Hi Ladies, I want to post what is going on in my life. Classwife knows some of this and will take care of our forum if I do go AWOL. I have been debating about sharing all this..it's a bit much.
As some of you know my husband had triple by pass 13 years ago. He also has C.O.P.D.. his back was injured in a couple of warehouse accidents...not that we knew there was serious permanent injury until years later. We cannot have surgery done because he has a void or cyst in his spine called a syrinx, it's a birth defect we found out about 10 years ago. Any surgery on his spine can cause the cyst to rupture spilling spinal and brain fluid into his spine. The chances that surgery will help is 50/50 and the chances the surgery will cause harm..60/40.
The back pain and injury has caused nerve damage. he is shaking and can't feel his feet anymore.
He also had part of his descending colon removed because of Diverticulitis.
he has been taking Tylenol (acetaminophen) in massive doses as well as other pain meds that have to be picked up in person. That doesn't count all the cholesterol and other heart meds, meds for his colon, 19 meds in all multiples of many of the 19.
So you would think..good grief, enough is enough! Nope.
Last Friday we went to the V.A.. they had some testing back for us. Mike has cirrhosis of the liver (no he doesn't drink..at least for the last 20 years) They said it was most likely caused by the Tylenol and other drugs he takes. I have been harping on that for years. The Doctors just look at me like I am nuts. The insult to injury is that they also tell him to take 2 baby aspirins for his heart. Oh please! He takes 6 350 aspirins a day! Now they are panicking and have taken most of his pain meds away. He hasn't been out of bed today..yesterday we cleaned house..it wasn't bad..but it really hurt his back (he does the vacuuming, I do everything else including cooking for 7)
No, we are not done. He had a biopsy done on his prostate because they did blood tests and a cat scan and felt a lump. He has cancer. Now they want to do radiation for 5 days a week for 8 weeks. He can do the radiation seeding after four weeks. He may and may not do this.
He can't do surgery due to his health and what stage it is. It's advanced but they don't think it has left the prostate. His Doctor sat with us for a long while and explained and answered all our questions. I have researched until my eyes bled!
We will see how this radiation affects his day to day life and if he can drive. It's about 15 miles by freeway and heavy traffic.
One thing that stays with me is what I found on a site "many men die with prostate cancer, few die of prostate cancer."
My hope is that the radiation works for him. And of course that it hasn't spread. He will be going in for his bone density and other scans to determine that. His radiation should start very soon.
The Dr. did say that Mike would have to take a 3 year course of hormone treatments to damper testosterone and that there would be side effects from that. One was hot flashes..we both started laughing. The Doctors eyes went wide and we explained that FINALLY we would agree on the the A.C. setting!
When my Mom was so sick and dying I leaned on the people of Wrecked and Bonkers, this time I will depend on you fine ladies and friends. This board keeps me sane!
Thanks for listening..love you all!
As some of you know my husband had triple by pass 13 years ago. He also has C.O.P.D.. his back was injured in a couple of warehouse accidents...not that we knew there was serious permanent injury until years later. We cannot have surgery done because he has a void or cyst in his spine called a syrinx, it's a birth defect we found out about 10 years ago. Any surgery on his spine can cause the cyst to rupture spilling spinal and brain fluid into his spine. The chances that surgery will help is 50/50 and the chances the surgery will cause harm..60/40.
The back pain and injury has caused nerve damage. he is shaking and can't feel his feet anymore.
He also had part of his descending colon removed because of Diverticulitis.
he has been taking Tylenol (acetaminophen) in massive doses as well as other pain meds that have to be picked up in person. That doesn't count all the cholesterol and other heart meds, meds for his colon, 19 meds in all multiples of many of the 19.
So you would think..good grief, enough is enough! Nope.
Last Friday we went to the V.A.. they had some testing back for us. Mike has cirrhosis of the liver (no he doesn't drink..at least for the last 20 years) They said it was most likely caused by the Tylenol and other drugs he takes. I have been harping on that for years. The Doctors just look at me like I am nuts. The insult to injury is that they also tell him to take 2 baby aspirins for his heart. Oh please! He takes 6 350 aspirins a day! Now they are panicking and have taken most of his pain meds away. He hasn't been out of bed today..yesterday we cleaned house..it wasn't bad..but it really hurt his back (he does the vacuuming, I do everything else including cooking for 7)
No, we are not done. He had a biopsy done on his prostate because they did blood tests and a cat scan and felt a lump. He has cancer. Now they want to do radiation for 5 days a week for 8 weeks. He can do the radiation seeding after four weeks. He may and may not do this.
He can't do surgery due to his health and what stage it is. It's advanced but they don't think it has left the prostate. His Doctor sat with us for a long while and explained and answered all our questions. I have researched until my eyes bled!
We will see how this radiation affects his day to day life and if he can drive. It's about 15 miles by freeway and heavy traffic.
One thing that stays with me is what I found on a site "many men die with prostate cancer, few die of prostate cancer."
My hope is that the radiation works for him. And of course that it hasn't spread. He will be going in for his bone density and other scans to determine that. His radiation should start very soon.
The Dr. did say that Mike would have to take a 3 year course of hormone treatments to damper testosterone and that there would be side effects from that. One was hot flashes..we both started laughing. The Doctors eyes went wide and we explained that FINALLY we would agree on the the A.C. setting!
When my Mom was so sick and dying I leaned on the people of Wrecked and Bonkers, this time I will depend on you fine ladies and friends. This board keeps me sane!
Thanks for listening..love you all!
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(BIG HUGS)
