This morning I got the best news we've all heard in many weeks; Vicki is going home. She called me this morning to give me the good news. Jack was packing up as we talked and they are going to get out of there ASAP. Vicki sounded weak and tired, but happy. She didn't rest well last night because she knew she might get to go home today. She's looking forward to getting home for some puppy love and a good rest.
What's Next?
The current plan is for her to be readmitted to the hospital for more chemo in a couple of weeks. The oncologist is looking at other chemo options which might allow her to be treated as an out patient. We will hope and pray that this comes to pass.
Gratitude
Vicki has expressed the intent to spend her time at home as joyfully as possible and not to let worries about what comes next to spoil this gift. Let's all join her in a moment of gratitude and hope. All we have is this moment. If you find your self safe, happy, and free from fear in this moment take a deep breath and do whatever form of gratitude practice your religious and cultural traditions proscribe. For those without a tradition I highly recommend the Snoopy "happy dance" done outside under the sun and sky.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Not Much News
I'm not getting a lot of news from Vicki and Jack and have not been able to visit much lately, so I don't have much to report. I paid brief visit to the hospital this morning and found Vicki having a rough time of it. The infection in her jaw and mouth seems to be healing well and she wasn't needing any pain medication while I was there, but she's wanting very badly to go home and is unhappy about the prospect of having to go back to the hospital in just a couple of weeks.
They are still tinkering with V's blood pressure medication and the oncologist wants V's white blood cell count to come up just a little more before she can go home. While I was visiting the hospitalist physician came in to discuss how things are going and said that the oncologist might be ready to release V in just a couple of days.
They are still tinkering with V's blood pressure medication and the oncologist wants V's white blood cell count to come up just a little more before she can go home. While I was visiting the hospitalist physician came in to discuss how things are going and said that the oncologist might be ready to release V in just a couple of days.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Day 30: Feeling No Pain
I had a nice phone chat with Vicki today. Her night nurse on the telemetry unit was so concerned about Vicki's pain that she called the doctors to change the orders for pain medication; instead of having medication available every so many hours on Vicki's request, the nurses are now under orders to explicitly offer the pain medication. Vicki said this has helped tremendously. Between the medications and the general disorientation of being in the hospital she sometimes isn't sure whether it's eight in the morning or evening, so doesn't know when to ask for more medication. Now that it's being offered at regular intervals she's more comfortable and she's looking forward to going back to the oncology unit where she knows the nursing staff and can have visitors.
Jack developed a rash in reaction to one of his medications so had to see the doctor for adjustments as well as something to treat the rash.
Jack developed a rash in reaction to one of his medications so had to see the doctor for adjustments as well as something to treat the rash.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Thursday Improvement
After a long night on the I.C.U. where it's hard to rest because of the constant activity and noise, Vicki was moved to the telemetry unit where they are able to continually monitor her blood pressure. She had a CAT scan today to get a more specific diagnosis on the infection which started as a mouth sore, but may have entered a salivary gland The final results aren't in yet, but Vicki said the swelling has gone down a bit and it seems better.
I had a quick phone call from her this afternoon in which she sounded tired, but O.K. My general feeling after our conversation was one of relief, which I think says it all.
She said that she heard she would be moved back to a regular room on her usual nursing floor tomorrow.
I had a quick phone call from her this afternoon in which she sounded tired, but O.K. My general feeling after our conversation was one of relief, which I think says it all.
She said that she heard she would be moved back to a regular room on her usual nursing floor tomorrow.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
A Temporary Set Back
Vicki had some more problems with low blood pressure today so she has been moved to the intensive care unit where she can be monitored more carefully. She's also developed some infections which are giving her trouble. One is from a mouth sore, a typical side effect of chemo, which has spread and left her whole cheek and jaw inflamed and sore.
Obviously the plan to go home tomorrow will not come to pass, which is terribly disappointing.
Obviously the plan to go home tomorrow will not come to pass, which is terribly disappointing.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Updates
Happy Birthday #7 and Going to Rehab (not *that* kind)
We celebrated the seven year anniversary Jack's transplant on Saturday the 6th. Monday he started cardiac rehab which he will attend three days a week at the same location where Vicki is hospitalized.
No More Neutropenia
Yesterday Vicki was declared no longer neutropenic. This means that her white blood cell counts are up, up, up. They are not normal yet, but they no longer dangerously low which leaves her extremely vulnerable to infection. Dr. G, Vic's oncologist known by many as god (lowercase g) is predicting her discharge as early as Thursday.
What's Next? The Long Haul
Miss Vicki Will spend 2-3 weeks at Villa McF before returning to the hospital, where they may have to name a wing after V & J (or at least their insurance company)! She will spend another 20-30 days living the spa lifestyle in the hospital and then return home for another break. Depending on how it all goes, she might need to return for a third 20-30 day stay. Get out your calendar and do the math; we're in for a long haul here.
We celebrated the seven year anniversary Jack's transplant on Saturday the 6th. Monday he started cardiac rehab which he will attend three days a week at the same location where Vicki is hospitalized.
No More Neutropenia
Yesterday Vicki was declared no longer neutropenic. This means that her white blood cell counts are up, up, up. They are not normal yet, but they no longer dangerously low which leaves her extremely vulnerable to infection. Dr. G, Vic's oncologist known by many as god (lowercase g) is predicting her discharge as early as Thursday.
What's Next? The Long Haul
Miss Vicki Will spend 2-3 weeks at Villa McF before returning to the hospital, where they may have to name a wing after V & J (or at least their insurance company)! She will spend another 20-30 days living the spa lifestyle in the hospital and then return home for another break. Depending on how it all goes, she might need to return for a third 20-30 day stay. Get out your calendar and do the math; we're in for a long haul here.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Dog Days
No More IV
Miss Vicki got untethered earlier this week; she's no longer receiving continuous intravenous fluids so she's not constantly hooked to the IV pump. This makes it much easier to get out of bed to use the shower and restroom. The medical team is encouraging her to get up and walk around, although since she's very weak this is hard for her.
No More Royal Suite
On Thursday night Vicki was moved to another room. She's still in a private room for infection control reasons, but this room is smaller and doesn't have a view of the trees like her old room. When your whole world is a tiny hospital room, a change like this can really upset the apple cart.
Doggie Love
Today Vicki gets a very special treat, a visit from Phineas and Leo. She has to get done up in a mask and gloves and all kinds of protective gear. Licking is strictly forbidden*.
* The doctor probably meant the boys are not permitted to lick her, but the other way around is forbidden as well.
Miss Vicki got untethered earlier this week; she's no longer receiving continuous intravenous fluids so she's not constantly hooked to the IV pump. This makes it much easier to get out of bed to use the shower and restroom. The medical team is encouraging her to get up and walk around, although since she's very weak this is hard for her.
No More Royal Suite
On Thursday night Vicki was moved to another room. She's still in a private room for infection control reasons, but this room is smaller and doesn't have a view of the trees like her old room. When your whole world is a tiny hospital room, a change like this can really upset the apple cart.
Doggie Love
Today Vicki gets a very special treat, a visit from Phineas and Leo. She has to get done up in a mask and gloves and all kinds of protective gear. Licking is strictly forbidden*.
* The doctor probably meant the boys are not permitted to lick her, but the other way around is forbidden as well.
Miss Daisy Drives
Jack has gotten the O.K. to start driving again. This is a major step, one that will give him a lot more flexibility and remove a layer of complication and stress.
Way to go Jack.
Special thanks to everybody who volunteered to drive.
Way to go Jack.
Special thanks to everybody who volunteered to drive.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Medical Updates - The Waiting Game
Waiting
Vicki's daily infusions of chemotherapy ended last Monday afternoon and we're waiting for her bone marrow to start producing blood cells. It'll probably be another week before we start to see her blood counts rise on their own. In the meantime she continues to receive platelets every couple of days and today the doctor talked about giving her a transfusion of whole blood. She always feels more energy after a transfusion.
Juggling
Vicki continues to receive an oral chemotherapy drug twice a day and will continue to need it for up to two years. She has had an assortment of symptoms due to side effects of the chemo, drug interactions, and lingering diverticulitis. It's a real juggling act for the medical team to give her an appropriate combination of antibiotics, blood pressure regulators, and pain relief on top of the chemo drug, but they seem to be doing a pretty good job of keeping her stable and reasonably comfortable.
She's weak and tired most of the time, sometimes in pain or else loopy from pain drugs. She does get up to use the shower and restroom, but spends the rest of the day in bed enjoying visitors, watching television, surfing the 'net, and making phone calls.
What's Next?
Once her blood counts rise to a level where it is safe for her to go home, she'll be discharged. At this point her job will be to recover sufficiently to return to the hospital for another round of treatment just like this one. The timing depends on a lot of variables so it's hard to say when this will all take place.
Jack
Jack continues to improve. He's started taking the dogs out for walks and is doing fine on his own at home. He spends every day at the hospital with Vicki, resting on the cot in her room when he can.
Vicki's daily infusions of chemotherapy ended last Monday afternoon and we're waiting for her bone marrow to start producing blood cells. It'll probably be another week before we start to see her blood counts rise on their own. In the meantime she continues to receive platelets every couple of days and today the doctor talked about giving her a transfusion of whole blood. She always feels more energy after a transfusion.
Juggling
Vicki continues to receive an oral chemotherapy drug twice a day and will continue to need it for up to two years. She has had an assortment of symptoms due to side effects of the chemo, drug interactions, and lingering diverticulitis. It's a real juggling act for the medical team to give her an appropriate combination of antibiotics, blood pressure regulators, and pain relief on top of the chemo drug, but they seem to be doing a pretty good job of keeping her stable and reasonably comfortable.
She's weak and tired most of the time, sometimes in pain or else loopy from pain drugs. She does get up to use the shower and restroom, but spends the rest of the day in bed enjoying visitors, watching television, surfing the 'net, and making phone calls.
What's Next?
Once her blood counts rise to a level where it is safe for her to go home, she'll be discharged. At this point her job will be to recover sufficiently to return to the hospital for another round of treatment just like this one. The timing depends on a lot of variables so it's hard to say when this will all take place.
Jack
Jack continues to improve. He's started taking the dogs out for walks and is doing fine on his own at home. He spends every day at the hospital with Vicki, resting on the cot in her room when he can.
A Gentle Suggestion
Your calls and concern are appreciated so very much; one of Vicki's concerns has been keeping track of all the people she wants to thank when she's feeling better. Many days in the hospital are long and boring* so a phone chat can really help the day go by. (*and believe me, we pray for boring days)
May I just gently and respectfully say that lengthy conversations about the medical details of their conditions, treatments, and prognoses are a bit taxing for V & J. Things change rapidly and it's all a little overwhelming, especially for Vicki who is receiving some very effective pain relief (translation: high most of the time). It's not a taboo topic; we understand that this is a genuinely well-meant way of expressing interest and concern. I'd just say that if you could limit this portion of the conversation to a few minutes then move on to other topics it sure would be appreciated.
Your blogger will try to do a better job of posting medical updates that keep you sufficiently informed while giving V & J their privacy.
And please, if anybody takes offense to this suggestion, this is a case where you can shoot the messenger.
P.S.
I was talking this over with another member of the village and came up with a handy phrase: "Is it O.K. to talk about this now or would you rather change the subject for a while?" This will let V & J take the lead and talk as much or as little as they feel comfortable, which will probably change depending on their energy level and what's going on at the time.
May I just gently and respectfully say that lengthy conversations about the medical details of their conditions, treatments, and prognoses are a bit taxing for V & J. Things change rapidly and it's all a little overwhelming, especially for Vicki who is receiving some very effective pain relief (translation: high most of the time). It's not a taboo topic; we understand that this is a genuinely well-meant way of expressing interest and concern. I'd just say that if you could limit this portion of the conversation to a few minutes then move on to other topics it sure would be appreciated.
Your blogger will try to do a better job of posting medical updates that keep you sufficiently informed while giving V & J their privacy.
And please, if anybody takes offense to this suggestion, this is a case where you can shoot the messenger.
P.S.
I was talking this over with another member of the village and came up with a handy phrase: "Is it O.K. to talk about this now or would you rather change the subject for a while?" This will let V & J take the lead and talk as much or as little as they feel comfortable, which will probably change depending on their energy level and what's going on at the time.
About Commenting
We've received some feedback that folks are having trouble leaving comments on the blog. This post contains some tips which might help.
Step 1: Click the Comments Link
There's a link at the bottom of each post which shows the number of comments for that post. Click that link to add your own comment.
Step 2: Compose Your Comment
Nothing fancy here, just type your message.
Step 3: Word Verification
If you are not logged in you will see a picture of a some letters and numbers in distorted text. You must type these exact letters and numbers in the word verification field.
This is a security feature which helps protect the blog from spam and other inappropriate comments. It does not appear if you are already logged in.
Step 4: Choose Your Identity
If you are not logged in, enter your Google userid and password.
For safety reasons, this blog does not permit anonymous comments; you must be a registered member of Google. If you are not registered, click the "sign up here" link. Google userids are free.
Step 5: Publish Your Comments
You aren't done until you click the orange Publish button. When you've completed this step you'll receive a confirmation message that your comment has been posted.
Step 1: Click the Comments Link
There's a link at the bottom of each post which shows the number of comments for that post. Click that link to add your own comment.
Step 2: Compose Your Comment
Nothing fancy here, just type your message.
Step 3: Word Verification
If you are not logged in you will see a picture of a some letters and numbers in distorted text. You must type these exact letters and numbers in the word verification field.
This is a security feature which helps protect the blog from spam and other inappropriate comments. It does not appear if you are already logged in.
Step 4: Choose Your Identity
If you are not logged in, enter your Google userid and password.
For safety reasons, this blog does not permit anonymous comments; you must be a registered member of Google. If you are not registered, click the "sign up here" link. Google userids are free.
Step 5: Publish Your Comments
You aren't done until you click the orange Publish button. When you've completed this step you'll receive a confirmation message that your comment has been posted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
