Sorry that it has been a while in getting blog posted. It's been hectic with everyone here. I managed to get the week done...
Monday, Feb 24th, 2020……
Penny called this morning and was told that she gave up 2 ½ liters of
fluid last night! Yaay! They will be taking her back again sometime
today for another round. I’m not sure if this is procedure or not but I will be
sure to find out this morning.
We headed
over and they had just wheeled her down another wing of the hospital to the
dialysis room. We were allowed to visit with her while she was there. They give
you meds to relax so she was sleepy most of the time. The nephrologist told us
they may even do another round because it is helping with her functions. We
stayed for a bit then went back home to let the dogs out. We stopped on the way
for wet burritos from Tres Arbolitos. After a bit, we headed back and saw her
for a bit. She gave up 2 more liters!
They were just getting ready to put in a feeding tube and it turned out
she wasn’t a good patient. Poor thing!
Her nose was sore and dry and she fought the procedure. But, with a
little hand holding from sis and I, they were able to get it done after a few
minutes. She was very tired after that
and calmed down after a few minutes and relaxed and got back to normal. I
turned on her tv and after a few minutes she went back to sleep and we left her
for the night.
Tuesday, Feb 25th, 2020…… The plan today was to go once and
stay a bit longer. But first I had to head over to Albany and get my sunglass
issues worked out. This was the redo from the first ones that they messed up on
the transition area on the lens. This second one was not much better. For the
redo, I had chosen larger lens that I liked better for sunglasses but after
trying them several times, I found that they still had the transition area from
distance to close up too high on the lenses. I decided that I really didn’t
need the close up for sunglasses after all so I had them do them again, this
time as single vision. Turns out I got
$50.00 credit back on my card! Wasn’t expecting that!
I got back
home and got Rylee out and walked again and I played with her in the backyard
for a while. I ate leftover burrito for lunch, then I headed over and picked up
my sister and we went over for the day. They had to take her in for a chest
x-ray to make sure her stomach was doing ok from the feeding tube. When she got
back, we visited for a good while. She looks better today than yesterday. Her
color is back and she has lost most of the water weight. She still is pretty
weak though but the dialysis and the nutrition have got her numbers going in
the right direction. It’s a slow process but things are definitely looking
better.
When I got
back home for the day, Krista had asked me to call her. She said Jeff is
getting antsy and wants to come see his Mom and what did I think of that. I
told her she is in no danger and things are on the upswing and coming here
would be their call. If they choose to do so, they should not rush – look for a
good deal on the flight – and not worry.
They are trying to decide if Krista will come too and then what dates to
travel. We will arrange and pay for the shuttle to get them the 100 miles from
Portland to Albany where we will come get them. No need to rent a car.
I finished
up the night with dinner and playtime for Rylee before calling it a night.
Wednesday, Feb 26th, 2020……
Today things got worse. She now has pneumonia in her
right lung. This notches up her planned care, making things more urgent. The
hospitalist came in this morning and told her how serious she was. He asked her
the usual questions about life saving treatment. And did she want to be put on life
saving ventilation for her breathing should it come to that. She does not want
that and said so. We both want quality of life with no artificial help and that
is our choice. And even though I suggested she do it, she said no. So, she will
get a dnr bracelet. He also told us with her condition, things could go south
very quickly. So, I started in making all of my calls to family. Jeff and Randy
and Frances are making arrangements now.
Thursday, Feb 27th, 2020…… Today was way better. What a relief! She's even talking a little bit. She had an
uneventful night. The bipap mask is now off and she’s just on oxygen. Randy and
Frances (both in Calif.) got here late last night. Jeff and Krista will be
coming in late tonight. When we got in, she was over in dialysis again. She’s
relaxed and more mobile and animated. I think she was happy to see family. Her
brother Ed, and his daughter Tia, will be driving from Wisconsin. Ed has had
some medical issues himself and his doctors have told him he is not allowed to
fly. Like I said, a way better day! I am re energized!
Friday, Feb 28th, 2020…… More dialysis today. They are getting 2 liters
average each time, which helps a great deal. She still has trouble swallowing
so she’s still got in a feeding tube. But she is alert and can talk a bit more
now, just restricted through the mask and she still has the painful sores in
her mouth. Progress continues but in
baby steps.
Saturday, Feb 29th, 2020…… She looks really good this
morning. No oxygen and dialysis is only an extract to remove the fluids, not
the full exchange, which they will alternate now. The girls brought everything
to re-do her nail polish again. Definitely a good day!
Sunday, Mar 1st, 2020…… Another good day!
The family arrived from Chico last night and stayed in town. We all went
to breakfast this morning at Apple Tree, next door to their motel before caravanning
over to Corvallis and invading her room!
From left
to right: Judy, Tia, James, Frances,
Richard, Lydia, Ed, Randy, Terry, Penny, and Bill. Jeff and Krista were not
there. Krista was flying back to Florida today so she and Jeff came by earlier this
morning so they could leave to make her flight out of Portland.
Lydia
asked for her phone back so she could make a few calls and take some when she
is up to talking. She still has her feeding tube in so it’s hard to talk, but
they are allowing her to have semi-solid food. We brought her some cranberry
juice that we had frozen into a ‘slushy’ or ‘slurpee’. We also brought her some ‘peeps’ and also some
A&W root beer if and when her blood sugars stabilize enough for her to have
them. It’s nice that everyone is around – but it’s like herding cats! We had all met up at our house and I gave
those who hadn’t been to our house yet the 50-cent tour. The Chico family left
in the afternoon for the 7-hour drive back home. We got a call from Lydia that they
were moving her from PCU to the oncology floor (where she got her chemo) so we
could find her when we went back in the afternoon. We stopped before that at
Dos Arbolitos for a tasty dinner. As you can see, most of us chose the wet
burrito.
When we
went back to see Lydia, she said she was happy to be back on the oncology floor
so
she could see her old chemo nurses again. We visited a while and then let her
rest for the evening.
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