Sunday evening Anne struggled with her hands to get a letter and some documentation sent of to the school district regarding her physical issues. She worked on it until her hands burned and her abdomen was in pain. I had to just about drag her from the computer!
Speaking of her hands - the nerve tests found that her right hand has damage in the motor nerve and her left has damage in the radial nerve. This seemed to surprise the doctor, she told me. Apparently he thought he'd find something akin to carpel tunnel. This nerve damage, however, was probably not caused by surgery. instead, it is most likely a side effect of chemo!
Helen returned home very early Tuesday morning. She and Anne spent a long time saying their goodbyes Monday night. We were very thankful that she was able to come and help Anne.
Jim arrived Tuesday afternoon and Emily, gratefully, picked him up at the airport after taking Anne to her doctor's appointment. We tried to take it easy on him that evening with leftovers for dinner, but then came time to drain and flush Anne. So, because he was going to be alone the next day, the first lesson was given. Then we all hit the sack exhausted.
Wednesday was a busy day as there were some "challenges" at getting Anne drained. The home health nurse couldn't get it done. Jim couldn't get it done. Anne couldn't get it done. So, they called the ostomy nurse and she instructed Anne to get to the emergency!
It was about 4pm when my phone rang, "Don't come running down here, Boyfriend, but I wanted you to know that I'm in emergency." "WHAT? What's wrong?", said I. "I can't get drained. They're calling me. I gotta go!"
This neo-bladder not draining is getting to be a real pain! It seems every other day there's some problem with getting the catheter into it. So I wrapped things up at work and headed down to the hospital. (My boss just about ran me out of the building when I told him.)
When I arrived, the doctor was struggling to catch all the "liquid" that was coming out. It seems like her neo-bladder had let go like the pressure relief on an old car's radiator! He called a nurse in and had her try a couple of different catheters, both of them too soft I could tell, without success.
Then he brought in an ultrasound machine and tried to find the bladder, which he couldn't. So he asked the nurse to feed the catheter in the few inches that it would go she so that he could see if he could find that and I spotted it before he did!
Then he tried again to find the bladder and was searching way over by her navel. So I told him it was closer to the stoma and about three inches down. THEN he finally was able to find it and see that there was still some fluid in it. Not 650+ cc's like it can hold, because it had obviously popped it's cork. But, still it was obviously there and not empty.
But, since Anne was still in pain from having had it stretched so much he gave her a pain pill and told us to go the her doctor's office. Which we did. Pronto!
Today, however, she had a good day. She and Jim were both relieved to report that there had been no challenges with her routine and that, bonus, the plumber had come to look at the hot water heater. He assessed the situation and took a couple of pictures, then waited patiently for the down payment so he could get stuff ordered.
Dinner tonight was black bean soup followed by rice noodles and curried vegetables. We celebrated the smooth day with a little drink and chatted later about John coming. We're hoping that he can arrive Monday evening as Jim leaves Tuesday morning and this will give him time for an "introduction" to Anne's friend, Dennis The Menace (as she likes to call her neo-bladder!
Also, she has asked me to thank you for everything you've done for her. The cards and letters; the visits in the hospital; the dinners provided; the friendly voice on the phone. She was in tears tonight wanting to write thank-you notes to everyone, but can't manage it because of her hands.
I assured her that we all understand the barriers she has in front of her and told her that I'd make mention of her heart-felt thanks to you in the email tonight. Rest assured that she is so happy to have your support in these dark days that it brings tears to her eyes just thinking of you.
God bless you and grant you your heart's desire,
Don and Anne
Speaking of her hands - the nerve tests found that her right hand has damage in the motor nerve and her left has damage in the radial nerve. This seemed to surprise the doctor, she told me. Apparently he thought he'd find something akin to carpel tunnel. This nerve damage, however, was probably not caused by surgery. instead, it is most likely a side effect of chemo!
Helen returned home very early Tuesday morning. She and Anne spent a long time saying their goodbyes Monday night. We were very thankful that she was able to come and help Anne.
Jim arrived Tuesday afternoon and Emily, gratefully, picked him up at the airport after taking Anne to her doctor's appointment. We tried to take it easy on him that evening with leftovers for dinner, but then came time to drain and flush Anne. So, because he was going to be alone the next day, the first lesson was given. Then we all hit the sack exhausted.
Wednesday was a busy day as there were some "challenges" at getting Anne drained. The home health nurse couldn't get it done. Jim couldn't get it done. Anne couldn't get it done. So, they called the ostomy nurse and she instructed Anne to get to the emergency!
It was about 4pm when my phone rang, "Don't come running down here, Boyfriend, but I wanted you to know that I'm in emergency." "WHAT? What's wrong?", said I. "I can't get drained. They're calling me. I gotta go!"
This neo-bladder not draining is getting to be a real pain! It seems every other day there's some problem with getting the catheter into it. So I wrapped things up at work and headed down to the hospital. (My boss just about ran me out of the building when I told him.)
When I arrived, the doctor was struggling to catch all the "liquid" that was coming out. It seems like her neo-bladder had let go like the pressure relief on an old car's radiator! He called a nurse in and had her try a couple of different catheters, both of them too soft I could tell, without success.
Then he brought in an ultrasound machine and tried to find the bladder, which he couldn't. So he asked the nurse to feed the catheter in the few inches that it would go she so that he could see if he could find that and I spotted it before he did!
Then he tried again to find the bladder and was searching way over by her navel. So I told him it was closer to the stoma and about three inches down. THEN he finally was able to find it and see that there was still some fluid in it. Not 650+ cc's like it can hold, because it had obviously popped it's cork. But, still it was obviously there and not empty.
But, since Anne was still in pain from having had it stretched so much he gave her a pain pill and told us to go the her doctor's office. Which we did. Pronto!
Today, however, she had a good day. She and Jim were both relieved to report that there had been no challenges with her routine and that, bonus, the plumber had come to look at the hot water heater. He assessed the situation and took a couple of pictures, then waited patiently for the down payment so he could get stuff ordered.
Dinner tonight was black bean soup followed by rice noodles and curried vegetables. We celebrated the smooth day with a little drink and chatted later about John coming. We're hoping that he can arrive Monday evening as Jim leaves Tuesday morning and this will give him time for an "introduction" to Anne's friend, Dennis The Menace (as she likes to call her neo-bladder!
Also, she has asked me to thank you for everything you've done for her. The cards and letters; the visits in the hospital; the dinners provided; the friendly voice on the phone. She was in tears tonight wanting to write thank-you notes to everyone, but can't manage it because of her hands.
I assured her that we all understand the barriers she has in front of her and told her that I'd make mention of her heart-felt thanks to you in the email tonight. Rest assured that she is so happy to have your support in these dark days that it brings tears to her eyes just thinking of you.
God bless you and grant you your heart's desire,
Don and Anne
---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
- Don Peer ( o)==#
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
- Don Peer ( o)==#
Pray for Japan!
_________________________
http://www.Facebook.com/DonPeer
http://www.MySpace.com/530803720
http://DPeer2000.BlogSpot.com
Twitter: @DPeer2000
http://www.ThePeers.com
_________________________
http://www.Facebook.com/DonPeer
http://www.MySpace.com/530803720
http://DPeer2000.BlogSpot.com
Twitter: @DPeer2000
http://www.ThePeers.com
Posted via email from Don Peer
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