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| Deb, our Physical Therapist, and our Med tech for today. |
As I said yesterday, they've placed a porta-pot next to Deb's bed. Prior to the CT she was getting up to use said device with my assistance when her knees/legs failed to support her, so down she went onto the rubber mat, landing on her knees. I could not easily get her up so I pushed the panic button and shortly thereafter six nurses and a doc raced to to join the party. They soon had Deb back in bed with no injury noted.
With the continuous chemo and other drugs, Deb has begun to loose the feeling in her legs and feet. It is a common cancer-thing. We surmise that is causing her legs to buckle underneath and allow her to fall.
The solution: we put a walker at her bedside so that she can fully support herself using her arms, and I or a nurse will handle everything else. That seemed to work all though the night.
When Deb finally got back from CT she was starving and requested I go to the condo and make her favorite dishes. So, off I headed with a load of laundry and returned soon with some angel hair pasta with olive oil and melted cheese. It's a true comfort food that Deb enjoyed after a day of deprivation!
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We just got the morning numbers and were disappointed with the white count of 0.01. Today the docs are conferring and we suspect that there are two options : Wait longer or get a 5th stem cell transplant that they call a boost. We could really use a boost! How about you?
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Just heard a rumor that Deb will be having another bone marrow procedure today. I'll have to run home and get the meds for that painful procedure.
No visit or word from the docs who met this am. Suspect they have to have the bone marrow results before proceeding.
Son Trey is trying to come for a visit this Friday for a week.
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I got word that Deb is to have a bone marrow procedure later today after she gets platelets. She's already had a unit of blood. It's now 1 pm here and overall Deb is stronger today than yesterday. Just now she was able to get up for the WC and down again and back in bed with me closely monitoring her.
I met with our good doc and he explained that we must get a sound bone marrow test today so the medical team can understand what is happening with Deb's' immune system. Until that white count comes up, Deb is extremely vulnerable. Then we can resume the cancer fight!
We are waiting another hour for the platelets to be processed. After those are given and have a few hours to percolate, the team will come to Deb's bedside and perform another bone marrow procedure.
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| Each package contains a 'lollipop' that you dissolve in your mouth. These little 5" packages are tough to open! |
When I heard about the bone marrow, I quickly drove home to get Deb's meds. Last time they used hospital morphine and it was like drinking water to Deb. She felt the whole long procedure. For out patients, they prescribe Oral Transmucosal Fentanyl Citrate -200mg. According to Dr Google, Fentanyl is 19 times as powerful as Morphine which has always done its job on me just fine! Deb also takes a 5mg Oxycodone plus a Lorazapam. That way she can endure these awful procedures. I've seen big men storm out of the procedure room saying they'd rather die than have another one of those tests! Guess that's their decision.
Deb was hungry and wanted one of her favorite and simplest meals: Kidney Beans! I wash them and cool them, and Deb devours them.
When I returned our classmates from NW Arkansas were in the waiting area waiting on my return. It was so good to see Don and Anita Schaffer. I introduced them to Deb's doctor who could not believe that Don is a myeloma patient. I told doc I wanted him to fix Deb like Don! He's a Marine and a runner. Deb is neither! Nor I! That's their pic on the top of the page.
Deb is napping again and talks non-stop in her sleep. Makes my sleeping exciting because I must decode her chatter from a call to potty action. We both pay if I get that one wrong!
Carla, our Pharmacist volunteered to bring us a T-giving plate tomorrow. We have had an interesting week talking to the staff about how their family cooking was going. Wish we could be with each of you for a taste of fellowship and a bite of your family favorite recipes tomorrow!
We are so thankful for each one of you who prays, writes, calls, emails, or gives in any way!
Blessings!
Check back later : a Multi-post day
Platelets -(Normal range 150-500) a whitish colored component of blood. Low platelets=higher Woozy factor!
CRP -(Normal range = 0.0-10) An indicator of relative health. Lower is better. When the number creeps up, Deb could be getting sick.
Day White Count Platelets CRP
0 0.04 29 12.8
1 0.07 15 77.0
2 0.03 42 140.3
3 0.07 27 144.1
4 0.23 52 206.0
5 1.21 33 168.2
6 2.32 26 214.0
7 2.29 11 209.3
8 2.84 25 230.2
9 2.32 12 234.1
10 2.66 24 220.1
11 2.50 15 196.0
12 2.54 28 186.0
13 1.98 18 181.0
14 1.22 28 199.9
15 0.95 20 138.6
Stem Cells on Day 15
16 0.83 32 129.4
17 0.86 22 121.4
18 0.70 12 110.3
19 0.55 9 159.2
20 0.75 14 162.9
Admitted to hospital Day 20
21 0.36 26 127.9
22 0.53 13 86.2
23 0.34 28 59.6
24 0.29 14 95.8
25 0.38 28 114.5
26 0.40 17 129.1
27 0.37 29 87.0
28 0.41 24 72.6
29 0.35 12 73.3
30 0.59 30 95.4
31 0.37 17 84.5
32 0.19 35 80.5
33 0.25 25 94.3
34 0.05 24 117.0
Stem Cells on Day 34
35 0.17 20 109.5
36 0.16 10 102.9
37 0.18 28 111.5
38 0.11 10 140.5
39 0.10 21 117.0
40 0.13 11 111.2
41 0.19 25 100.4
42 0.10 14 97.1
43 0.13 24 108.5
44 0.12 18 119.4
45 0.07 31 103.6
46 0.06 19 81.7
47 0.04 23 85.8
48 0.01 12 84.3
Comfort food!...... you are a wonderful Chef.
ReplyDeleteWe are thinking of you and praying love and blessings throughout the day.
Love David & Linda
You are a wonderful man, to take such good care of your wife. And the food sounds great! Hope the news is good later today.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts your way,
Christina in rainy Northern California !