proof but with what they see each day I suppose they'll have a more informed view)
Of course it may be we cannot change things and have to accept the situation but you know they said if the tumour was bleeding they would try RT again...
She does not seem confused though she sleeps a lot. But if you are in bed a lot and...being given meds I guess you would. If that happens that's when Mum is given I assume sedatives to get her through the long nights.
Someone said that Mum won't be able to stand an op for a colostomy(that may be true)its a major operation and if confused she may try to pull it off but Mum seems not to be so confused and I think that has been mainly due to either water infection or anemia when it happens. I've explained what it entails and Mum understood what it entails, that as an option and said "Yes" if its offered.
They have managed to have Mum sit up again in a chair in her room and in the lounge but not when I am there, that's usually in the mornings. The care is more or less what I was doing when Mum was at home, I think that I could again and have her in familiar surroundings for however long Mum has. I think I would be entitled to getting more care and Mum would love to come home.
Mum may eat small portions but she has not given up on nourishment. I just wish I could offer a more varied choice so she is not bored with the same things.
I assume the home is following a routine that they have been given from the hospital and not doing their own thing. It's still down as palliative care.
I'm about to get ready to visit her again and take all my little selection of food and drinks in again and hope today is another reasonable day. You don't always know until you get there.
The other day she seemed not so good but picked up within 15 minutes of my arrival.
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 1:10 pm
7 Comments:
A poached egg and sponge cake sounds like a great step forward to me.
Also, it sounds as if the home is making an effort in getting your mum to sit in the chair and sometimes go into the lounge.
Only you know which option is best for the pair of you, Gildy. Would you be allowed to take her home if that's what you decide?
Can I ask, does your Mum only want to sit out in the chair for an hour, & it her decision to go back to bed because she feels frail or wobbly ?
Also I think you have to prove you're actually dying of cancer before you get free cancer nurses, and as far as you know, your Mum's only got the one growth.( Didn't she have a scan ? )
I think if you wanted more care at home, you'd have to pay for it.
If I have to pay...so be it(sorry my comment is so short)its not meant to be abrupt, that's not me...(I'm running late again)I may have to pay initially but if she comes below a certain threshold it would be free again...
She had a scan in October(not since)We only see the visable part of the tumour and I have no idea what's on the inside that we cannot see. And I have not seen it since March 14th.
Yes, its Mum's decision when she goes back to bed.
I'm about to get shaved and prepare the flasks again...take in my other bits and pieces. I have found some cream of celery soup so I'll try that today.
They forgot Mum's meds tonight!
I usually see them being given or am allowed to give them.
I reminded them as I left!
You could try a Calcium+Vitamin D tablet course? This vitamin is lacking if your Mum has not seen much sunshine.Have a look on the web for its being starting to be noticed as a suppressor of certain cancers.
Mum said that she'd like to take the one a week tablet again for her bones(Alandronic)and when I took them in the Home Manager said something on the lines of "She won't need to bother with that!" and was going to destroy them but I brought them home again(as I take them too)
I would give it too her but she needs to be sat up for at least 30 minutes and I never know when she will be sat up in her chair and I can't take pot luck.
If I go any earlier(I'd love to)to the home I'd probably have to make a couple of taxi journeys and I already try and put between 6-10 hours in every day(and Mum's worth it but it costs £10 a day already!)
Mum always liked cod liver oil capsules, they have vitamin D in them. I may take her those today...
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