I have barely been here in the last few weeks...been SO busy....
In the middle of February, the Monday before Mardi Gras, I took my husband to the ER. He was admitted with pneumonia after waiting sitting in a chair in pain for about 4 hours. He was released that Wednesday. The next day, Thursday, I had to bring him back.Again we waited for about 4 hours before seeing someone. They kept him in the hospital until the following Tuesday. Then they sent him home with antibiotics including Vancomycin by IV.(They put in a port.) They told us to come back to the oncologists the following Monday.
This past Monday, when we went to see the oncologists, they told us that they felt there was nothing else they could do. The lung cancer did not respond to the chemo that they already did. The PET scan shows the tumor has grown. They said he was much too weak for another round of chemo, that more chemo would probably shorten his life rather than prolong it.Since he does not want any life support, they turn him over to Hospice. When he pressed the doctor for a time line, they said maybe as little as 6 - 8 weeks.
As soon as we got home, Hospice contacted us.They have been over every day since then. A nurse has come every day to give him the Vancomycin IV in the morning and I did it at night. He is done with that. We also had a social worker come over.
I am still trying to work. I am the only person in this house bringing in money except for his diability. So I have been getting up really early and giving him a bath and taking care of what he needs and then going to work and hurrying home after work. His daughter has been trying to check up on him but she wrecked her car and she has to depend on her boyfriend who works all kinds of different hours. My sister is coming tomorrow and staying 2 weeks. That will give me a chance to decide what to do and also to see how things are going.
Before the pneumonia, he was walking across the yard and visiting with the neighbor while I was at work. Now he can barely go from the bed to the wheelchair by himself. We rearranged the living room and put his hospital bed in here. He is in pain sometimes. The pain med(generic Oxycontin) that he is taking does a pretty good job of taking care of the pain and he has Dilaudid for breakthrough pain. But the Dilaudid makes him very out of it. He is like drunk when he takes it. Hospice is supposed to look at his pain meds. I am worried that they may not want to pay for the REALLY high dose of Oxycontin which does not make him feel all drugged up but leaves him alert. I know they like to use morphine. In the morning, he sound just like himself and enjoys calling my family and taking to them on the phone. He still enjoys his dog too. I do not want to see him in pain ,so I hope there is a way to control the pain and still leave him to enjoy being alive.
I am hanging in there, barely. Y'all thought I was a basket case before my OHS last year...That was nothing compare to now. So I thought I would let you know what is going on. Needless to say, I have been extremely busy. All your prayers are very much appreciated.
In the middle of February, the Monday before Mardi Gras, I took my husband to the ER. He was admitted with pneumonia after waiting sitting in a chair in pain for about 4 hours. He was released that Wednesday. The next day, Thursday, I had to bring him back.Again we waited for about 4 hours before seeing someone. They kept him in the hospital until the following Tuesday. Then they sent him home with antibiotics including Vancomycin by IV.(They put in a port.) They told us to come back to the oncologists the following Monday.
This past Monday, when we went to see the oncologists, they told us that they felt there was nothing else they could do. The lung cancer did not respond to the chemo that they already did. The PET scan shows the tumor has grown. They said he was much too weak for another round of chemo, that more chemo would probably shorten his life rather than prolong it.Since he does not want any life support, they turn him over to Hospice. When he pressed the doctor for a time line, they said maybe as little as 6 - 8 weeks.
As soon as we got home, Hospice contacted us.They have been over every day since then. A nurse has come every day to give him the Vancomycin IV in the morning and I did it at night. He is done with that. We also had a social worker come over.
I am still trying to work. I am the only person in this house bringing in money except for his diability. So I have been getting up really early and giving him a bath and taking care of what he needs and then going to work and hurrying home after work. His daughter has been trying to check up on him but she wrecked her car and she has to depend on her boyfriend who works all kinds of different hours. My sister is coming tomorrow and staying 2 weeks. That will give me a chance to decide what to do and also to see how things are going.
Before the pneumonia, he was walking across the yard and visiting with the neighbor while I was at work. Now he can barely go from the bed to the wheelchair by himself. We rearranged the living room and put his hospital bed in here. He is in pain sometimes. The pain med(generic Oxycontin) that he is taking does a pretty good job of taking care of the pain and he has Dilaudid for breakthrough pain. But the Dilaudid makes him very out of it. He is like drunk when he takes it. Hospice is supposed to look at his pain meds. I am worried that they may not want to pay for the REALLY high dose of Oxycontin which does not make him feel all drugged up but leaves him alert. I know they like to use morphine. In the morning, he sound just like himself and enjoys calling my family and taking to them on the phone. He still enjoys his dog too. I do not want to see him in pain ,so I hope there is a way to control the pain and still leave him to enjoy being alive.
I am hanging in there, barely. Y'all thought I was a basket case before my OHS last year...That was nothing compare to now. So I thought I would let you know what is going on. Needless to say, I have been extremely busy. All your prayers are very much appreciated.
