Entered in Hospice Care - 09-20-2010 01:58 AM
It's been an incredibly long week. Jim entered the hospital last Monday due to his breathing problems, mass on the back of his head and dehydration. Without going into a bunch of details that lots of people on this site are all too familiar with, when comparing the scans that he did on Friday and then Monday night after entering the hospital, there had been significant change. The tumor in his long had grown over his bronchial tube and caused his left lung to collapse. Dr.'s were amazed that he was breathing at all - he switched over to using his right lung and laboring to breathe. The mass on his head had to be operated on as the E.R. hadn't opened it up enough to drain it adequately. Turns out it is the dreaded MRSA bacteria and was tunneling through his head and neck. So, I brought him home Friday night and then shit broke loose - Hospice kept calling me and wanting to know when was I going to be home as they needed to come and make an assessment of him, drop off oxygen, take vitals...Once we got home the hospice nurse came by and got us all set up...then the wound care began, so with many more calls and the right hand not knowing what the left was doing, we finally got things going...then Jim decided to get up out of bed about 3:30 am and before I could get to him, he fell....then I had to call the Hospice nurse tell her what happened and finally hung up on her because I got tired of answering her silly questions...told her if she wanted to check him out, then she knew where we were....Rallied friends and family the next day and as of tonight, have things running smoother, I even give him his vencomyacin treatment thru his port....so I think he's getting a little stronger - we go to radiation tomorrow to shrink the tumor and give him more breathing abilities....Jim saw the Challenger commercial today during the Cowboys game and got weepy eyed----I'll deal with that next week. I'm off of work next week and then will return the following week...I hate it, too...but need to keep my job so that I can keep insurance going. Liz, if you read this, thank you for sending me pictures of Rob - - - it really helped me handle Jim's bandages around his neck and head as they are the same. All I could think of was thank God you sent these as I wouldn't have done as well as I did. Today is the first day that I put on make up since last Monday and I ALWAYS WEAR MAKEUP!!! Cancer won't rob that from me as I don't want Jim seeing his wife, not look her best even though she has slept about 10 hrs. since last Monday.
Thanks everyone for being there for me....I will post more as time allows.
Hugs,
Paula
Thanks everyone for being there for me....I will post more as time allows.
Hugs,
Paula