Dad been in the hospital for 7 days now. It really has been rough on him,talking silly,won't eat,in pain but he slept alot too. They had him on fluids thur his IV. Yesterday was his best day,we got him to eat breakfast and dinner. His Doctor said No More Chemo thur the port,his body can't take it. But there is a Chemo Pill,that he wants Dad to take for a month. I'm keeping a better eye on his pills and make sure he eats,so he doesn't have to go thur this again. First 4/days he talking about not coming home,I spend one night with him and we talk alot. He decide we still had things to do and he wanted to come home. SO HE DID TODAY... DADDY'S HOME Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. We still have a rough road to go. We'll take it" ONE DAY AT A TIME"

Hey, that is great news and I hope the chemo pills do the trick.

Go Dad!! I'm so happy things are looking up.

Guess I did the dance to soon. Dad is doing better,eating more each day,walked with the walker and I got him a hand/foot bike to help build his legs back up. Dr. said no more Chemo thur the port. He could give him Chemo in a pill,[ 4/pills a day for a month] Which would be better for dad but still has side effects. Sounds great,doesn't it?? Here is the kicker. It costs $6,000 thousand dollars, insusance will paid so much, dad has to paid $ 1,660 Who can afford this? Did he fight for nothing those days in the hosptial?? Any body know a rich man,who willing to save a poor man's life. Has any one have any ideals,where to get help??

Sounds like you need to talk to some of the financial specialists at the American Cancer Society.

They will probably talk to you about doing a financial statement and applying for a Medical Spin Down to qualify for your states Medical Assistance Card. You may have to ask for a varieance to allw you to break the rules to qualify or get a Katy Becket waiver to be accepted but they will know the current programs to help you so get all your documentation together about income and assets

I would be getting in touch with all your elected officials and see if they can tack your Dad's medical expenses on a funding bill in your states legislature.

Or if he has assets such as a home or property doing a reverse morgage on it. But make sure you get a legit investment counselor to keep you from getting ripped off.

If your Dad has banking services for years like most older seniors do you might ask them to set up a 501C3 Nin-profit Medical Trust fund and try to raise funds through any and all you know. The money sounds insurmountable but you might be surprized who will contribute to a benifit auction for such a fund.

It is possible that if he is in the hospital the hospital will just add it to his bill and you can apply for a Hill Burton Grant. Special one time grants to people with catestrophic hospital bills but are too well off to be under the MediCal limits. Then Dad can put the balance on payments.not to exceed 30% of his monthly income or less.

I am here if you want clarification.

A simple medical IRA might qualify .

Even the makers of these drugs have financial assistance programs for "indigent " patients. People like your Dad that is most likely up to his eyeballs in medical debt compared to what he earns percentage wise.

Also community fund raisers can help-like benefit dinners. A friend I work with and her family just had one to help pay for hearing aids and the operations necessary for her neice, and not only did they slightly exceed the needed amount so that she could have the upgraded model, but it was partly due a local ear specialist stopping in and matching the already raised amount. You never know what...good...surprises come when people band together for a good cause. I would definately try the ideas pacific offered, and try for the lunch/dinner option maybe too, for future/ongoing expenses.

The idea of a dinner is a common way our church helps familys in crisis. They have a big industrial kitchen and plates silverware so yoyu don't end up being sunk spending more on expenses than you can make. Your Dad's Alma Mater would be really likely to have one of their on campus groups cook and or serve too. Some Food Banks actually can offer some of the food stuffs. Our clubhouse gets bread donated every week from bakerys and that with soup and or salad can be the meal.

UPDATE ON DAD. After2/weeks of phone calls, We finally got the pills and with a co-payment of $80.00 Thanks for all the prayers. He says that he is feeling better,still won't eat right,but he does try more. Tomorrow he starts radiation treatments for 2/places on his chest and on his lower back.10 treaments in all.His mind is in a hazy,they call it Chemobrain. I'll let you all know how things go. Please keep prayers coming.

First treatment today. It was a good one,9- more to go. He came home and went to bed for a couple of hours. I did get him to eat a Peanutbutter/Jelly Sandwich plus glass of Milk. That was a big deal,because most of the time,he doesn't want anything.

The essure and such products frozen into "icecream" can be a soothing meal substitute and sometimes is more tolerable than milk products after chemo.

My Dad particularly like the vanilla one with coconut or banana flavoring added.

I've bought him all of that. He really doesn't care for it,sometimes he'll eat some ice cream. I keep telling him,if he don't eat.They will put him back in the hosptial. Once he was at 275,now he is at 155,his arms and legs are so skinny.his legs give out on his about 4 times now.

Prayer train still smoking along. Every step, no matter how small, is still a step forward.

Sorry to hear he is suffering so. Dad's weight dropped radically the last ninty days and I know how hard it is to feel so helpless. Hopefully the treatments will kick in and he will gain back his weight and strength. Keeping you in my prayers and good thoughts.

UPDATED ON DAD ! He finish his Radiation Treatments 3/days ago. The Doctor said it would take a few weeks,before we know how much they helped his back. So back to Dr.Shah. He puts him on dronabinol for Nausea and Sucralfate-short-time treatment for Ulcers.[ insurance doesn't pay for this] Also he puts him on Potassium Chlordie. Dad lost 7lbs in one week,all togther 34lbs. He can't eat or drink anything because he says his thoart closes up.This man is on 10/different things.He is to go see another doctor about his Ulcers/Thoart in Aug. We have a deal that he'll do what the doctor says until Sept. Then he will go ahead or stop everything.Please remember us in your prayers.

Good Luck. Keeping you in our prayers. Hopefully he will feel stronger soon.

You and you family are in my prayers constatly!

Alot has been going on with Dad. He was in the hosptial for 3/days.His Doctor let him come home.Early Monday morning,he fell on the way to bathroom,I couldn't get him up off the floor,so I called my son John. We got him off the floor,changed him and the bed,put him back in bed,he got up again and fell before we could caught him,blooded his nose,put big knot on his head. So we took him to the ER and His Doctor put him back in the hosptial,until he decides Dad is strong enough to come home. He does look better and sound better today,but not ready to come home.that's what happen before. He did eat some mashed patotoes with gravy today and drink a little coke. Which was very good for him,because he hasn't been eating. I'm headed for bed,I go to the hosptial to be with him and Then come home to be with my aunt,who's in a wheelchair and I'm beat. Please remember us in your prayers.

I'm sorry to hear he's having trouble, but I'm glad he's making efforts to try to fight.

Have you guys tried supplements like Boost? It works well for helping to gain weight and give the body nutrients and vitamins that it can't retain otherwise due to illness and such.

Love and hugs

I am so sorry that you and your dad is dealing with this. You and your family are in my thoughts and in my prayers. Trust me when I say..I do know what you are going through. I lost my wonderful Dad on Dec. 31, 2008 due to cancer of the stomach. Dad had a feeding tube and was never allowed to be left alone. Before he got sick he weighed about 197 and when everything was said and done, he weighed 93 pounds.
I have never seen a man be so strong and never complain about being sick, but my Dad was so brave during this whole ordeal. It was so hard on us because we had to watch him suffer and then he started having seizures. I guess there at the last we were praying for God to wrap his loving arms around Dad and take him home.
My Dad was such a good man that did not deserve to suffer like that. You know, I think it takes years to be able to talk about it before you can with out crying. I can now finally think about my Dad and smile and remember the good memories!!!
I must admit, they had to put me on medicine and I am not ashamed to say that I was very depressed about losing my first love, my hero!! I am proud to say that I can now finally talk about my loving Dad and not cry as much!! Sure it will be 4 years in December BUT I lost a part of me. I still miss him like crazy and I wish I could see him again...but I know one day I will. I never told my Dad good-bye, I told him UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN...ANGEL KISSES MY WONDERFUL DADDY!!!
If ever you feel the need to talk to someone that has been through what you are going through...please do not think twice about sending me an email. Again I can not say this enough...you truly are in my thoughts and in my prayers and I will be saying lots of them for you and your Dad. Spend as much time with your Dad as you can...PLUS tell him every thing you want to now before it is to late!!!
God Bless you and your wonderful Dad....Pamela

UPDATE ON DAD: He has been in the hopstial 10 days tomorrow. He was having trouble with his thoart,one of the things from the chemo. So they were treated it,plus he wasn't eating.He ate really good for 2/days and now he hasn't eating in 2/days. They are trying to build his body up thur IV. His Doctor said his thoart trouble was fine,he was well enough to leave hopstial but not strong enough to come home. He fell twice in the hosptial. The Nursing Homes around here,don't want to take him because of the high price chemo pills that he is on,which I'm paying the co-payment. His Doctor decide to take him off of them,he says that it is causing all his troubles. There is one n home that might take him,but we don't know yet.it is 20 miles from hre. His Doctor wants him to go there,so they can build him up. His Doc. is afraid he will end up back in the hosptial. If no nursing home will take him,he'll come home and we'll set up Home Health Care. New Doc. looking at his thoart today,still having trouble with it, they did a MRI,because he might had had a stroke yesterday. They are talked about a feeding tube. My ex-daugther -in-law tells me to prepare myself for things to get back.Tomorrow is a new day and I'll be there for him.