Hi Friends - old & new. I read daily but haven't been participating for a while - I think I've been trying to ignore the progression, I've been sensing. Anyway, I was hoping someone could direct me to some GOOD info regarding the final stage. Blake just told me tonight that he feels like he's in the final stages. He's lost almost 40 pounds which (luckily) he had to lose but he's sooo thin now. He's lost a lot of muscle mass too. He wants to look up info about what the last stages will be like and I'd like to help him with some reliable information. If anyone has a referral, please let me know. Btw, he sees the palliative doc next week & we'll talk to her about hospice at that time. It will be nice to get the info & put it on the shelf until we need it.
Blake has always been so strong & has continued to work full time during this entire experience. I honestly believe that it's contributed to his overall survival. Even after @ 70 (+/-) chemo treatments, he still gets up & tries to go to work every day. Lately, it's been more like 50% and as much as he'd like to continue to work, the process for him to transfer on to disability has begun. Even though he qualified for disability from the beginning & then again upon his recurrence, he's continued to work and he's drawn against his STD when he's missed work and now (if you can imagine) he'll have to go @ 10 weeks without pay between the transition between STD and LTD. It's only money and we'll survive, but it seems like punishment for striving to continue to work. Oh-well, vent over.
Hang in there everyone, Blake had an 8% chance of making it 5 years when he was dx'd in 2007. We've had so much more time together then we would have EVER thought & we are so very, very thankful for the time we've had and the things we've been able to do together, as a family & with our friends over the years.
Thanks everyone. Kathy