No more treatment for Charlie

Carol, thank you for your update.  That verse from 2 Corinthians really hits home these days.  I will keep you and Charlie in my prayers, as I pray every day for everyone on this board who are afflicted with cholangiocarcinoma.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5  who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
1Pe 1:7  so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Carol,

I am so sorry that it has come to this point, but as you said, the main thing now is to keep Charlie as pain free as possible. I too enjoyed the verse. Thanks for sharing it.  It sure is appropriate, isn't it? This cancer just makes me feel so angry & helpless, so I will do what I can which is to keep you, Charlie & your family in my thoughts & prayers.

Love & Hugs,
Darla

Thank you Lisa, Lainy, Darla and Heather.  You're all amazing women!  Let me borrow some of your strength for a little bit. 

Love, Carol

Dear Carol,

Some days I really don't feel that strong, but I am willing to share what strength I have with you whenever you need it. More hugs & love coming your way. Try to take care of yourself too so you can stay strong for Charlie.

Love,
Darla

Carol

Just read your post. I remember how our family felt when we realized there was nothing left to do to help my dear grandmother. I felt like the air had been sucked out of my lungs and everything stopped for a second.

The good news is what you high lighted. Its the time you do have. Lots of talking and reminding each other how much you love one another. We took lots of pictures. At first it seemed odd but now I treasure them so much.

Prayers to your family.

tonia

Carol - I am so sorry to hear about Charlie.  I know its like getting the wind kicked out of you when you realize that there is no further treatment that can be done.  Enjoy every last minute you have with Charlie.  I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.  Remember to take care of yourself during this time.
Colleen

Carol,

I hope Charlie can enjoy this special time with all of you, I will pray for a painless journey. Here is a beautiful poem about a journey:

http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/1759.html

Patty

Thank you Colleen, Jean, Patty and Joyce.  Just a quick update on Charlie. He had a good day Thurs. He even wanted to get out and run a short errand by himself. It made him feel so good. He had a little more energy yesterday. He takes naps throughout the day. He wants to try to keep eating solid food, but it's a real chore for him. He does good with his Ensure's though.

Sarah and Ben are still working all this through their minds, coming back again and again for reassurance. The hardest one I think is "Could Daddy go really fast?" and you can see the pain and fear in their eyes. It could be fast or not. With liver failure as with this rare cancer, there's just no set timeline. I won't be back at my job until, well, really not sure when and that's fine.

A Hospice social worker and nurse came this morning for an initial assessment. Signed papers, answered a lot of questions. This relieves both of us that when we need them, they'll be here. Charlie and I both want him to be home for the duration.

This is a little card that has turned yellow with age that I gave Charlie and he stuck in the frame of a picture of me in my wedding dress on his dresser.  We've been married 26 years.

In Each Other's Arms

There's one place where we both can turn when things don't go our way. Or when we're tired from all the cares we face from day to day. A place where we know everything will somehow be okay - Within the safety of each other's arms.

Much love, Carol

Natasha.... I would recommend entering "end of life symptoms" in the goggle custom search at top of this page.  I know it has been discussed a few times.  Otherwise, the basic answer is only God knows for sure when.  There has been individuals who have lived for days and others for months once entering hospice.  Each person have different end results depending on their cancer and where it has spread to and what is being affected the most.  There really is no time table ,even with some symptoms showing.  It is extremely difficult waiting day after day.  I recommend love and cherish every moment and keep your mom comfortable and pain free.

God Bless,
Jeff G.

Thank you for answering. I don't think I received the private email, but would like to. The suffering I'm talking about is physical and psychological. After throwing up,  having back pain, fever or a painful bile drainage experience, my mom is just exhaustic and her body just can't take it any more. She becomes so sad and cries and doesn't want to go on like this. It just destroys me to see her like this. I'm so angry some times. Thank you again for responding. I would love to hear where you both are in your process to date.
Blessings

Dear Patrick,just letting you know that Charlie and Natashas mum passed away earlier this year