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Hi Lyn, good to see you here. I think you will find a lot of support here. You're right some of the Doctors don't seem concerned. Yesterday I told Dick's pain doctor that he had been losing weight and she said "good." Well it is not good at the rate he is losing. Then she said it wasn't the pain meds. I plan changing pain management to the Cancer Center Palliative Care Team that already works closely with his oncologists. She was also impatient with how slow he was. He was not deliberately trying to irritate her he was just making sure that the pain survey was filled out right.
Keep advocating for your husband with the Doctors until they attend to his needs. Julie

HI Lyn - I just wanted to say hello and let you know you and your husband will be in my prayers. I don't have specific answers for you but my husband, Harry was dx last summer and had RC at Stanford on 10/1/07. Afterward he went through chemo (Gemzar/Cisplatin) from December through February. It was a rough road. He lost at least 15 pounds during the course of surgery/chemo but has slowly gained some back. There were days he had no appetite, but he ate knowing he needed to. I think the pain meds probably affects your husbands appetite too...I know what you mean when you say the drs don't seem as concerned as you are. I guess that is because they see so many patients and know the symptoms, but it doesn't make it any easier when we are concerned about OUR husband and want HIM to be comfortable!! This site has been a God-send for us - or more specifically me - as Harry is not too interested in sitting down and reading through the posts...although I read them to him sometimes. I hope you will find it useful as well. As I said, I will keep you in prayer. Margot

hi...my name is lyn and my dh was dx with blc in march...it started in a diverticuli outside the bladder wall...they don't actually know how much it has spread but are treating it as a stage 3 cancer...he has gone thru chemo (gemzar) and radiation...his last treatment was june 11...he did fairly well during his treatment...had some fatique...lost a little weight...but since his last treatment he has been miserable...he doesn't have any energy...his muscles are very week...he's had a stent put into his right kidney when they removed the tumor as it was in the opening of the kidney...2 weeks ago he had to have a stent put into his left kidney as it was blocking up...he is taking morphine sulfate 2xday and vicodin every 4 hrs...he still has a lot of pain that they are saying is normal...he has no appetite and food doesn't taste good to him at all...he has lost weight in the last 2 weeks...he is now down to 93#...he only weighed 111 when they found the cancer...i am concerned about his continued pain and fatique tho he hasn't had any treatment for a month and 1/2...seems like he should be doing better...he was a very active person before this.
the drs don't seemed to be as concerned as i do...has anyone else experienced this? any info would sure be appreciated...thanks...lyn