I am not a colon cancer patient but my dad was diagnosed three weeks ago with stage IV metastatic to liver colon cancer (forgive me if this is not the correct way to describe this), and I've been looking around these boards ever since and am at the point where I am needing some advice and perspective. He went into the ER at the beginning of the month for weakness his doctor thought might be related to a heart issue, was found to be anemic enough for a blood transfusion, and received a colonoscopy during his stay that revealed the tumor and that cancer had spread to the liver.
He came home and for the past two weeks was having trouble sleeping, was kind of weak, still able to walk around and get upstairs to bed by himself, but then last Wednesday he suddenly became so weak he couldn't make it to bed so we took him to the ER again and he has been in the hospital ever since. He had been scheduled to get outpatient surgery for a chemo port on Thursday, which he ended up getting as inpatient since he was in the hospital, and then on Friday he started chemo a few days earlier than expected (he was going to start this upcoming Wednesday).
HIs extreme weakness is what I have a question about. Has anyone else who is a patient or caregiver experienced extremely weakness like this before even starting chemo? Especially with an older cancer patient? I know that chemo already wipes people out, so I am worried with him feeling so unwell before even getting treatment that he is in for a rough time. I am hoping that he will be able to at least get around with a walker or a wheelchair at some point in the future and not remain bedridden.
Right now, he has not been able to get up and walk around by himself since being in the hospital, and this was before starting chemo. He apparently got a visit from the PT in the hospital who had him do some exercises and standing on his own and said he was doing well, but today when we visited him the doctor told my mother and me that when thinking about when he's discharged from the hospital we should consider either having him stay in a rehab facility/nursing home or having a home health/nurse service or hospice (which is a scary word) come in to our house (having him home is ideal option and definitely doable with our living situation). I am scared of the idea of hospice (even though I asked the doctor, "hospice doesn't necessarily mean end-of-life care, right?" and she said no) and of my dad losing all mobility. I know everyone's experience is different too, but my mom and I just feel super shocked that this seems to have gone from what feels like zero to 100 so quickly.