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Elderly parents

Dad has stopped eating.

135 replies

Cocolapew · 15/06/2021 15:13

My Dad hasn't really ate anything since the beginning of May. He says he just has no appetite.
He has had bloods done at the GP and then got called for a lot more. A gastric consultant is going to phone him next week for a telephone appointment after he has reviewed the blood results.
I feel that him and my mum aren't being pro active enough. I went around today and he was in bed. I said to my mum that I thought he should be in hospital and she said that she was going to get my dad to phone the GP tomorrow.
She admitted he fell at the weekend but was on cyclizine and was hallucinating on it so has stopped it. If I had knew when he fell I would have phoned an ambulance.
Mum did say she told him he was going to starve to death if he didn't start to eat.
Its such a drastic change in him. He has always been super fit especially for his age.
He hurt his ankle playing golf and then took siactica and has gone downhill so very, very fast
I don't really know what I want from writing this. I'm just so worried and at a loss Sad
I don't know if my mum wants me to take control over the whole thing or not. She's usually pretty on the ball but neither of them even know what the bloods are for or why he's getting a phone appointment.

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Cocolapew · 10/07/2021 23:39

Thanks Zebra, as someone previously mentioned it is the speed of what happened that I think was the biggest shock, and as you say the not knowing.
I seem to have turned a corner and feel much calmer today so hopefully that will last.
I really do appreciate everyone who took the time to post Flowers

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TheSpottedZebra · 10/07/2021 20:52

Oh Coco just catching up with this thread. Good to hear he's had his MRI and has a very thorough Dr. Not good to hear how you've been doing. It sounds so tough on you.

Hopefully he'll get treated for the encephalitis and he'll be feeling more himself, and the doc will also figure out everything else that's going on and you'll have a good idea of what you're facing and how to deal. The not knowing is tortuous.

Cocolapew · 10/07/2021 16:18

Thank you for your kind words.
He had his mri yesterday and it looks like he has encephalitis, so he had his anti biotics drip up and they are doing a lumber puncture later.
He is still chatty but gets tired. The Dr seems determined to find out every single thing wrong with him, which is encouraging.
The care he has received has been great.

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Gingernaut · 09/07/2021 13:57

I'm so sorry for your troubles, @Cocolapew. IT sounds like a tought time for you all.

Mercenary though this sounds, he should get his affairs in order, before he succumbs to side effects of treatment or to the cancer itself.

Weirdly, the aftermath of a death, is sometimes even more stressful and upsetting than caring for someone who's ill.

If you can try and sort at least some of it out before he's incapacitated, hat would make your life easier for your mum and the rest of you. Flowers

spababe · 09/07/2021 13:51

HI @Cocolapew. Just wanted to say how sorry I am for all the horrid things happening to you and your family at the moment.
I know any codeine/opioid pain killers make my Dad very confused but there never seems to be an alternative. Hope you find some time for yourself. I like the Calm app to take my mind off things and get me to sleep. Flowers

longtompot · 09/07/2021 12:49

It must be a lot for him to take in, and for you. I think it's probably just how sudden all this seems to be, and although you knew something wasn't right for a while, you'd never expect it to be this.
I hope his scans go well and aren't too stressful for him Flowers

BillieSpain · 09/07/2021 09:55

Oh, @Cocolapew, you are being so strong Flowers

Cocolapew · 08/07/2021 22:16

I'm very weepy today, its like a bloody tap turning on and off.
I was up with Dad to give him a new phone and he immediately started crying when I went it.
He said he just wanted to know what was going to happen and nobody was telling him anything. We had a good chat about what was wrong and what might or might not happen.
I spoke to a nurse and she said the Dr and the lung cancer nurse was in with him today and he was very emotional with the cancer nurse.
I think he's finally realised that he's probably going to die soon. His nurse was talking to him for over an hour and he was upset when she was there but she's so lovely and I'm sure it helped him.
Hes due an mri on his brain and spine, possibly tomorrow.
Sorry for rambling on, it's helps me to write it down for some reason.

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Cocolapew · 08/07/2021 09:55

Thank you Bunny

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BunnyRuddington · 08/07/2021 08:57

It's the not knowing whether he'll have treatment or not knowing how long he's got that is very stressful
Just wanted to offer a virtual hand hold Thanks

Cocolapew · 07/07/2021 15:30

His blue badge arrived this morning!

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Cocolapew · 07/07/2021 15:30

Thank you for your post, sorry about your mum.
We saw him today and he was much more like himself. He's been for an xray on his foot and back, hes getting an untrasound one down his throat, an mri and a dementia assessment.
The lung cancer nurse came to speak to him/us as well.
Hopefully once they get all the results they will tell us the next step. It's the not knowing whether he'll have treatment or not knowing how long he's got that is very stressful.

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CovoidOfAllHumanity · 07/07/2021 09:36

My mum died of metastatic cancer recently

It sounds as though he needs someone to take responsibility for his overall care ie an oncologist. They seem like they are still trying to find the primary and get tissue for diagnosis but that is very invasive and not clear if it's going to be worthwhile. They did this with mum for a while too. She had an open biopsy in the end just to tell us it was the breast cancer she'd had years before which we had all guessed anyway. It did not seem to make much difference as she was too ill for chemotherapy by then anyway.

The leg pain might respond very well to local radiotherapy if it's mets. Mum had that to some painful spots and it was always great. She also had a expensive antibody injection for the he bone mets and That really helped her pain too. Both those were better than morphine which she hated taking due to constipation and confusion it caused her.

When she stopped eating low dose steroids helped but again did affect her mentally. She survived mainly on Fortisips for a long time.

Getting hooked in with the hospice was the best thing we ever did. She went to day hospital there for a long time and it helped her practically and coming to terms with it all and helped us as well. Hospices are usually charities so not quite NHS and often you can refer yourself. I would honestly ring them even now and find out what they can offer. Mum died in the hospice she knew and it was the best death she could have had even with Covid restrictions. They let us all be there in the end which the general hospital never would have.

Macmillan were good too at the end. The Macmillan nurse gave a lot of the other services eg GP a kick up the arse to get stuff done for mum like carers and a commode at home when she needed those things and helped get her into the hospice at the end.

She had a DNAR and a living will to say she did not want resuscitation which I also think is very important to get done and we spoke a lot about her wishes at the end and for her funeral which meant I could be sure what she wanted. She moved money around so that dad would be able to access it after she was gone, divided up her jewellery, wrote to all her friends warning them. It's horrible to think of this stuff but she was so brave and her doing those things made our family's life much easier after she'd gone which was exactly what she wanted. She said there weren't many things good about having terminal cancer but having notice was one she would make the most of. That and the blue badge.

TheSpottedZebra · 07/07/2021 09:35

Ah thats good to hear Smile

Cocolapew · 07/07/2021 09:34

The Homeland diversion was much appreciated Grin
Yes he got took to a ward in the early hours, so we'll go up today. He's in the new part of the hospital so will have his own room and bathroom, which is a bonus.
Smile

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TheSpottedZebra · 07/07/2021 09:09

(Apols to anyone else for the Homeland diversion...)

TheSpottedZebra · 07/07/2021 09:08

Sending you a bucket of Reacue Remedy

Pleurisy and pulmonary embolism? Blimey, you have had it tough. I'm feeling for you so much that I won't even insist that Saul is the sheer embodiment of all that is good and true.

Hope your dad has a bed now?

Cocolapew · 06/07/2021 22:44

Thanks Zebra, my Saul the evil Snacks of choice atm is Rescue Remedy and Kalms Hmm.
I've had pleurisy and a pulmonary embolism but I'm ok now.

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TheSpottedZebra · 06/07/2021 22:28

Oh Coco hello.
I'm so sorry to read about your dad - what awful news. It's criminal that he's been waiting so long for a bed.

And you've been ill yourself too? Do please take lots of care. Sending you best wishes and your SaulSnack of choice x

Cocolapew · 06/07/2021 22:10

29 hours and still no bed ...

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Sunnyday321 · 06/07/2021 13:33

Get yourself some rest whilst he's in there. Take careFlowers

Cocolapew · 06/07/2021 13:14

Thank you Sunnyday.
He's still in A&E Hmm but has been for a ct scan and is getting an ultrasound this afternoon then they'll decide what to do.

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Sunnyday321 · 06/07/2021 13:10

I'm glad he is getting / and accepting the help he needs . With luck they will encourage him to eat a little more.

Cocolapew · 06/07/2021 08:32

The GP came out yesterday and wanted bloods done on my dad. She gave him the option of her doing them or to go to A&E which was her preference because it would be quicker, but she was wonderful and made it seem like it was dads decision.
She was concerned about how dehydrated he was. She had put on the letter for a social assessment too so I'll keep on top of that.
I took him up and he got readmitted. When I left he was waiting for a bed along with 40 others!
Luckily he had been examined in a side room and he was able to use the examinating bed in there.
A nurse got him a sheet and pillow and he was hooked up to his drip when I left.
Surprisingly his blood pressure and oxygen levels were fine. My Dad has kept fit all his life and I'm wondering if this is standing him in good steed now.

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Cocolapew · 04/07/2021 16:54

No not yet, I'm phoning the Gp tomorrow for a home visit and to get the ball rolling. We don't have 111 in NI.
I was round twice today and, to me, he's much the same as he was during the week.
Mum stopped his codeine and he's stopped hallucinating. He was talking to his friend on the phone when I went round this afternoon
He was chatting to me but was slightly confused, he though that me and DH has moved in and was disappointed when he realised it was only him and mum 😄

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