Dear Amy and all,
I saw Lesley again today and she is in a lot of pain. The Fentanyl patch is obviously not working and on Thursday, her hospice doc (out-patients) prescribed a higher-dose patch - 75 instead of 50. For some reason or another, the prescription wasn't available to be picked up from the local chemist today (Saturday)- so we are hoping that it will be available on Monday. There seems to be an intolerable delay in the doctor prescribing a new/stronger drug and the moment she can actually start taking it. I am going to look into it next week and try to find out where the hold-up is. So Les is popping Oxynorm like sweeties but they don't seem to be doing much good. I, too, think she should go into the hospice for a few days to get her medication sorted out, but she doesn't want to do this - despite the fact that she's been in for a few short-term stays already and knows what it's like. I don't have the right to make her do anything that she doesn't want to do - but I so hate watching her in such pain. Wish she wasn't so stubborn - but that's probably a good thing when you're up against cancer. She still feels she's in charge and capable of making her own decisions - so until such time that she isn't, I have to respect her decisions. I just wish she could have the odd 'good' day - it would make such a difference to her spirit. Hopefully though, the stronger patch will help, once she eventually gets it.
Shelagh