Posts by Peter Cook

I went through a very similar episode last year—it hit me about four months postpartum and dragged on for roughly two months. I ended up playing a bit of a guessing game, eliminating foods one by one until I finally pinpointed the culprits. It turns out dairy was my biggest enemy; anything with milk really threw me for a loop. Things have improved significantly since then. After a year of waiting, I finally worked up the courage to undergo a gastroscopy, which confirmed I'm dealing with GERD and gastritis. These days, I stay away from gluten entirely—my diet mostly consists of salads, unseasoned, paired with either buckwheat or quinoa. I’ve cut out sweets, even fruit, and I prefer everything cooked. My reflux hasn't been great either, though apparently, that might be linked to insulin resistance—I'm still waiting on those lab results to be sure. Anyway, my best advice? Try eliminating foods one at a time until you figure out what's actually bothering you.

I want to thank you all so much for the support. I’m still struggling to wrap my head around everything—it honestly doesn't feel real yet—and I can only hope that, in time, the wounds begin to heal...
My sincere wish is that all your loved ones stay healthy and get to enjoy every moment life has to offer.

My mother is no longer with us 🙂.

goldenorca9 said:Oh, Hannah James76... she’s only five months old. She won't even get the chance to know her grandfather. It truly breaks my heart—it really does. And if I'm being honest? What hurts most is this overwhelming sense of helplessness. That crushing, absolute feeling of powerlessness... it's just devastating. 🙂 Of course I am staying by his side—honestly, what else is there left for me to do?

I know the feeling all too well... We’re going through a very similar situation over here. 😢I’m sitting here looking at this photo from my dad’s birthday back on June 2nd—we were all just so happy then, weren't we? There wasn't a single thought in our minds about the darkness waiting around the corner. It’s hard to wrap my head around how quickly things shift... just a few short months later, and my dad is already nearing the end. 😢

goldenorca9 said:Well, unfortunately, I suppose I have to join this massive army of people whose loved ones are truly, deeply suffering. Even though I’ve moved past that initial paralyzing shock, I know there is still so much ugliness ahead of us. My father is 56. On October 31st, the first lung scan showed the initial signs of lung cancer. He was admitted to the hospital on November 7th, and today—just like that—he can barely breathe without medication. He was always the healthiest one among us, the most vital, the one who looked the best. Now, the doctors are calling it small cell lung carcinoma; it's incredibly aggressive and malicious. In just 14 days, it has essentially doubled in size. Metastases have already appeared in his kidney, adrenal glands, and brain... all in a mere 14 days. I am terrified to even think about what the next 14 days might bring. They started him on radiation and chemotherapy today... at least if it provides some small measure of relief. I find myself losing faith in everything. You are here today, and tomorrow, you're gone. That is the stark, heavy truth of it. To make matters more overwhelming, I have a five-month-old baby, and I'm noticing my milk supply is steadily dropping—which is devastating. Meanwhile, my mother is on disability and is quite ill; I can't even begin to list all her diagnoses. Then there's my other child, who just started first grade. I feel completely torn because I have to return to work in two months, otherwise, I'll lose my job. It's horrific. Just total horror. I understand that our time on this earth is brief and that an end awaits us all, but I truly never expected it to strike this quickly. The only reason I'm not weeping all day long is that I try to smile when I visit him, mostly because they won't let me stay too long because of the baby. He looks at me, just waiting for my reaction. And honestly? I just want to scream and cry at the top of my lungs. But I can't... It's just awful.🙂

I know how incredibly hard this is for you, but please, try to hang in there 🙂. We all have to stay strong and be there for them; that's what they need most right now. I actually went through a similar thing with my milk supply—or at least it feels that way—where I can barely pump anything, and it hits me so hard. But since my little one is a year old now, I tell myself it's okay, at least I managed to nurse for that first year...

Everything changed this morning when the emergency responders arrived for my father—it was all so sudden—and they rushed him off to the hospital... He was insistent, almost desperate, about seeing a doctor immediately. He had been vomiting blood, 😢

Angela Wright said:Hannah James76, you aren't going to be struggling for much longer... hearing is always the very last sense to fade.😢
Please, just stay close to him—comfort him. Tell him that everything is going to be okay, truly. Remind him that he’s heading toward a beautiful place, a peaceful place where those who left before him are already waiting... and they love him just as much as we do.
I was just sitting here thinking about those final words from Steve Jobs—right before he slipped away into that coma—where he supposedly whispered, "wow, this is amazing..." And honestly? It probably was. When you step away from all the noise and the sheer, overwhelming suffering of this world, maybe that’s the only thing left to feel. There is something so profound about the idea of letting go. We spend so much energy clinging, don't we? But what if we just... let him go? What if we tell him it's okay to leave in peace, that we're going to be alright, and that he doesn't need to worry about us anymore? If we could just give him that permission, he would find his peace—and in turn, wouldn't we all finally find a little bit of peace in our own souls, too?
My prayers—truly, with every ounce of my heart—are being directed toward you, your family, and your father tonight.

Thank you so much! 🙂

Angela Wright said:🙂😢

Today, he somehow mentioned that he can't just sit there and listen anymore—it’s becoming too much to bear. This damn disease... it really takes its toll, doesn't it? 😢

Angela Wright said:Oh, Hannah James76, my heart just breaks for you. I truly wish I had some profound wisdom to offer or even a small way to help... 😢
Just hang in there—keep showering him with kisses. And please, don't let it fool you if it seems like he isn't responding; he hears everything, and he feels it all deeply...

I know he can hear us. He’s been crying, though he can't find the words to say anything—he just tries to use his hand to show us what he needs... 🙂🙂🙂🙂

Dad isn't responding anymore—it’s not just a little hiccup or a stutter... he's just silent. ;( ;( ;(

vividsailor7 said:Angela Wright explained everything perfectly—I’m right there with her regarding the Zofran—but I’d also add that Reglan might be an option. If he doesn't respond to that, then maybe try Setronon.

He's taking Reglan, but it just isn't doing the trick... Thanks for all the help.

Angela Wright said:Get in touch with
19 Drašković Street, New York City
Chicago Pain Clinic
Zoran Lončar, MD, Anesthesiology Specialist
01/46 97 000

Tell them you are contacting them because you received a warm recommendation for Dr. Lončar from the New Day Association. He is such a dear colleague in our shared fight for palliative care here in America. Explain the situation—that your dad is in the terminal phase and is suffering from pain, and that no one seems willing to provide him with the adequate help he needs. The doctor will be able to provide a prescription for those patches.
Do this immediately!
If nobody responds, send me a PM and I will try to track down a mobile number for you.

Also, reach out here:
Dr. Kotnik will come for a home visit along with a nurse to assess how else they can support you and offer some solid advice. She has my highest recommendation—she was an absolute lifeline for both me and Fighter during our hardest moments.
But regarding the pain management itself, everything has to go through a prescription, unfortunately, since we are dealing with opioids.

THANK YOU so much! Now she'll be called...

Angela Wright said:Dad really needs an IV infusion. You should call his primary care physician and insist they actually do their job. A sedative might also be necessary to help get that vomiting under control. Honestly, Ketonal isn't nearly enough for the pain—he likely needs those Durogesic patches instead. A doctor needs to step up and guide you through these next steps.

His doctor is an absolute DISASTER 🙂. She just keeps handing him whatever was listed in the hospital discharge papers... everyone seems to just shrug and say there's nothing more they can do 😠. I've never even heard of those patches before
.

I honestly don't know what else we can do to help Dad... He’s vomiting constantly now, and the pain started setting in too. We called emergency services yesterday, but they didn't want to send anyone—apparently, because of the nature of this illness, they just wouldn't come. We had to call a second time before they actually showed up; his blood pressure was down at 85/50, so they gave him some Ketonal and then just left... It didn't make a difference, so he ended up going to Mercy Hospital... His Bilirubin is at 241 😢. He really should be staying in the ICU, but he’s adamant about being back home... The doctors told us he only has a few days left—that he'll either just drift off to sleep or slip into a coma. Does anyone know how I can help stop him from vomiting so much??

Angela Wright said:It looks like the liver is slowly shutting down—and unfortunately, such high levels of Bilirubin tend to leave lasting damage on the brain. 😢 Your dad is fading, and the end is very close; it breaks my heart to be the one to tell you this. 😢 You might even resent me for saying it, but if I can offer any advice from my own experience, it would be to let him stay right there with you until the very end. Cherish that time—make sure he’s comfortable, tell him how much he means to you, reassure him that everything is okay and that all will be well... he needs to hear those things more than anything right now. You could always call 911 to see if there is anything else they can do to ease his discomfort, but honestly? I suspect the hospital won't be able to provide much meaningful help at this stage. All it really does is pull him away from his family, leaving him to face his final moments in a sterile room feeling like a stranger.
I am just so, so sorry. Please, hang in there.

Thank you... I could never hate you for this. You all have helped me so much.

Bilirubin is at 167!!!! We’re completely lost here—should we head straight to the hospital?? We just got the lab results back 😢

silentbadger23 said:Thank you so much for getting back to me. I’ve attempted to eat—I'll try having half a fruit yogurt—and then the intense stomach pains and nausea just kick in. What’s truly the worst part? I can't even handle liquids normally; I'm lucky if I can force down a single glass of water in an entire day, though sometimes a little Coca-Cola is the only thing that stays down. :/ It seems I really have to see a doctor. Honestly, I would have gone already if I weren't such a stubborn person who is deathly afraid of medical stuff.

I went through the exact same thing during a particularly high-stress period in my life—in fact, it still happens to me occasionally even now. At first, it started just like yours, where food became completely unappealing... well, I somehow managed to scrape by without seeing a doctor and eventually started eating again once things settled down a bit. Then, two years later, stress hit me again, but this time it manifested as overeating followed by purging—bulimia, of course. It took me a full year before I finally sought treatment, which ultimately landed me in the hospital. My sincere advice to you is to see a physician as soon as possible. Everything in my system got thrown out of whack because of it; now, I struggle to lose any weight at all because my hormones are constantly acting up... The sooner you get treated, the better it will be for you.

Angela Wright said:Please try to keep it that way—make sure he gets all the palliative care he needs right at home. Dad is actually entitled to home health nursing services. You should head over to his primary care physician and put in the request. With a diagnosis like his, he qualifies for daily visits—about 45 minutes each session. It means his wife can handle things like bathing and changing him. I really, truly recommend this because it will take such a massive weight off your shoulders. Also, if you can, look into getting a hydraulic hospital bed and an air mattress with a compressor to prevent pressure sores. Various medical supply companies, both public and private, usually have those beds in stock and rent them out for about $133 a month. It’s my sincere advice; it will make life so much easier for both him and for you.

Thanks, but I honestly think we'll be heading back to the hospital again soon. He's been vomiting constantly and has started becoming disoriented—or rather, he just seems lost, doesn't know what he's doing... the doctor already warned us that this is how it's going to go.😢

Angela Wright said:He’s dealing with lesions on the liver and lymph nodes, kidney insufficiency, plus thrombocytopenia—which is basically a blood clotting issue because his platelet count is low.
As for the rest of his bloodwork, I don't know all the specific reference ranges off the top of my head, but those liver enzymes are quite elevated, which explains why the lesions are there... honestly, what they told you is likely the reality of the situation. 😢 You just have to patch things up as you go and take it one day at a time.
Hang in there.

Thank you... It really matters that he's home with us, where he can at least feel a little bit more comfortable.

vividsailor7 said:Looking at these, there are definitely several concerning indicators. Let’s take them one by one.
1. Metastatic disease—specifically liver metastases.
Lymph node metastases.
Renal insufficiency—which, as I mentioned previously, indicates kidney failure.
Thrombocytopenia—meaning a low platelet count.
The results also show anemia and severe hypoproteinemia, which points toward significant liver dysfunction. There is also mild hypocalcemia and hyperkalemia—both stemming from the kidney issues—as well as hyponatremia due to increased diuresis.
Are you absolutely certain you transcribed the urea and creatinine levels correctly?
The situation is extremely grave, and unfortunately, I don't believe there is a way back from this.

Thank you... I double-checked, and I transcribed the results correctly.