cookingmylife
Pizza would be my last meal, except ...
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2012
- Messages
- 5,367
Early last fall Dick started complaining about trouble swallowing fish oil capsules and I sighed and got him smaller ones. For all 18 years of our marriage, he has cut up his food in pieces smaller than I ever cut them for my children. Plus he likes to read while eating (not terribly mindful eating...)so I just figured he was just doing man-fussing. I know I'm not the only one who rolls her eyes at male fussing!
But as the months have gone by, it's become worse and he's gone from his GP to the first ENT who found nothing, a 2nd opinion who found nothing, to a neurologist, to a couple more doctors who said it was probably acid reflux and gave him meds for that, to a Osteopath who agreed it was acid reflux and finally to another ENT who after doing a up the nose down the esophagus video saw that the esophagus was very very narrow but said stay on the acid reflux meds for 6 months and come back. However, the swallowing was increasingly more difficult, getting food stuck in his esophagus and him having to force himself to throw up to get it out. That gave him a raw throat so even getting puree down hurt. There was never trouble breathing so his windpipe was fine. Early this year, one doctor wanted a MRI which insurance refused so he did have a CAT scan. There was a shadow in/on his esophagus. His mood was terrible, he couldn't eat much more than pureed food and even water was difficult. He's such an introvert he never talks about how he feels/worries etc so I've only had looks or one word answers if I ask him or suggest a food or more chewing. I've pretty much stopped making any suggestion or repeating ones the Doctors suggested. Sigh. Not a happy house. I know he's depressed but it comes out more as anger. I get that...
Last week he saw finally saw a Thoracic Surgeon who recommended a PET scan first to see where to biopsy. It's April 1st. A truly wonderful Doctor (as have been most of the others) but this one finally said...I'm not saying it's cancer, but I think it's something serious.
While Dick has strong faith and trust in his god, he balks at any of the suggestions offered by the doctor (denial?), slo, slow eating and lots of chewing, probiotics to try to keep his gut healthy, deep breathing etc etc. He is a man who wants to do it his way and get 'it' fixed. So please, prayers for both of us this coming week...me for patience and compassion and for him ... whatever he needs.
I'm taking care of me but it's hard to watch him suffer.
But as the months have gone by, it's become worse and he's gone from his GP to the first ENT who found nothing, a 2nd opinion who found nothing, to a neurologist, to a couple more doctors who said it was probably acid reflux and gave him meds for that, to a Osteopath who agreed it was acid reflux and finally to another ENT who after doing a up the nose down the esophagus video saw that the esophagus was very very narrow but said stay on the acid reflux meds for 6 months and come back. However, the swallowing was increasingly more difficult, getting food stuck in his esophagus and him having to force himself to throw up to get it out. That gave him a raw throat so even getting puree down hurt. There was never trouble breathing so his windpipe was fine. Early this year, one doctor wanted a MRI which insurance refused so he did have a CAT scan. There was a shadow in/on his esophagus. His mood was terrible, he couldn't eat much more than pureed food and even water was difficult. He's such an introvert he never talks about how he feels/worries etc so I've only had looks or one word answers if I ask him or suggest a food or more chewing. I've pretty much stopped making any suggestion or repeating ones the Doctors suggested. Sigh. Not a happy house. I know he's depressed but it comes out more as anger. I get that...
Last week he saw finally saw a Thoracic Surgeon who recommended a PET scan first to see where to biopsy. It's April 1st. A truly wonderful Doctor (as have been most of the others) but this one finally said...I'm not saying it's cancer, but I think it's something serious.
While Dick has strong faith and trust in his god, he balks at any of the suggestions offered by the doctor (denial?), slo, slow eating and lots of chewing, probiotics to try to keep his gut healthy, deep breathing etc etc. He is a man who wants to do it his way and get 'it' fixed. So please, prayers for both of us this coming week...me for patience and compassion and for him ... whatever he needs.
I'm taking care of me but it's hard to watch him suffer.
