The Symptoms

I realized that I haven't really explained what Dad is feeling when he is having one of these attacks. Usually it is sometime after he eats.

First he'll have a bowel movement, not diarrhea, but substantial I understand. Then a warm flushing starts in his back and progresses quickly up his body to his head. Quickly nausea and pain follow. Dad feels like he needs to throw up to get relief from it all. Often he'll make himself throw up. You know when you are sick and your head gets all woozy and loose. That happens too. The pain is the biggest thing from my understanding. And it's not just a little pain. My Aunt Peggy explained it best, it's like he's writhing in pain. There is nothing that he can do to find relief from it.

It seems that the shots of Dilaudid and Zofran work the best. He's been needing various doses of the Dilaudid to get relief. Sometimes one shot or one unit in his IV works. Sometimes he'll need up to 3 or more to have relief from the pain.

Just thought you all should know what it was that we were talking about with the attacks and pain and all.

-Paige