liver disease

Good evening Judith,
I know this can be a very depressing time, but I hope you will try some ways to try and keep your spirit up.
I read too much last night about the later things that can happen and really needed to get us out of here today. So, we loaded up our 2 labs, Bud & Sandy, and took a drive to the Waccamaw River. We all had a great day. The dogs were so excited to be at the river. Terry was nauseous, but he hung in there with us and enjoyed every minute as best as he could. We are home now and he has taken his meds and is fast asleep.
We live in Myrtle Beach and he grew up about 100 miles from here. He spent a lot of time here when he was young. I am from from KY and met him here when I brought my daughter here for a vacation, 20 years ago. We have lived here for 5 years. He moved to KY for us, but never liked it. After my daughter finished college and then married, I sold our home and moved us here. He has always wanted to move back here.

So, when we go out riding around, I always ask him questions about how it was here, when he was young. Terry can tell great stories. I wish I had written them all down. Some of them are so funny, and some are beyond my belief. He was a wild biker in his teen years. He has a great mother though and he must have retained a lot of what "she tried to teach him". He sure turned out to be a good man. I love him so-o-o much.
I try to learn all I can about what he is going to go through, so that I can hopefully keep us prepared financially, mentally, and spiritually. Sometimes, I feel wierd, because I don't cry about his (our) situation. It would only make him feel bad and I think caregivers just learn to look at things differently. We learn to help make their journey , I'm sorry, Judithy, I don't know the right words to use.

I am glad you are finding the forum helpful. Maybe in some way, the members will help you find your peace.
Blessings to you,
Carol

Hello Judith,
I cannot accept it either. I cannot imagine my life without Terry. Sure, I think about it sometimes, I'm only human, but "God, I do not like this."
We still need to get more things in order too. I talked with Terry about it the other day and he finally agreed. He still thinks "old school" and it is just not that way anymore. A spouse is just not always atomatically taken care of. I have had to argue with him on this before, but not now. This is something that has to be done.

You know Judith, they miss being with us too.
Carol

Yes, Terry was diagnosed in 2003 with HepC, chirrosis, and had to have an aortic valve replacement. His liver cancer showed up 1 year ago. He has been having some chemo treatments for that. Terry is 56. I am 54.
I have read of several people with liver disease that talk about falling down. Terry has come close, but hasn't fallen yet. He was just writing a card to his mom and had trouble with that, but we got it in the mail.

Maybe Shelly can shed some light on 'falling down' for you. What meds is he taking?

Carol

I forgot to mention that Terry was given 2 sixpacks of platlets. His count had gone down to 31. Maybe that was why he was having so much confusion last week. MUSC called today to see how he is doing and they said to keep him well hydrated with popsicles and ice chips. The treatment is very dehydrating. They could have told me that yesterday. I need to be reminded of things sometimes.
Terry doesn't take many different meds, so I don't know what a lot of these are. I will have to google them.

Carol