(((((((ww)))))) that is so sad!! it is so hard to watch someone you love struggle with cancer. i feel for you. is there any kind of hospice program in your area? some areas have a hospice program so that people can come home and be taken care of by nurses rather than having to keep going to the hospitals. they also provide some support services for family and friends sometimes, and educate loved ones on what to expect. ask around and see if there is anything like that, because they are pretty amazing programs sometimes.

about your back pain, i have some suggestions. i recently had an enormous kidney stone (11mm- normal is 2-4mm). it was really painful. and when they did lithotripsy, i was a MESS. they gave me 8mg of morphine and it didn't control my pain. that's how bad it was. when i got home, they had prescribed percoset and the percoset only took the edge off the pain, and left me terribly nauseated. luckily, my mom is a nurse. she took me off the percoset and had me take 3 ibuprofen and 1 tylenol (or 4 and 2 when i was REALLY hurting), and had me take it with a caffeinated beverage like a Coke (caffeine adds to the effects of pain meds). that worked better than the morphine or percoset did, and it doesn't cause nausea and it doesn't have addictive qualities. with the kidney stone, my back pain was TERRIBLE. i could hardly even walk the day i went into the emergency room, because of pain and nausea. i found that laying on the floor and putting my legs up (like on a couch or chair) helped. so did hot packs on the back, and really long, hot soacks in the tub. sometimes i had to soak several times a day.

i hope all this helps. (((((hugs)))) i will keep you and your young friend in my mind and heart, and pray for you both, and send you lots of good vibes ok?

Angela