Take that, Cancer! My dad WILL have his Direct TV!

Ckim · Experienced user Joined: 15 Aug 2008 Posts: 57

This past Tuesday my dad received his second does of Alimpta and he is very weak.

I have posted about him--he has survived Stage IV throat cancer that was diagnosed in 2004, 3 years after the initial symptoms. The lung cancer appeared in December '06 Stage IIIa and mets to the brain a year later.

He has been through the gamut. And either the cancer or the chemo is not kicking his butt.

He has asked that I come and help my mom put him to bed at night and get him dressed in the morning. I didn't go over there this morning because the home care people were coming to give him a shower and physical therapy.

So, I went over when they called around 7pm to help put him to bed.

That is when my mom told me that he was no longer allowed to go upstairs to his den (or lair, as we call it!). Shocked

The only thing he can do is watch TV. The computer is cumbersome and reading is impossible, so essentially this decision would cut him off from the only pleasure he can get out of life right now.

We had talked about preparing for him to stay downstairs all the time, and I had even gotten an appointment with DirectTV to come out and move things but that would be in a month!

So, I headed to Radio Shack and bought two 100 foot coax cables. It doesn't replace the entire set up he has upstairs but it will allow him to watch TV.

I called two of my sons and had them come and move the large screen TV downstairs as well as his reclining chair.

Four hours later and covered in dust, I managed to set up the TV stringing the cables from the upstairs room and tucking them in here and there. 100 feet was just about enough!

But, by golly when he gets up tomorrow, he will have his chair and his TV and his bookshelf with his glasses, water cup, etc all ready to go.

I can't cure cancer. I can't make his pain go away. But I feel a sense of victory in being able to do this for him.

Taking the whole set up apart was daunting, not knowing if I would actually be able to get it all to work again. But, I did.

So, for tonight, the cancer and treatment may have taken his ability to be in his lair, but he will still have the simple pleasure he can still enjoy!

Cool

dano

Hi Ckim;
Way to go! That even makes me feel better!!!
Reminds me of what my boys did for me, when my coughing was so bad I couldn't lay in bed so I stayed in a recliner in the living room,near the TV. Sense I had wireless on my computer laptop I could also use the internet. But to bless me, the boys bought me a Mac 24 and a wall bracket with a swing arm to reach over the recliner. What a blessing it was.
Again good job Ckim, very creative! I hope your dad is blessed!
God Bless
Dan
_________________
54 year old male in Hawaii
Diagnosed Nov. 9,2007 with NSCLC IV
with Mets to the lymphs and brain
Had full brain radiation treatment in Jan 08
Currently on chemo treatments every 3 weeks
with Alimta
and taking Lovenox for blood clots
Now back to work full time
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9993

maryaz

That was so thoughtful of you to fix up the downstairs like you did. Could not have been easy. At least you were able to do somethinbg that will matter for him.

I will be praying for your Dad and your family.
_________________
Mary

Husband is 67 year old Male
NSCLC - Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Chemo and Radiation Treatments together
Allergic reactions to Taxol and Taxotere.
The Story: http://www.cancerforums.net/about9079.html

bnot

You go!!! Give dad all the joy you can. Sometimes, all it takes is something simple like tv. Glad you got that all hooked up for him. I'm sure he certainly appreciates it.

Need to call direct tv, and tell them your dad has cancer. Sometimes, places like that will put you on higher priority if they know the circumstances.

Ckim · Experienced user Joined: 15 Aug 2008 Posts: 57

[quote="bnot"]You go!!! Give dad all the joy you can. Sometimes, all it takes is something simple like tv. Glad you got that all hooked up for him. I'm sure he certainly appreciates it.

Need to call direct tv, and tell them your dad has cancer. Sometimes, places like that will put you on higher priority if they know the circumstances.[/quote]

I need to call them again. At the very least, they say they have a remote that is simpler and with bigger buttons. My dad can't use the remote very well--heck, I have a time with it!

Tonight, we watched Mad Men. I think he enjoys watching shows with me because if he misses something or is kind of confused about the plot because of coughing or meds, I can clue him in quickly.

Tonight I went out at 11pm and bought my mom a baby monitor. She keeps saying how the cordless phones she has can be used as an intercom. And they do use them to communicate within the house but my dad really can't work the buttons.

After hearing her say that for the nth time, my son and I just jumped into the car in the pouring rain and went to Walmart and got a monitor and set it up.

So, now she will be able to hear him--he can just call her name and she'll be able to hear him.

But, I think I may have to get one more set, so that she can turn it on so that she can talk to him. That way, no buttons, and the thing was cheap!

I still can't believe I got the TV hooked up and working! There were so many wires going this way and that, but it's great.

And let me tell you, the best thing about sitting and watching TV with him in the evening is that I can get him to stay up a little longer and he drinks more Ensure. He is getting at least another 200 calories a day ( all liquid diet due to prior throat cancer).

Sometimes it is the simplest things that make the difference.

Now, since he is off the oxycontin, I am going to make him a tape to listen to as he goes to sleep. I am singer and I can put together a playlist of songs that might soothe him to sleep--they say music is good for the soul...

Vee Smith · Moderator Joined: 12 Feb 2006 Posts: 821 Location: UK

It is so refreshing to read of such good practical help. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1407

Ckim,

Your Dad is very lucky to have such a creative and loving daughter like you. Oh! Maybe you are a son! Embarassed

PBJ
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

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