On behalf of Ron, thank you.
Friday, 6 July 2012
Final Post
Over the past two months, Dad and Mom felt tremendously supported by the community and by loved ones near and far. Our family is so grateful for all the kind words and thoughtful actions, for the many visits to Dad in the hospital and at home, and for everyone who lent a hand or offered an understanding ear to our not-so-little problems. My father cared greatly about helping other people. I am overwhelmed by how much other people have helped us and have cared for him.
On behalf of Ron, thank you.
On behalf of Ron, thank you.
Thursday, 28 June 2012
And Then
By Wednesday morning, Dad's painkiller dosage had been inched up a few times to make sure that he was being kept comfortable. He slept very deeply for the entire day, and he appeared to be at peace and without pain.
Ron Vogan passed away on the evening of Wednesday, June 27, 2012, at the age of 64.
Friends and family are invited to a memorial visitation next Tuesday, July 3, from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. at Weaver Family Funeral Home in Campbellford. A memorial service will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4, at Weaver's Chapel. For details, please visit www.weaverfuneralhomes.com.
Ron Vogan passed away on the evening of Wednesday, June 27, 2012, at the age of 64.
Friends and family are invited to a memorial visitation next Tuesday, July 3, from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. at Weaver Family Funeral Home in Campbellford. A memorial service will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4, at Weaver's Chapel. For details, please visit www.weaverfuneralhomes.com.
Monday, 25 June 2012
More of the Same
POST FROM STEPHEN:
Dad continues to sleep most of the time. After visiting him yesterday, we felt that he was sleeping more lightly than before and was waking more frequently, apparently with some discomfort. Today, the nurses increased the painkiller dosage slightly to try to compensate.
When Mom and I arrived today, Dad happened to be having a wakeful moment. He clearly recognized us and gave us a bit of a smile. Jonathan and Jacinta arrived shortly after, and we had a few minutes all together with Dad awake and aware that we were there, before he drifted off to sleep again.
Dad's sister, Clara, is coming to stay with Mom on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then sister-in-law Bridget will be arriving on Thursday. I am heading back to Toronto tonight and returning here by Friday. I will update the blog with any news on the weekend.
Dad continues to sleep most of the time. After visiting him yesterday, we felt that he was sleeping more lightly than before and was waking more frequently, apparently with some discomfort. Today, the nurses increased the painkiller dosage slightly to try to compensate.
When Mom and I arrived today, Dad happened to be having a wakeful moment. He clearly recognized us and gave us a bit of a smile. Jonathan and Jacinta arrived shortly after, and we had a few minutes all together with Dad awake and aware that we were there, before he drifted off to sleep again.
Dad's sister, Clara, is coming to stay with Mom on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then sister-in-law Bridget will be arriving on Thursday. I am heading back to Toronto tonight and returning here by Friday. I will update the blog with any news on the weekend.
Saturday, 23 June 2012
Comfortable Sleeping
POST FROM STEPHEN:
With the switch from morphine to the new painkiller, Dad slept very deeply for the rest of Thursday -- which was a relief after the events of the last several days. The doctors then wanted to try reducing the dosage of the painkiller to see if they could allow him to be conscious some of the time while still managing his pain.
After the dosage was reduced, Dad woke up Friday morning but was in some pain and was still somewhat confused and upset. The nurse gave him "a little something" to help him relax, and he promptly fell back asleep for another six hours. By the time he awoke again, he was clearly in a lot of pain. We asked if he would like an extra boost of the painkiller, and he was able to say yes; within a few moments of receiving the boost, he was back to being sound asleep.
Today he slept very comfortably for almost the entire day. He awoke very briefly in the middle of the day and needed an extra boost of the painkiller, but he immediately fell back asleep. We are expecting that this is how the next few days will continue. All of the family is in agreement that we want to make sure Dad is kept comfortable and free of pain. When he is asleep, he appears to be very peaceful, and we are taking some comfort from that.
With the switch from morphine to the new painkiller, Dad slept very deeply for the rest of Thursday -- which was a relief after the events of the last several days. The doctors then wanted to try reducing the dosage of the painkiller to see if they could allow him to be conscious some of the time while still managing his pain.
After the dosage was reduced, Dad woke up Friday morning but was in some pain and was still somewhat confused and upset. The nurse gave him "a little something" to help him relax, and he promptly fell back asleep for another six hours. By the time he awoke again, he was clearly in a lot of pain. We asked if he would like an extra boost of the painkiller, and he was able to say yes; within a few moments of receiving the boost, he was back to being sound asleep.
Today he slept very comfortably for almost the entire day. He awoke very briefly in the middle of the day and needed an extra boost of the painkiller, but he immediately fell back asleep. We are expecting that this is how the next few days will continue. All of the family is in agreement that we want to make sure Dad is kept comfortable and free of pain. When he is asleep, he appears to be very peaceful, and we are taking some comfort from that.
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Back in Hospital
POST FROM STEPHEN:
Over the last few days, the side effects from Dad's increased morphine dosage had become much more significant. His state of confusion had progressed to the point that he was having delusions and was becoming paranoid. He started to distrust the various caregivers (including Mom), and he was getting increasingly upset over imagined problems. He'd also been restlessly moving around and trying to do much more than he should, and we've all been getting worried about his safety.
Last night he did not sleep well, and even with multiple boosts of morphine throughout the night, he was still uncomfortable and in pain in the morning. After consulting with the VON and the personal care workers, Mom decided to call for an ambulance to take Dad back into Campbellford Hospital. The doctors have now replaced his morphine with hydromorphone, a similar drug that is supposed to have fewer of the side effects. He has now been sleeping very soundly and peacefully for the afternoon and evening. We are hopeful that returning him to hospital and switching his medication will help to keep him more comfortable and settled.
More info to follow in the days to come.
Over the last few days, the side effects from Dad's increased morphine dosage had become much more significant. His state of confusion had progressed to the point that he was having delusions and was becoming paranoid. He started to distrust the various caregivers (including Mom), and he was getting increasingly upset over imagined problems. He'd also been restlessly moving around and trying to do much more than he should, and we've all been getting worried about his safety.
Last night he did not sleep well, and even with multiple boosts of morphine throughout the night, he was still uncomfortable and in pain in the morning. After consulting with the VON and the personal care workers, Mom decided to call for an ambulance to take Dad back into Campbellford Hospital. The doctors have now replaced his morphine with hydromorphone, a similar drug that is supposed to have fewer of the side effects. He has now been sleeping very soundly and peacefully for the afternoon and evening. We are hopeful that returning him to hospital and switching his medication will help to keep him more comfortable and settled.
More info to follow in the days to come.
Monday, 18 June 2012
More Morphine
POST FROM STEPHEN:
A few days ago, the home care nurses decided it was time to increase the amount of morphine that Dad receives. The good news is that this change appears to be keeping him free of pain. Unfortunately, this also means that he is groggy much of the time and is starting to get confused very easily. He is sometimes able to focus on a topic for a few minutes, but then he will become distracted and will start to mix up details of the conversation. He is remembering some things that are happening but is forgetting many other things. And there are moments when he realizes he's getting confused and not making sense, and then feels very upset.
He is checking his email only sporadically now, and he's having trouble understanding what he's reading. If you'd like to contact him, it's probably better to give a phone call to the house rather than emailing. And if you call, it's a good idea to talk to Mom and share information with her as well, as Dad may have trouble remembering what you talked about later.
Dad seems to still enjoy seeing visitors, but short visits are probably all he can manage at the moment, and with only one or two people at a time.
Jonathan and Jacinta came for the afternoon yesterday, and we had a nice quiet Father's Day together.
A few days ago, the home care nurses decided it was time to increase the amount of morphine that Dad receives. The good news is that this change appears to be keeping him free of pain. Unfortunately, this also means that he is groggy much of the time and is starting to get confused very easily. He is sometimes able to focus on a topic for a few minutes, but then he will become distracted and will start to mix up details of the conversation. He is remembering some things that are happening but is forgetting many other things. And there are moments when he realizes he's getting confused and not making sense, and then feels very upset.
He is checking his email only sporadically now, and he's having trouble understanding what he's reading. If you'd like to contact him, it's probably better to give a phone call to the house rather than emailing. And if you call, it's a good idea to talk to Mom and share information with her as well, as Dad may have trouble remembering what you talked about later.
Dad seems to still enjoy seeing visitors, but short visits are probably all he can manage at the moment, and with only one or two people at a time.
Jonathan and Jacinta came for the afternoon yesterday, and we had a nice quiet Father's Day together.
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Anne and the Art of Motorcycle Riding
POST FROM STEPHEN:
Anne
Mom is now back home after a couple of days away with her friend Sandra. While she was gone, Bridget did an excellent job keeping an eye on Dad and the household of animals. (Thank you, Bridget!)
Ken, Tom, Violeta, Jayden and Abbie also came for a visit today. Violeta brought along her scissors and gave Dad a much-needed professional haircut and a trim for his scruffy beard.
Motorcycle Riding
Cal zoomed in this evening on his shiny new motorcycle and took Dad out for spin. It took a bit of work (and some help from the Red Cross personal care worker) to get the IV bags and pumps and tubes safely arranged; but once Dad was on the bike, all you noticed were his dark sunglasses and his cooool attitude!
Anne
Mom is now back home after a couple of days away with her friend Sandra. While she was gone, Bridget did an excellent job keeping an eye on Dad and the household of animals. (Thank you, Bridget!)
Ken, Tom, Violeta, Jayden and Abbie also came for a visit today. Violeta brought along her scissors and gave Dad a much-needed professional haircut and a trim for his scruffy beard.
Motorcycle Riding
Cal zoomed in this evening on his shiny new motorcycle and took Dad out for spin. It took a bit of work (and some help from the Red Cross personal care worker) to get the IV bags and pumps and tubes safely arranged; but once Dad was on the bike, all you noticed were his dark sunglasses and his cooool attitude!
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Day 2 without Anne
Hi
It's Bridget blogging for Ron.
We are settling in to an early night after another busy day. I didn't finish out yesterday as Ron was on the go most of the day. Barb, Brenda and Linda came for a fun visit and Gord Reid and Brian Finley were here for a time working on lighting for Westben.
This morning started with the Red Cross support worker, Gord Reid continuing his accelerated course in working the lights at the theatre and an uneventful afternoon with a visit from the VON nurse Amy.
It's Bridget blogging for Ron.
We are settling in to an early night after another busy day. I didn't finish out yesterday as Ron was on the go most of the day. Barb, Brenda and Linda came for a fun visit and Gord Reid and Brian Finley were here for a time working on lighting for Westben.
This morning started with the Red Cross support worker, Gord Reid continuing his accelerated course in working the lights at the theatre and an uneventful afternoon with a visit from the VON nurse Amy.
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
He's at my Mercy
This is Bridget at Ron's. I am here to understudy Anne for a few days. We waved goodbye to Anne and Sandra about a half hour ago.
Monday, 11 June 2012
Hot and Humid Monday
POST FROM STEPHEN:
Dad's been having a busy, tiring day and asked me to post an update for all his fans.
He's had several visitors recently to keep him entertained. Yesterday, Ken and Bridget (Ron's brother and sister-in-law) came in the afternoon and stayed for a dinner of Chinese takeout. Today, he had a good visit with Mark and Samantha Cameron and their daughters, Mackenzie and Delaney. Dorothy Peters (next-door neighbour for the last 30+ years) came by with fresh strawberries from Bill Little's farm. Sue Gibb (with whom he worked at CDHS for many years) came by bearing beautiful flowers. And Murray Fischer (former CDHS teacher, choir director, and the man who 24 years ago complimented my technique in curling, the only sport I was any good at in high school) just arrived with his wife, Connie.
Dad will be back on the blog soon with further colourful commentary. Visitors at the house continue to be welcome and appreciated. If you'd like his undivided attention, you can always call ahead to plan a time when nurses or other visitors aren't around.
Dad's been having a busy, tiring day and asked me to post an update for all his fans.
He's had several visitors recently to keep him entertained. Yesterday, Ken and Bridget (Ron's brother and sister-in-law) came in the afternoon and stayed for a dinner of Chinese takeout. Today, he had a good visit with Mark and Samantha Cameron and their daughters, Mackenzie and Delaney. Dorothy Peters (next-door neighbour for the last 30+ years) came by with fresh strawberries from Bill Little's farm. Sue Gibb (with whom he worked at CDHS for many years) came by bearing beautiful flowers. And Murray Fischer (former CDHS teacher, choir director, and the man who 24 years ago complimented my technique in curling, the only sport I was any good at in high school) just arrived with his wife, Connie.
Dad will be back on the blog soon with further colourful commentary. Visitors at the house continue to be welcome and appreciated. If you'd like his undivided attention, you can always call ahead to plan a time when nurses or other visitors aren't around.
Sunday Trots
Two kinds of trots happened this weekend.
I've not been doing the one kind enough and I know I did promise to talk about them less but the nurses have threated medical action if I go more than 4 days without any. It was particularly difficult for Anne but we managed to do some.
The other kind happened when Tom Sherry trotted his horses over here and took Anne, Sandra, Stephen and me for a trot behind his team to visit Muriel Godden. It was a truly wonderful thing to do - thanks Tom.
I've not been doing the one kind enough and I know I did promise to talk about them less but the nurses have threated medical action if I go more than 4 days without any. It was particularly difficult for Anne but we managed to do some.
The other kind happened when Tom Sherry trotted his horses over here and took Anne, Sandra, Stephen and me for a trot behind his team to visit Muriel Godden. It was a truly wonderful thing to do - thanks Tom.
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Saturday's company
We had a lot of visitors on Saturday.
First of all, even before Saturday we were thrilled to welcome Sandra Neill from Whitehorse, Yukon. Sandra lived in Campbellford from 1972 to 1985 while her husband Doug taught at the same school as Ron. Anne and Sandra have remained close friends ever since and they were planning to go to the Stratford Festival. She will stay for several days.
Stephen has been here since Friday night.
There was also company earlier in the week that I may not have mentioned. I've lost track but will post this for now and be back after supper.
On Saturday:
Cal was here (with car not motorbike)
Clara and Dan along with Brandon, Rona, and Ethan came down from Clara and Dan's cottage.
Deb and Bill Hughes with daughters Julie and Christie were here as part of a short holiday to Quebec.
Wayne rented a car and took a drive in the country just to see us.
At one point the VON was here at the same time as all of these so that there were as many as 15 people here at once.
We also had two Red Cross home care workers, one in the morning and one at night.
First of all, even before Saturday we were thrilled to welcome Sandra Neill from Whitehorse, Yukon. Sandra lived in Campbellford from 1972 to 1985 while her husband Doug taught at the same school as Ron. Anne and Sandra have remained close friends ever since and they were planning to go to the Stratford Festival. She will stay for several days.
Stephen has been here since Friday night.
There was also company earlier in the week that I may not have mentioned. I've lost track but will post this for now and be back after supper.
On Saturday:
Cal was here (with car not motorbike)
Clara and Dan along with Brandon, Rona, and Ethan came down from Clara and Dan's cottage.
Deb and Bill Hughes with daughters Julie and Christie were here as part of a short holiday to Quebec.
Wayne rented a car and took a drive in the country just to see us.
At one point the VON was here at the same time as all of these so that there were as many as 15 people here at once.
We also had two Red Cross home care workers, one in the morning and one at night.
Friday, 8 June 2012
Maybe I am the lucky one
Maybe I am the lucky one.
At least I have Anne looking after me - who will look after Anne? (Stephen, I guess, but that likely won't be the same as a spouse.)
Most of the time we have decided that this is OK. Everyone dies, I'm just doing it a bit earlier than average.
We just said goodbye to J & J.
Today we had a VON and a Red Cross volunteer in as well. I'm impressed by the amount of home care available.
More care and family is coming tomorrow.
Regards to all.
Ron
At least I have Anne looking after me - who will look after Anne? (Stephen, I guess, but that likely won't be the same as a spouse.)
Most of the time we have decided that this is OK. Everyone dies, I'm just doing it a bit earlier than average.
We just said goodbye to J & J.
Today we had a VON and a Red Cross volunteer in as well. I'm impressed by the amount of home care available.
More care and family is coming tomorrow.
Regards to all.
Ron
Thursday, 7 June 2012
I'm never satisfied
Hi
Somewhere upstairs there is a wireless keyboard that is nicer to use than this one on the laptop. I'll get it set up this weekend and it will make blogging easier. Today was a good day. I kept down everything I've eaten although I have not eaten a lot. I am tired though so may quit for the day. Anne just came in with strawberries from a neighbour so there is another reason to quit and enjoy the comforts of home.
ttyl
Ron
Somewhere upstairs there is a wireless keyboard that is nicer to use than this one on the laptop. I'll get it set up this weekend and it will make blogging easier. Today was a good day. I kept down everything I've eaten although I have not eaten a lot. I am tired though so may quit for the day. Anne just came in with strawberries from a neighbour so there is another reason to quit and enjoy the comforts of home.
ttyl
Ron
Home on Wednesday
I must have goofed.
I know I wrote a blog post earlier today (Thursday) but I cannot find either it or the draft that it usually automatically makes. Likely, I lost it when I had a phone call or a visitor earlier today so I will make a point of sending this short one now before something else happens. It was too late to blog when we finally got set up Wednesday night. I am home, all is well (sort of) and I am doing OK. More later.
I know I wrote a blog post earlier today (Thursday) but I cannot find either it or the draft that it usually automatically makes. Likely, I lost it when I had a phone call or a visitor earlier today so I will make a point of sending this short one now before something else happens. It was too late to blog when we finally got set up Wednesday night. I am home, all is well (sort of) and I am doing OK. More later.
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
First Tuesday Back Blogging
When I fired this thing up a short while ago it said I had used 95 percent of my free data so I suppose it will start costing my sister and brother-in-law more money now. I hope it is a small amount. Anyway, tomorrow I'll be blogging for free (sort of) from home.
Ben and Ana have some news that a very elated Bridget just passed along to me. They are expecting a girl next fall. I think Ben has a maternity blog somewhere but I don't seem to have a link to it. He has some Smug Mug picture pages but you will need a password for them. Mayella and Ana and Bridget are all walking on air.
The move home tomorrow may take most of the day tomorrow so I won't likely blog until evening. They won't start disconnecting anything in the hospital until all the stuff is ready at home so they are guessing 6 pm before I am up and running there. So the best way to contact us on Wed is by phone. Home looks good.
I'm going to clean my teeth and do other bedtime things.
Best wishes
Ben and Ana have some news that a very elated Bridget just passed along to me. They are expecting a girl next fall. I think Ben has a maternity blog somewhere but I don't seem to have a link to it. He has some Smug Mug picture pages but you will need a password for them. Mayella and Ana and Bridget are all walking on air.
The move home tomorrow may take most of the day tomorrow so I won't likely blog until evening. They won't start disconnecting anything in the hospital until all the stuff is ready at home so they are guessing 6 pm before I am up and running there. So the best way to contact us on Wed is by phone. Home looks good.
I'm going to clean my teeth and do other bedtime things.
Best wishes
Monday, 4 June 2012
Anne's Appointment
POST FROM STEPHEN:
Mom had her appointment with the specialist in Peterborough today. Essentially, there is not much new information to report yet.
The doctor confirmed her diagnosis of DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) and said that the scan suggests the affected "precancerous" area looks to be about 3 cm in diameter. He still needs to confer with the radiologist, but it looks like the plan will be a lumpectomy of the affected tissue (which would be a day surgery) followed sometime after by 3 to 6 weeks of radiation treatment. Another option would be a full mastectomy (with no radiation); this would be necessary only if a large percentage of the breast tissue needed to be removed, but it was also presented as an option available to Mom if she chose. In either case, the prognosis for recovery is excellent, and this has all been caught at about the earliest stage possible.
After reviewing things with the radiologist, the doctor will contact Mom later this week to confirm her treatment plans. The surgery could be scheduled for as early as the end of June, but she will find out and decide more within the next week.
Mom had her appointment with the specialist in Peterborough today. Essentially, there is not much new information to report yet.
The doctor confirmed her diagnosis of DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) and said that the scan suggests the affected "precancerous" area looks to be about 3 cm in diameter. He still needs to confer with the radiologist, but it looks like the plan will be a lumpectomy of the affected tissue (which would be a day surgery) followed sometime after by 3 to 6 weeks of radiation treatment. Another option would be a full mastectomy (with no radiation); this would be necessary only if a large percentage of the breast tissue needed to be removed, but it was also presented as an option available to Mom if she chose. In either case, the prognosis for recovery is excellent, and this has all been caught at about the earliest stage possible.
After reviewing things with the radiologist, the doctor will contact Mom later this week to confirm her treatment plans. The surgery could be scheduled for as early as the end of June, but she will find out and decide more within the next week.
Monday Evening
Hi
Most of you have noticed that Stephen may not have much of an update about Anne posted yet. I think he is working on his post while I do this one. The trip was a bit disappointing for her as she didn't learn as much as she had hoped but what she did learn will be posted by Stephen soon.
I did manage today to put my doctor on the spot more than I mentioned earlier but am having trouble figuring out how to say it.
Essentially he admitted that my blood tests were not showing enough improvement for Kingston to do anything to improve my comforts much. I'll go home with a pain med pump and a nausea med pump as well as a rehydrate IV but there is not much chance that they can do anything else to help me other than wait and adjust the med levels when necessary. So, basically, they are sending me home to die.
I'm cool enough with that as there had not been any real hope of recovery for some time, so I'm content to "get 'er done" or at least let it happen. I'm not doing anything to speed it up.
As for timing, they don't know of course and are reluctant to guess but I won't likely be longer than several weeks and I won't be out and about much in the meantime. We are trying to arrange a ride on Cal's motorcycle as a bucket list item but not sure we can do that.
Speaking of Cal - he is wonderful!!
In the meantime I get all kinds of offers of what people can do to help but honestly cannot think of much. Most food does not appeal.
You are all wonderful and we do thank you for all your offers of help.
Thanks to my brother-in-law Dan for getting and funding the Internet dongle and to nephews James and Brandon for delivering it.
ps When you put a comment on the blog it gets emailed to me too. Also, if you are logged in to any google account it will display your name instead of making the comment anonymous. If you are not a google user, it would help if you sign your comments.
Cheers
Most of you have noticed that Stephen may not have much of an update about Anne posted yet. I think he is working on his post while I do this one. The trip was a bit disappointing for her as she didn't learn as much as she had hoped but what she did learn will be posted by Stephen soon.
I did manage today to put my doctor on the spot more than I mentioned earlier but am having trouble figuring out how to say it.
Essentially he admitted that my blood tests were not showing enough improvement for Kingston to do anything to improve my comforts much. I'll go home with a pain med pump and a nausea med pump as well as a rehydrate IV but there is not much chance that they can do anything else to help me other than wait and adjust the med levels when necessary. So, basically, they are sending me home to die.
I'm cool enough with that as there had not been any real hope of recovery for some time, so I'm content to "get 'er done" or at least let it happen. I'm not doing anything to speed it up.
As for timing, they don't know of course and are reluctant to guess but I won't likely be longer than several weeks and I won't be out and about much in the meantime. We are trying to arrange a ride on Cal's motorcycle as a bucket list item but not sure we can do that.
Speaking of Cal - he is wonderful!!
In the meantime I get all kinds of offers of what people can do to help but honestly cannot think of much. Most food does not appeal.
You are all wonderful and we do thank you for all your offers of help.
Thanks to my brother-in-law Dan for getting and funding the Internet dongle and to nephews James and Brandon for delivering it.
ps When you put a comment on the blog it gets emailed to me too. Also, if you are logged in to any google account it will display your name instead of making the comment anonymous. If you are not a google user, it would help if you sign your comments.
Cheers
Hope to be Home on Wednesday
I am still in Campbellford Hospital. The home care people want another day to get ready so I'm scheduled to go home on Wednesday, June 6.
So if you are passing through town on Monday or Tuesday you can visit me in the hospital or on Wednesday at home.
It is awkward to describe how I am as it can change throughout the day. Pain control is good, except when I crank up the morphine pump I get sleepy. I still get nauseated but for briefer moments than before. I am better hydrated than last week and am not so constipated. My colour is better. Stephen and Anne are here now and are headed for her appointed consultation this afternoon.
Stephen will post an update after she is back home.
Thanks for all the best wishes.
Ron
So if you are passing through town on Monday or Tuesday you can visit me in the hospital or on Wednesday at home.
It is awkward to describe how I am as it can change throughout the day. Pain control is good, except when I crank up the morphine pump I get sleepy. I still get nauseated but for briefer moments than before. I am better hydrated than last week and am not so constipated. My colour is better. Stephen and Anne are here now and are headed for her appointed consultation this afternoon.
Stephen will post an update after she is back home.
Thanks for all the best wishes.
Ron
Why blogging is better than email
Mainly because
- everyone sees the blog - use email only if you really want a private chat.
- if I am emailing I can't be blogging.
- I'm way behind answering email.
- Thanks to David Cope, whose email topic, along with others, includes the words "don't bother replying".
- Anne treats each email like a mini essay to write and will never get caught up.
Please don't take this as a whine - I do take the email as a sign that you care and want to help even though there is really nothing anyone can do.
And then I read more of the emails and feel that I was whining. Some of the emails are truly beautiful and inspiring. Feel free to keep them coming but replies may be scarce.
regards
Ron
- everyone sees the blog - use email only if you really want a private chat.
- if I am emailing I can't be blogging.
- I'm way behind answering email.
- Thanks to David Cope, whose email topic, along with others, includes the words "don't bother replying".
- Anne treats each email like a mini essay to write and will never get caught up.
Please don't take this as a whine - I do take the email as a sign that you care and want to help even though there is really nothing anyone can do.
And then I read more of the emails and feel that I was whining. Some of the emails are truly beautiful and inspiring. Feel free to keep them coming but replies may be scarce.
regards
Ron
Blogging is back
As of 12:05 am on Monday June 4 I am blogging live again. This time is also thanks to my sister, who has arranged for a 4G Internet stick at some unknown and likely unreasonable cost.
Friday, 1 June 2012
Friday in Campbellford Part 2
I am back.
Stephen has keep you up to date so there is not much else to say except thank you again for all your kind wishes and offers of help.
Anne, Dan and Clara are out having local Chinese food. They brought me some takeout that I ate first. Very good s and s chicken balls.
Enjoyed it very much.
Tiring - got to go. Will blog from home next Tuesday, June 5.
Cheers
Stephen has keep you up to date so there is not much else to say except thank you again for all your kind wishes and offers of help.
Anne, Dan and Clara are out having local Chinese food. They brought me some takeout that I ate first. Very good s and s chicken balls.
Enjoyed it very much.
Tiring - got to go. Will blog from home next Tuesday, June 5.
Cheers
Friday in Campbellford
Hi
I'm still in Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) and expect to come home on Tuesday.
I'm able to do this in the hospital because Clara has configured her cell phone to be a wifi hotspot. Otherwise I do not have any Internet access here at all. I'll take a look at email after I post this.
We are working on getting my meds to work with each other and to work on IV and needles so that I don't have to take any pills and risk throwing things up. My last throw up was yesterday's breakfast, which I tossed right in front of the doctor. That got his attention and the invitation to stay here through the weekend. I think we are very close to getting it all right so that I can go home. By Tuesday they will have more home care arranged than they had before (and I thought it was good before) as well as some relief time for Anne.
Of course Anne has her visit with her cancer doctor on Monday and then should have a better idea of what he has planned. I guess Stephen has already posted this for us all.
I shall go and read what Stephen has posted before I do any more. I'll be back in a few moments.
I'm still in Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) and expect to come home on Tuesday.
I'm able to do this in the hospital because Clara has configured her cell phone to be a wifi hotspot. Otherwise I do not have any Internet access here at all. I'll take a look at email after I post this.
We are working on getting my meds to work with each other and to work on IV and needles so that I don't have to take any pills and risk throwing things up. My last throw up was yesterday's breakfast, which I tossed right in front of the doctor. That got his attention and the invitation to stay here through the weekend. I think we are very close to getting it all right so that I can go home. By Tuesday they will have more home care arranged than they had before (and I thought it was good before) as well as some relief time for Anne.
Of course Anne has her visit with her cancer doctor on Monday and then should have a better idea of what he has planned. I guess Stephen has already posted this for us all.
I shall go and read what Stephen has posted before I do any more. I'll be back in a few moments.
Thursday, 31 May 2012
A Little Update
POST FROM STEPHEN:
Dad is still at Campbellford Hospital, and it looks like they will be keeping him until at least Tuesday of next week, which is a good thing. The doctors have simplified his medications, and he is now on just one antinauseant and on morphine that he receives through an IV pump, which gives him a constant, steady dose. He has started eating a little more, but the antinauseant makes him sleepy much of the time. The doctors think that the infection is gone, and they are continuing to watch Dad's progress and consider future treatment options.
Visitors are welcome (but don't be offended if he starts to snooze in the middle of a conversation). He is currently in room 128, and his phone number there is 705-653-1140 x3128. He will continue to be without Internet access for the next several days, so the best way to get a hold of him (or Mom) is by phone.
Mom has an appointment with her specialist on Monday to review her MRI results and discuss her treatment plans. I'll be driving her to Peterborough, and Jonathan and Jacinta will be meeting us there to meet with the doctor.
Both Mom and Dad are enormously grateful for all the support they've received from everyone.
Dad is still at Campbellford Hospital, and it looks like they will be keeping him until at least Tuesday of next week, which is a good thing. The doctors have simplified his medications, and he is now on just one antinauseant and on morphine that he receives through an IV pump, which gives him a constant, steady dose. He has started eating a little more, but the antinauseant makes him sleepy much of the time. The doctors think that the infection is gone, and they are continuing to watch Dad's progress and consider future treatment options.
Visitors are welcome (but don't be offended if he starts to snooze in the middle of a conversation). He is currently in room 128, and his phone number there is 705-653-1140 x3128. He will continue to be without Internet access for the next several days, so the best way to get a hold of him (or Mom) is by phone.
Mom has an appointment with her specialist on Monday to review her MRI results and discuss her treatment plans. I'll be driving her to Peterborough, and Jonathan and Jacinta will be meeting us there to meet with the doctor.
Both Mom and Dad are enormously grateful for all the support they've received from everyone.
Monday, 28 May 2012
Excitement in the Night
GUEST POST FROM STEPHEN:
Dad did a lot of sleeping through the day yesterday but was eating a little bit and seemed to have the nausea under control. In the middle of the night he got up to use the washroom, got lightheaded and had a fall, followed by several severe bouts of vomiting. This effort earned him a ride in an ambulance to Campbellford Hospital, where he's getting rehydrated and receiving tests of various sorts.
We expect he will be home later today, but we will know more once further test results return. Dad will likely be posting more details later, but today is definitely not a good day for a visit.
Update at 5:30 p.m.:
We met with the Campbellford Hospital doctor this morning, and he suggested that Dad could go home if he wanted -- but very likely he would continue to have problems and would be back to Emergency within the next few days -- or he could choose to be admitted to hospital for at least a few days to continue receiving hydration, nutrition and care there. That was an easy decision for Dad, and he was admitted this afternoon.
He is stable for now, but we don't know yet what the next steps will be. Presumably the doctors in Campbellford will be in contact with the doctors in Kingston to discuss things. As far as we know right now, he might be home in a few days feeling better, or he may stay for a longer time in hospital in Campbellford, or it's possible he could be transferred back to Kingston; but nothing is for sure. We are hoping there is still the possibility of unblocking the stent in the future and getting him to the point that he can start chemotherapy, but for now we are focusing on keeping him hydrated, getting more nutrition into him, eliminating the infection, reducing the nausea, and making him feel better than he does.
Dad does not have Internet access at Campbellford Hospital, so he will likely be away from his email and this blog for at least a few days. As we receive more concrete news, I will post any updates here until Dad gets his hands on a keyboard and an Internet connection.
Dad did a lot of sleeping through the day yesterday but was eating a little bit and seemed to have the nausea under control. In the middle of the night he got up to use the washroom, got lightheaded and had a fall, followed by several severe bouts of vomiting. This effort earned him a ride in an ambulance to Campbellford Hospital, where he's getting rehydrated and receiving tests of various sorts.
We expect he will be home later today, but we will know more once further test results return. Dad will likely be posting more details later, but today is definitely not a good day for a visit.
Update at 5:30 p.m.:
We met with the Campbellford Hospital doctor this morning, and he suggested that Dad could go home if he wanted -- but very likely he would continue to have problems and would be back to Emergency within the next few days -- or he could choose to be admitted to hospital for at least a few days to continue receiving hydration, nutrition and care there. That was an easy decision for Dad, and he was admitted this afternoon.
He is stable for now, but we don't know yet what the next steps will be. Presumably the doctors in Campbellford will be in contact with the doctors in Kingston to discuss things. As far as we know right now, he might be home in a few days feeling better, or he may stay for a longer time in hospital in Campbellford, or it's possible he could be transferred back to Kingston; but nothing is for sure. We are hoping there is still the possibility of unblocking the stent in the future and getting him to the point that he can start chemotherapy, but for now we are focusing on keeping him hydrated, getting more nutrition into him, eliminating the infection, reducing the nausea, and making him feel better than he does.
Dad does not have Internet access at Campbellford Hospital, so he will likely be away from his email and this blog for at least a few days. As we receive more concrete news, I will post any updates here until Dad gets his hands on a keyboard and an Internet connection.
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Super Saturday
We were busy today; about 24 people were over.
There was my cousin Debbie (on my mother's side if you are trying to keep track) and her husband Bill along with their daughters Julie who has a brand new MD degree and Christie with her new BA.
There was Anne and Stephen of course and a visit from the VON.
There was my brother Ken and his wife Bridget. There was their elder son Ben who came up from Costa Rica last weekend and goes back on Monday.
There was their younger son Thomas and his Costa Rican wife Violeta.
That makes 12. The other 12 were made up by their two children Jayden 3, and Abby 11 months. That's two very energetic children. I can see why women's bodies are programmed to have children only when they are young. Only the youngest adults could begin to keep up with those kids. I now wonder how Anne and I kept up with Jonathan and Stephen.
It was a great day of receiving original art work, bouquets of flowers, hugs and kisses and giving as much as we could in return including bouncy knees. Even Bella gave up trying to keep up with them, preferring to nap in the middle of the living room floor. The kids are wonderful, alert, bright, loving and fun. It was a wonderful treat to have them here.
There was my cousin Debbie (on my mother's side if you are trying to keep track) and her husband Bill along with their daughters Julie who has a brand new MD degree and Christie with her new BA.
There was Anne and Stephen of course and a visit from the VON.
There was my brother Ken and his wife Bridget. There was their elder son Ben who came up from Costa Rica last weekend and goes back on Monday.
There was their younger son Thomas and his Costa Rican wife Violeta.
That makes 12. The other 12 were made up by their two children Jayden 3, and Abby 11 months. That's two very energetic children. I can see why women's bodies are programmed to have children only when they are young. Only the youngest adults could begin to keep up with those kids. I now wonder how Anne and I kept up with Jonathan and Stephen.
It was a great day of receiving original art work, bouquets of flowers, hugs and kisses and giving as much as we could in return including bouncy knees. Even Bella gave up trying to keep up with them, preferring to nap in the middle of the living room floor. The kids are wonderful, alert, bright, loving and fun. It was a wonderful treat to have them here.
Friday, 25 May 2012
Friday at Home
As I have written a (nauseating?) number of times, there appears to be a running battle between my antibiotic meds that try to make me throw up and some others that try to prevent it. Part of our plan is to time them so that I can get and keep some liquid and food and other drugs down.
Thursday night I had taken what we have been regarding as the anti-vomit champion (sublingual ondansetron) and at just the right time, yet when I tried to take something else I threw up ferociously right away. Then almost the same thing happened again this morning. I was wondering if I should go back to the local hospital for some IV.
However the service here from VON home care is great. They have a 24/7 toll-free phone number that gives us access to phone advice and if necessary they can send someone here at any time. They are all connected by computer so even though the person we talked to Thursday night was in London she had access to my local information. Anne and she decided to take (well they wouldn't take - I would) another of my antinausea pills shortly afterwards as backup to the ondansetron.
That seemed to work and by the time I went into Campbellford for my blood tests this morning I was tired but much more comfortable and had scrapped any thoughts of needing to go to the hospital for IV.
The combination of meds does make me a little groggy but I managed to stay awake when my friend Norm Tompsett came over for a visit and to put my summer tires back on my car. Thanks, Norm. We also had the regular visit from the VON and from our neighbour Dorothy who brought a lovely hanging plant.
I drank more water and ginger ale than most days and also have kept down some food. The grogginess then took over and I've had a little nap. Anne has fed Bella and is taking her for a walk. Bella feels cheated because she does not get as many walks as she used to.
We just got a phone call from the courier company; the VON and the doctor have arranged for some more drugs that the VON can give by needle instead of pill so we can put up a stronger fight when we need to. They will be here soon.
It has been so nice being home instead of in Kingston. We need rain and there is supposedly a good chance of it today and Sunday. Fortunately tomorrow (Saturday) when my great-niece and great-nephew will be here looks like a good day for them to play outside.
Brian Finley just arrived so I will have a visit with him. He and Donna have been very supportive.
Thursday night I had taken what we have been regarding as the anti-vomit champion (sublingual ondansetron) and at just the right time, yet when I tried to take something else I threw up ferociously right away. Then almost the same thing happened again this morning. I was wondering if I should go back to the local hospital for some IV.
However the service here from VON home care is great. They have a 24/7 toll-free phone number that gives us access to phone advice and if necessary they can send someone here at any time. They are all connected by computer so even though the person we talked to Thursday night was in London she had access to my local information. Anne and she decided to take (well they wouldn't take - I would) another of my antinausea pills shortly afterwards as backup to the ondansetron.
That seemed to work and by the time I went into Campbellford for my blood tests this morning I was tired but much more comfortable and had scrapped any thoughts of needing to go to the hospital for IV.
The combination of meds does make me a little groggy but I managed to stay awake when my friend Norm Tompsett came over for a visit and to put my summer tires back on my car. Thanks, Norm. We also had the regular visit from the VON and from our neighbour Dorothy who brought a lovely hanging plant.
I drank more water and ginger ale than most days and also have kept down some food. The grogginess then took over and I've had a little nap. Anne has fed Bella and is taking her for a walk. Bella feels cheated because she does not get as many walks as she used to.
We just got a phone call from the courier company; the VON and the doctor have arranged for some more drugs that the VON can give by needle instead of pill so we can put up a stronger fight when we need to. They will be here soon.
It has been so nice being home instead of in Kingston. We need rain and there is supposedly a good chance of it today and Sunday. Fortunately tomorrow (Saturday) when my great-niece and great-nephew will be here looks like a good day for them to play outside.
Brian Finley just arrived so I will have a visit with him. He and Donna have been very supportive.
Thursday, 24 May 2012
The 24th of May is the Queen's Birthday - If We Don't get a Holiday We'll All Run Away
That was one of several trite little rhymes that my dad would trot out regularly. I've finally had a time and place to use it. Of course the holiday was Monday but I don't think that the Queen cares.
I am doing a little better than yesterday so if that trend keeps up I will be cured eventually. :)
Several months ago I agreed to help with lighting for the show that is on Saturday evening in the Warkworth Town Hall as part of the Warkworth Lilac Festival. (Warkworth is a village not very far from Campbellford. It, Campbellford, the townships of Percy and Seymour and the village of Hastings are now the "Municipality of Trent Hills".) My replacement lighting team has been busy trying to find the various pieces of lighting equipment that are stored in about four different locations. They phoned after it became clear to them that they did not have the right lighting dimmer pac. That was partly my doing as I had misremembered where we had stored it last December and steered them to the wrong building. After several "I thought we put it there" and "maybe it is in the office" and "no that is not it" I think they have the right stuff. Many thanks to those who are scurrying around to get the job done without me.
Info on the show is at http://www.warkworthlilacfestival.ca/events/an-evening-of-sizzling-jazz-and-blues/
One of my visitors yesterday was John Jackson, the principal who hired me. Many years ago he taught with my dad in Wingham and I remember as a very little kid going to his classroom at the school and seeing baby chicks in an incubator. John's wife Audrey and my mom were good friends too. I taught John's son Bill in Campbellford and for a while after his graduation Bill taught in Campbellford and was my department head for the math part of my timetable. John had some very kind things to say about me as a young teacher and I have nothing but good to say about him as a principal or about his son Bill as both a student and a colleague. Thanks, John.
My other visitors today were Ray and Joan Sharp, whom I mentioned last week. Ray retired from CDHS about 25 years ago. For all that I am connected to Ray through work, Anne has a connection to him too because her Aunt Pearl's granddaughter Jennifer is married to Ray Sharp's nephew Marvin. Jennifer has been down east helping her own daughter who has just had a new baby in New Brunswick.
Anne has taken Bella in to the vet office for her annual checkup and heartworm test so I'm alone with the two cats and the sound of crows cawing in the bush outside my window. Very pleasant.
People say they like the blog and want me to keep it going. Some days there is not much to say so I won't promise a daily entry but whenever there is something I'll say it. I think there is some way you can subscribe to the blog so that you get an email alert when something is added so that you do not need to check the blog itself repeatedly. I will warn you about trips to Kingston or other times when visiting would not be good. For starters, I have to go into Campbellford for blood tests on Friday morning, May 25, so visits that morning would not be good.
Thanks again for all your offers of help.
I am doing a little better than yesterday so if that trend keeps up I will be cured eventually. :)
Several months ago I agreed to help with lighting for the show that is on Saturday evening in the Warkworth Town Hall as part of the Warkworth Lilac Festival. (Warkworth is a village not very far from Campbellford. It, Campbellford, the townships of Percy and Seymour and the village of Hastings are now the "Municipality of Trent Hills".) My replacement lighting team has been busy trying to find the various pieces of lighting equipment that are stored in about four different locations. They phoned after it became clear to them that they did not have the right lighting dimmer pac. That was partly my doing as I had misremembered where we had stored it last December and steered them to the wrong building. After several "I thought we put it there" and "maybe it is in the office" and "no that is not it" I think they have the right stuff. Many thanks to those who are scurrying around to get the job done without me.
Info on the show is at http://www.warkworthlilacfestival.ca/events/an-evening-of-sizzling-jazz-and-blues/
One of my visitors yesterday was John Jackson, the principal who hired me. Many years ago he taught with my dad in Wingham and I remember as a very little kid going to his classroom at the school and seeing baby chicks in an incubator. John's wife Audrey and my mom were good friends too. I taught John's son Bill in Campbellford and for a while after his graduation Bill taught in Campbellford and was my department head for the math part of my timetable. John had some very kind things to say about me as a young teacher and I have nothing but good to say about him as a principal or about his son Bill as both a student and a colleague. Thanks, John.
My other visitors today were Ray and Joan Sharp, whom I mentioned last week. Ray retired from CDHS about 25 years ago. For all that I am connected to Ray through work, Anne has a connection to him too because her Aunt Pearl's granddaughter Jennifer is married to Ray Sharp's nephew Marvin. Jennifer has been down east helping her own daughter who has just had a new baby in New Brunswick.
Anne has taken Bella in to the vet office for her annual checkup and heartworm test so I'm alone with the two cats and the sound of crows cawing in the bush outside my window. Very pleasant.
People say they like the blog and want me to keep it going. Some days there is not much to say so I won't promise a daily entry but whenever there is something I'll say it. I think there is some way you can subscribe to the blog so that you get an email alert when something is added so that you do not need to check the blog itself repeatedly. I will warn you about trips to Kingston or other times when visiting would not be good. For starters, I have to go into Campbellford for blood tests on Friday morning, May 25, so visits that morning would not be good.
Thanks again for all your offers of help.
More from Wednesday
Food
People are wonderful in looking for things they can do to help and lately the most common offer is food.
Food for Anne is a little awkward.
We both went on a much-needed weight-loss program last fall. She has been amazingly true to her diet even through all of this. She eats mostly protein, veggies and fruits with no carbs like sugar or wheat products. She is the lightest she has been in many years and would like to stay that way so she is not a lot of fun to cook for.
Food for Ron is very awkward.
My anti-nausea meds and my antibiotic meds are fighting for control of my stomach with no clear-cut winner in sight but the antibiotics have been winning too many rounds. Tuesday I threw up several times, Wednesday only once.
I'm trying to figure out how many minutes after each type of med I am the most or least likely to keep things down and eat accordingly. I get blood tests Friday May 25 and if they show that the infection is down I hope I'll be off the antibiotics and able to eat more. But for now, I'm not eating much.
We do appreciate all the offers though.
When several members of our families come at once they usually bring a picnic-type meal with them.
Visitors
Oh yes, there will be a fair bit of family here on the weekend. You are welcome to visit then too and you can visit with my family as well as me, but if you want a more private visit wait until Monday. Be sure to either check the blog or phone first as there is always a chance that I'll make a visit to Kingston, especially if the infection is gone and they can start some of the other things they want to try to make me more comfortable.
People are wonderful in looking for things they can do to help and lately the most common offer is food.
Food for Anne is a little awkward.
We both went on a much-needed weight-loss program last fall. She has been amazingly true to her diet even through all of this. She eats mostly protein, veggies and fruits with no carbs like sugar or wheat products. She is the lightest she has been in many years and would like to stay that way so she is not a lot of fun to cook for.
Food for Ron is very awkward.
My anti-nausea meds and my antibiotic meds are fighting for control of my stomach with no clear-cut winner in sight but the antibiotics have been winning too many rounds. Tuesday I threw up several times, Wednesday only once.
I'm trying to figure out how many minutes after each type of med I am the most or least likely to keep things down and eat accordingly. I get blood tests Friday May 25 and if they show that the infection is down I hope I'll be off the antibiotics and able to eat more. But for now, I'm not eating much.
We do appreciate all the offers though.
When several members of our families come at once they usually bring a picnic-type meal with them.
Visitors
Oh yes, there will be a fair bit of family here on the weekend. You are welcome to visit then too and you can visit with my family as well as me, but if you want a more private visit wait until Monday. Be sure to either check the blog or phone first as there is always a chance that I'll make a visit to Kingston, especially if the infection is gone and they can start some of the other things they want to try to make me more comfortable.
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Wednesday
The Campbellford hospital ER doctor gave us a prescription for anti-nausea pills and Anne has gone to town to get that filled and to make arrangements for the blood tests I'm to have done in Campbellford on Friday with the results being sent to the Kingston doctors. In the meantime he also gave us two pills to use right away and so far today I have eaten several biscuits and drank a couple of glasses of ginger ale without throwing up. I hope to gradually add more food as I feel I can tolerate it. I've some chocolate chip cookies earmarked as the next phase. I hope I'm on protein and getting stronger soon.
I am feeling rather tired at the moment and will stay lying down for a while.
Richard Maki and Al Armit (two retired CDHS teachers) were in for a short visit, followed by my trusty VON nurse.
Gord Reid is coming out to cut grass and talk about Westben lighting.
Anne just got home so I'll post this and may do more later.
Al's joke of the day:
What do they call hemorrhoids in the arctic?
.............. Polaroids!
I am feeling rather tired at the moment and will stay lying down for a while.
Richard Maki and Al Armit (two retired CDHS teachers) were in for a short visit, followed by my trusty VON nurse.
Gord Reid is coming out to cut grass and talk about Westben lighting.
Anne just got home so I'll post this and may do more later.
Al's joke of the day:
What do they call hemorrhoids in the arctic?
.............. Polaroids!
About Tuesday but Written Wednesday
I didn't get anything posted Tuesday.
I was having more and more trouble keeping stuff (even just ginger ale or water) down and could feel myself dehydrating and was thinking that I had to do something before I got as weak as I was before I went into hospital May 1.
The VON who came in the afternoon felt the same way and wrote me a note to take to the Campbellford Hospital Emergency Room. We went there about 3 pm and were treated quite well - just what we wanted. I didn't have to wait in the waiting room but was taken straight to one of the little treatment rooms. I was given IV to rehydrate me and another IV with anti-nausea medication. After a while on that I tried drinking ginger ale and eating digestive biscuits and it all stayed down OK. We came back home feeling better about 10 pm and got a good night's sleep.
I was having more and more trouble keeping stuff (even just ginger ale or water) down and could feel myself dehydrating and was thinking that I had to do something before I got as weak as I was before I went into hospital May 1.
The VON who came in the afternoon felt the same way and wrote me a note to take to the Campbellford Hospital Emergency Room. We went there about 3 pm and were treated quite well - just what we wanted. I didn't have to wait in the waiting room but was taken straight to one of the little treatment rooms. I was given IV to rehydrate me and another IV with anti-nausea medication. After a while on that I tried drinking ginger ale and eating digestive biscuits and it all stayed down OK. We came back home feeling better about 10 pm and got a good night's sleep.
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Monday Afternoon and Evening
I think my biggest problem is keeping food down. I'm not eating enough and I'm not retaining all of what I do eat. For some reason (long weekend with skeleton staff or maybe some good reason I don't understand) not all my anti-nausea meds were included in the prescription list I was given when I checked out of the hospital. For all that I try to keep track of my pills, most of them are just a bunch of confusing names to me and they were changing as I was shifted from short-term meds in the hospital to long-term ones for home so that I just need to take pills twice a day instead of 6 times per day.
Fortunately the VON home care nurse (a bright young woman I taught 10 to 12 years ago) came on Monday. She will contact my local doctor to get me more anti-nausea stuff today and then I hope I will get stronger faster. I know you are likely tired of hearing about bowel movements but lack of them is probably my second-biggest problem so I'm always thrilled when I can announce that I did have one - Monday evening, the first one in several days. It looks like the daily visit from the VON and the other support they offer behind the scenes will be a big help.
Jonathan and Jacinta were here from noon to mid afternoon. Stephen stayed for an early supper before he went back home.
We had a good visit with Jim and Pat MacDonald early Monday evening.
Visitors are welcome and we enjoy your company but it is best if you phone first so you don't come when the VON or a large group is already here. I do need to spend some time with the people who are taking over lighting jobs that I was to do at the Lilac Festival in Warkworth and at Westben. Anne and I both tire easily.
Fortunately the VON home care nurse (a bright young woman I taught 10 to 12 years ago) came on Monday. She will contact my local doctor to get me more anti-nausea stuff today and then I hope I will get stronger faster. I know you are likely tired of hearing about bowel movements but lack of them is probably my second-biggest problem so I'm always thrilled when I can announce that I did have one - Monday evening, the first one in several days. It looks like the daily visit from the VON and the other support they offer behind the scenes will be a big help.
Jonathan and Jacinta were here from noon to mid afternoon. Stephen stayed for an early supper before he went back home.
We had a good visit with Jim and Pat MacDonald early Monday evening.
Visitors are welcome and we enjoy your company but it is best if you phone first so you don't come when the VON or a large group is already here. I do need to spend some time with the people who are taking over lighting jobs that I was to do at the Lilac Festival in Warkworth and at Westben. Anne and I both tire easily.
Monday, 21 May 2012
Monday Morning at Home
As views from hospital windows go, the view from my window in Kingston was pretty good: some parkland, the St Lawrence River, Wolfe Island, windmills and the hospital's main smokestack. However, it is better to see the sunrise giving a golden colour to the bush beside my house than to the smokestack at KGH.
I am not bedridden so I can get up to the bathroom and can keep my supply of water, ginger ale and snacks fresh by myself. I can go upstairs to have a bath but I don't feel like doing a lot of walking and will stay mostly in the hospital bed as it is the most comfortable "chair" in the house. I need to work on figuring out what food I can keep down so that I can get stronger. Ah, food. I was so sick of the hospital food. It didn't seem too bad at the beginning but by the end I could get sick just thinking about it. The CEO of both the hospital and the food service company need to try eating nothing but their food for a week.
It was great to get a good night's sleep last night. I doubt that I will blog as often now as there will be less excitement and no messes in the night to report on. Feel free to email if you like.
I can't thank everyone enough for the help and all the kind wishes that they have given Anne and me. Looking back, I have had several friends (and students) die "before their time" and I don't think that I was as helpful as I might have been.
I am not bedridden so I can get up to the bathroom and can keep my supply of water, ginger ale and snacks fresh by myself. I can go upstairs to have a bath but I don't feel like doing a lot of walking and will stay mostly in the hospital bed as it is the most comfortable "chair" in the house. I need to work on figuring out what food I can keep down so that I can get stronger. Ah, food. I was so sick of the hospital food. It didn't seem too bad at the beginning but by the end I could get sick just thinking about it. The CEO of both the hospital and the food service company need to try eating nothing but their food for a week.
It was great to get a good night's sleep last night. I doubt that I will blog as often now as there will be less excitement and no messes in the night to report on. Feel free to email if you like.
I can't thank everyone enough for the help and all the kind wishes that they have given Anne and me. Looking back, I have had several friends (and students) die "before their time" and I don't think that I was as helpful as I might have been.
Sunday, 20 May 2012
I'm Home
Home again, home again, jiggity jog.
For the first time in 19 days I got to breathe outside air as Anne, Stephen and Cal brought me home.
I'm set up in the living room with a hospital bed that Stephen bought through Kijiji. I can walk around and sit in chairs and on the couch, but this gives me a comfortable place to lie down without being banished to the remoteness of the upstairs bedroom.
I still have the bile bag and have to dump it and record how much was in it. Fortunately I don't have to record any other excretions. I'm still quite tired and am looking forward to a night without IV alarms beeping and without neighbours throwing up.
A home care nurse will come in every day to change my meds and record my vitals. In two weeks I go back as an outpatient and if my infection is down they will turn the valve on the bile bag so it drains inside my body to the small intestine as it should. If that works then sometime later they will remove the external plastic plumbing and everything will drain inside. If that does not work then they will do surgery to open the blockage on the stent. Somewhere in there they will start chemotherapy too.
Deb Burgess is here too and took this picture:
For the first time in 19 days I got to breathe outside air as Anne, Stephen and Cal brought me home.
I'm set up in the living room with a hospital bed that Stephen bought through Kijiji. I can walk around and sit in chairs and on the couch, but this gives me a comfortable place to lie down without being banished to the remoteness of the upstairs bedroom.
I still have the bile bag and have to dump it and record how much was in it. Fortunately I don't have to record any other excretions. I'm still quite tired and am looking forward to a night without IV alarms beeping and without neighbours throwing up.
A home care nurse will come in every day to change my meds and record my vitals. In two weeks I go back as an outpatient and if my infection is down they will turn the valve on the bile bag so it drains inside my body to the small intestine as it should. If that works then sometime later they will remove the external plastic plumbing and everything will drain inside. If that does not work then they will do surgery to open the blockage on the stent. Somewhere in there they will start chemotherapy too.
Deb Burgess is here too and took this picture:
Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
4:15 am - Another Splash and Dash
Shortly after midnight we had another of my roomies get out of bed and not make it to the washroom. It was not as humorous as the first time and there was quite a kerfluffle getting him calmed down and cleaned up.
When they came for my 4 am blood sample the nurse asked if I needed to throw up first as everyone else in the room had.
Of course, I ... oops, one roomie is doing it again but at least his all went in his barf bucket.
Of course I don't know any more about going home but maybe in about 4 hours.
Back to sleep.
9:45 am
The senior resident (Melanie) and another young doctor were in about half an hour ago. My white blood cell count is coming down but they feel it is still a bit high. My blood pressure is a little low - I feel that's because I did not talk them out of taking my blood pressure meds yesterday. I'm not taking them today. In any event, it seems things are too close for Dr Melanie to call so I have to wait a couple of hours until Dr Nanji can see me.
So it is still maybe!!
Anne and Stephen will be here between 12 and 1 pm.
Bye for now.
10:25 am
Thank you Sunday chanters. I'm going home today!!
1:40 pm
I just called Stephen's cell number and he says they are in the parking lot. I have done all the paperwork so I can walk out of here as fast as Anne can get me dressed and packed.
Yeah!!!!!!
Thank you all for your support.
Best Wishes
Shortly after midnight we had another of my roomies get out of bed and not make it to the washroom. It was not as humorous as the first time and there was quite a kerfluffle getting him calmed down and cleaned up.
When they came for my 4 am blood sample the nurse asked if I needed to throw up first as everyone else in the room had.
Of course, I ... oops, one roomie is doing it again but at least his all went in his barf bucket.
Of course I don't know any more about going home but maybe in about 4 hours.
Back to sleep.
9:45 am
The senior resident (Melanie) and another young doctor were in about half an hour ago. My white blood cell count is coming down but they feel it is still a bit high. My blood pressure is a little low - I feel that's because I did not talk them out of taking my blood pressure meds yesterday. I'm not taking them today. In any event, it seems things are too close for Dr Melanie to call so I have to wait a couple of hours until Dr Nanji can see me.
So it is still maybe!!
Anne and Stephen will be here between 12 and 1 pm.
Bye for now.
10:25 am
Thank you Sunday chanters. I'm going home today!!
1:40 pm
I just called Stephen's cell number and he says they are in the parking lot. I have done all the paperwork so I can walk out of here as fast as Anne can get me dressed and packed.
Yeah!!!!!!
Thank you all for your support.
Best Wishes
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Not Today
Happy long weekend to everyone.
Unfortunately my white blood cell count is still too high so I am not going home today (Saturday) after all. Apparently my bacterial infection is an unusual one and they are still working on getting the right SWAT team of antibiotics to do the counterattack. That means I don't get out today. Surprisingly, I still feel better today.
Everybody chant now: Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
7:30 pm
I've had some supper (chicken fingers from the cafeteria) and they seem to be staying down OK.
Unfortunately my white blood cell count is still too high so I am not going home today (Saturday) after all. Apparently my bacterial infection is an unusual one and they are still working on getting the right SWAT team of antibiotics to do the counterattack. That means I don't get out today. Surprisingly, I still feel better today.
Everybody chant now: Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
7:30 pm
I've had some supper (chicken fingers from the cafeteria) and they seem to be staying down OK.
Anne's appointment is Monday, June 4, at 3 pm with Dr. Petrasek in Peterborough. Stephen will be here that weekend and will drive her. The doctor likes to have a family member there to be a part of the discussion and we can't count on me to be all there in mind even though I might be there in body. In any event, I wouldn't be much help understanding things. We will get the results of her MRI scan then and discuss what the next steps of her treatment will be.
In the meantime I don't know about going home. They come in and take blood about 4 am and then test it so the results are available to the doctors in time for early morning rounds. On Mon to Fri they do rounds at 7 am, weekends at 8. As soon as I know anything and have a chance I'll blog it.
I'm groggy as I am on more drugs than I was a few days ago. They are still being nice to me; even the food ladies are nice in spite of what I have called their food. One of them just found me some lovely grapes that are not even officially in the hospital. They are quite good.
Grogginess is winning. Going to lie down.
Regards
Ron
Friday, 18 May 2012
Final Friday
7:30 am
Even though I'm not going home today this should be the Final Friday that I am here. The young resident was in today to tell me that I'm not going home today (which I knew), that I might go home tomorrow (which I thought I knew for sure) and that if not, I would go home for sure on Sunday. I'm still counting on the tomorrow that Dr Nanji "promised" yesterday. Things like "for sure", "100%", "never" etc. have no meaning anymore.
Nephew Ben in Costa Rica tells me his father-in-law Adrian is quite worried and is getting people down there to pray for me:
"I thought you might like to know that last Saturday's mass was dedicated to you in the church where Tom & Violeta's (and our) wedding was. There is also a rosary happening this Sunday (I'm going to miss it because that's the day I fly up). Adrian in particular is always asking for the latest news."
Thank you, Adrian - you are such a good man.
Not being Catholic, I don't know exactly what all that means (I've never heard of a rosary happening) but just knowing he is thinking of me helps.
I'll do more later when I know more.
4:00 pm
It still looks like I will go home tomorrow but as usual I'll believe it when it happens. I won't know until tomorrow. Not much definite has happened today. They have weaned me off IV and I get my antibiotic with pills. One problem is that one of the antibiotic pills dissolves so fast that I gag on it before I can get it all washed down. I have managed a couple of doses of it OK but this morning I gagged and threw up what I'd eaten for breakfast. I did this just as the senior resident doctor, Doctor Melanie, came in so I put on quite a show for her.
I've been wanting a little discussion about how long I have and what sort of lifestyle I can expect. They are all so reluctant to make a prediction as if they were afraid I'd sue if they were wrong or automatically drop dead according to their schedule.
So I got her to visit for a while and while I don't know anything for sure, I do feel a bit more informed. One year is as good a guess as anything. I'll likely get a bit better as they clear up this infection and I'm likely to get off the bile bag within a month. But I'm not likely to get a lot better and am likely to be up and down as the chemotherapy comes and goes.
Later on Dr Viola came in for a nice chat and it confirmed much of what I discussed with Dr Melanie. I may be able to keep driving for a while but I'll just have to think about it carefully before I get behind the wheel. I'll be able to ride the lawnmower but not feel up to using a push mower. I should be able to walk the dog but I better not sign up for any road races. It is very unlikely that I would feel up to skiing at all next winter. Norm, we were so right to go this past year.
Anne and Norah arrived in time to get in on the last part of Dr Viola's visit.
Dr Melanie and Doctor Nanji were just here for another 60-second consultation. They say that the bacteria in my system are unusual but that my body is coping with it. He still hopes to send me home tomorrow and while it is the most likely scenario it is still not definite.
Anne is going down soon to get a slice of pizza or a cheeseburger for me - whatever looks better. I hope it tastes good.
Gord Reid got the Internet working just fine so I'll continue to be in touch when I get home. I don't think that the TV is working but that's not such a big deal. If I have to, I'll call for Ken from Ken's Stereo and TV. I taught him 35 or so years ago and I can trust him to fix it at a fair price.
9:15 pm
Two good news items:
I have word from my nurse that they have changed my meds menu so that I do not need the pills that make me gag. The other good news - here we go with bodily functions again - I had a BM after 4 or 5 days without one. I was a bit worried that they would not send me home if I was not more productive in that department.
About Anne
She has an appointment the first Monday in June to go back to her cancer doctor in Peterborough to talk about the MRI results and the next step.
Even though I'm not going home today this should be the Final Friday that I am here. The young resident was in today to tell me that I'm not going home today (which I knew), that I might go home tomorrow (which I thought I knew for sure) and that if not, I would go home for sure on Sunday. I'm still counting on the tomorrow that Dr Nanji "promised" yesterday. Things like "for sure", "100%", "never" etc. have no meaning anymore.
Nephew Ben in Costa Rica tells me his father-in-law Adrian is quite worried and is getting people down there to pray for me:
"I thought you might like to know that last Saturday's mass was dedicated to you in the church where Tom & Violeta's (and our) wedding was. There is also a rosary happening this Sunday (I'm going to miss it because that's the day I fly up). Adrian in particular is always asking for the latest news."
Thank you, Adrian - you are such a good man.
Not being Catholic, I don't know exactly what all that means (I've never heard of a rosary happening) but just knowing he is thinking of me helps.
I'll do more later when I know more.
4:00 pm
It still looks like I will go home tomorrow but as usual I'll believe it when it happens. I won't know until tomorrow. Not much definite has happened today. They have weaned me off IV and I get my antibiotic with pills. One problem is that one of the antibiotic pills dissolves so fast that I gag on it before I can get it all washed down. I have managed a couple of doses of it OK but this morning I gagged and threw up what I'd eaten for breakfast. I did this just as the senior resident doctor, Doctor Melanie, came in so I put on quite a show for her.
I've been wanting a little discussion about how long I have and what sort of lifestyle I can expect. They are all so reluctant to make a prediction as if they were afraid I'd sue if they were wrong or automatically drop dead according to their schedule.
So I got her to visit for a while and while I don't know anything for sure, I do feel a bit more informed. One year is as good a guess as anything. I'll likely get a bit better as they clear up this infection and I'm likely to get off the bile bag within a month. But I'm not likely to get a lot better and am likely to be up and down as the chemotherapy comes and goes.
Later on Dr Viola came in for a nice chat and it confirmed much of what I discussed with Dr Melanie. I may be able to keep driving for a while but I'll just have to think about it carefully before I get behind the wheel. I'll be able to ride the lawnmower but not feel up to using a push mower. I should be able to walk the dog but I better not sign up for any road races. It is very unlikely that I would feel up to skiing at all next winter. Norm, we were so right to go this past year.
Anne and Norah arrived in time to get in on the last part of Dr Viola's visit.
Dr Melanie and Doctor Nanji were just here for another 60-second consultation. They say that the bacteria in my system are unusual but that my body is coping with it. He still hopes to send me home tomorrow and while it is the most likely scenario it is still not definite.
Anne is going down soon to get a slice of pizza or a cheeseburger for me - whatever looks better. I hope it tastes good.
Gord Reid got the Internet working just fine so I'll continue to be in touch when I get home. I don't think that the TV is working but that's not such a big deal. If I have to, I'll call for Ken from Ken's Stereo and TV. I taught him 35 or so years ago and I can trust him to fix it at a fair price.
9:15 pm
Two good news items:
I have word from my nurse that they have changed my meds menu so that I do not need the pills that make me gag. The other good news - here we go with bodily functions again - I had a BM after 4 or 5 days without one. I was a bit worried that they would not send me home if I was not more productive in that department.
About Anne
She has an appointment the first Monday in June to go back to her cancer doctor in Peterborough to talk about the MRI results and the next step.
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Last Thursday
Espanol? Use the translate gadget above.
Good News - I think
This should be the last Thursday I'm here. The young doctor said he had talked to the older doctor and I am to go home tomorrow "for sure". I'll be back here in a week or two for tests and/or therapy as an outpatient.
In the meantime I will still be wearing a bile bag but it may be a different style that fits in a pant leg better than this one. I do wish that they had found a way to get things to drain internally and then I would not take the bag home at all. However, they don't want to stir things up in there for a while yet as they are afraid that the infection will return. I will have an antibiotic while at home to help get rid of whatever is left of the infection. The idea is that I will be back in 2 weeks as an outpatient and they will rework the stent. Then two weeks after that I will start getting chemotherapy. I hope all that goes according to plan.
I am to get home care to check vitals and meds and to change the dressing regularly. A couple of different people will be in today and tomorrow to help plan things.
Things have been much calmer in the room during the last 24 hours than during the 24 hours before that.
We've had one man moved out for surgery and he never came back. Presumably he is so bad he is still in ICU or so good he has been sent home. His replacement was badly mauled by a cat that was attacking his young daughter. His arm is all chewed and clawed and is now infected. The guy who made the mess on the floor yesterday has been better although he soaked his bed and needed it remade several times yesterday afternoon. The fourth man has been very quiet.
I am ready to get out of here and home.
11:00 am
I threw up my breakfast. Ensure does not taste any better going up than it did going down.
I phoned Anne a while ago and Gord Reid was there trying to repair my Internet. Fortunately, the cable does not need to be replaced as the coon didn't really chew it and I don't even need to call the Internet company. The raccoon pulled on the wire enough that it became unplugged in the little junction box that is on the outside of my house near my hydro meter and all it needed was to be plugged in again. Last I heard Gord was working on the rat's nest of cords behind my TV to try and get it going too.
Company just arrived, gotta go, more later.
I'm back at 1:15 pm
The company was Ray Sharpe. He taught wood shop at CDHS until he retired about 25 years ago. I've had a steady stream of company since that, Jonathan and Jacinta, my cousin Wayne Vogan and then Anne arrived brought by Linda Thompson, Barb Kirkham and Brenda Woodley, all retired from CDHS. I'll send this and visit with Anne and Jonathan and Jacinta while the other 3 friends have gone downtown.
3:00 pm
Jonathan and Jacinta have left. He received a couple of calls for service so will go back home and continue to earn his living.
I just finished an excellent session with the home care coordinator. She will arrange for a daily home nursing visit. She was very reassuring. One feature I especially like is that I can call their Campbellford office 24/7 for help with nausea, pain or anything. They will come to my house in the wee hours if I need them and they will help decide if I should go to Campbellford's emergency room or even to Kingston so Anne and I are not stuck wondering what to do if there is a problem.
I feel closer than ever to going home and am happy to be going.
News flash - I go home Saturday - more later
6:00 pm
Dr Nanji was in a little after 3 pm. They have identified the bacteria that is causing my infection and want to keep me another day to treat it. That makes Saturday my "for sure" go home day. He said it was an unusual invection and told us the name of the bacteria but I have forgotten it already. So I'm stuck here for another day but that's OK.
Brenda, Linda and Barb brought Swiss Chalet for supper.
Cheers
Ron
Good News - I think
This should be the last Thursday I'm here. The young doctor said he had talked to the older doctor and I am to go home tomorrow "for sure". I'll be back here in a week or two for tests and/or therapy as an outpatient.
In the meantime I will still be wearing a bile bag but it may be a different style that fits in a pant leg better than this one. I do wish that they had found a way to get things to drain internally and then I would not take the bag home at all. However, they don't want to stir things up in there for a while yet as they are afraid that the infection will return. I will have an antibiotic while at home to help get rid of whatever is left of the infection. The idea is that I will be back in 2 weeks as an outpatient and they will rework the stent. Then two weeks after that I will start getting chemotherapy. I hope all that goes according to plan.
I am to get home care to check vitals and meds and to change the dressing regularly. A couple of different people will be in today and tomorrow to help plan things.
Things have been much calmer in the room during the last 24 hours than during the 24 hours before that.
We've had one man moved out for surgery and he never came back. Presumably he is so bad he is still in ICU or so good he has been sent home. His replacement was badly mauled by a cat that was attacking his young daughter. His arm is all chewed and clawed and is now infected. The guy who made the mess on the floor yesterday has been better although he soaked his bed and needed it remade several times yesterday afternoon. The fourth man has been very quiet.
I am ready to get out of here and home.
11:00 am
I threw up my breakfast. Ensure does not taste any better going up than it did going down.
I phoned Anne a while ago and Gord Reid was there trying to repair my Internet. Fortunately, the cable does not need to be replaced as the coon didn't really chew it and I don't even need to call the Internet company. The raccoon pulled on the wire enough that it became unplugged in the little junction box that is on the outside of my house near my hydro meter and all it needed was to be plugged in again. Last I heard Gord was working on the rat's nest of cords behind my TV to try and get it going too.
Company just arrived, gotta go, more later.
I'm back at 1:15 pm
The company was Ray Sharpe. He taught wood shop at CDHS until he retired about 25 years ago. I've had a steady stream of company since that, Jonathan and Jacinta, my cousin Wayne Vogan and then Anne arrived brought by Linda Thompson, Barb Kirkham and Brenda Woodley, all retired from CDHS. I'll send this and visit with Anne and Jonathan and Jacinta while the other 3 friends have gone downtown.
3:00 pm
Jonathan and Jacinta have left. He received a couple of calls for service so will go back home and continue to earn his living.
I just finished an excellent session with the home care coordinator. She will arrange for a daily home nursing visit. She was very reassuring. One feature I especially like is that I can call their Campbellford office 24/7 for help with nausea, pain or anything. They will come to my house in the wee hours if I need them and they will help decide if I should go to Campbellford's emergency room or even to Kingston so Anne and I are not stuck wondering what to do if there is a problem.
I feel closer than ever to going home and am happy to be going.
News flash - I go home Saturday - more later
6:00 pm
Dr Nanji was in a little after 3 pm. They have identified the bacteria that is causing my infection and want to keep me another day to treat it. That makes Saturday my "for sure" go home day. He said it was an unusual invection and told us the name of the bacteria but I have forgotten it already. So I'm stuck here for another day but that's OK.
Brenda, Linda and Barb brought Swiss Chalet for supper.
Cheers
Ron
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Wet Wednesday
5:30 am
I've had another pain pill just now. I've slept surprisingly well given the extra fuss in our room.
The nurses had a busier than usual night. Yesterday they packed off two graduates and then admitted two frosh in their place. One of the frosh, the one diagonally across my room, is having a colonoscopy, or something that needs you to be as empty as for a colonoscopy, so he has had enough pills to flush his system. Since he has to go a lot and cannot walk fast, they have given him a commode chair so he does not have to go far. Of course, his room is right by the bathroom and his commode chair blocks the way to the spa for the rest of us - we take up more room than normal people because we have to take IV poles with us wherever we go. So the remaining three of us have taken to using the little plastic urinal bottles. All of this is to explain why, even though I have no trouble using the porcelain throne, I've left a 510 ml of urine and a 220 ml of bile in containers on my window sill.
The other extra fuss is the guy beside me. I don't know why but he needed more attention in the night than he usually does and didn't seem to remember where he was and why.
Fortunately, the yeller down the hall has been kept quiet.
It is foggy and I can't even pick out the outline of Wolfe Island in the fog.
Since there is no medical news yet I'm going to see if I can get a bit more sleep.
7:45
I did go back to sleep but the four young doctors group woke me about 6:30 as they made their rounds. It was a slightly different group than other days. The one that did the talking reminds me a little of my nephew Ben. They went over the results of my visit to the stent doctor and didn't really seem to know anything I didn't. There seems to be some difference of opinion as to whether I should have a few days with no surgery (maybe at home) so that I can become stronger or whether they should try again to either fix or replace that stent because it would make chemo and other treatments work better. He said they would see the chemo doctor and Dr Nanji and try to hammer out a decision.
I'm a little hesitant to post too many details about the goings-on in my room as it would be possible to figure out who the people are but I thought I'd share some more goings-on with you.
I suppose this section could be entitled "Why some people want private rooms".
You may recall that one person has been busy on the commode chair most of the night. Fortunately, since I've been awake he has spent more time in bed than on the chair so I hope he is past the worst. However, just as the four young doctors were leaving, another guy decided to get up and go without calling the nurse. He immediately dropped poop or blood or both all over the floor. The four young doctors tried to get him to sit down and I told him to get back down but he said he was up and going. I rang my buzzer to try to get a nurse but it was just after 7. The nurses change shifts at 7 and the outgoing shift is busy finishing reports and exchanging info with the [big gap here while nurse Laura takes my vitals etc.] incoming shift so even though there are more nurses in the building only half of them are on duty and there are fewer available to answer buzzers or who even know what patients they have today. So while she really was reasonably quick to respond, it took longer than usual. It seemed even longer than that because my neighbour really had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed (i.e. on the side opposite his IV). He is spinning his wheels in his poop and almost pulling his IV tower over. The first nurse can't do much by herself and just tries to get him to sit down until more help is there but he still insists he is up and mobile. [big gap here while food lady brings breakfast and I eat it] I think she just hugged him enough to get him to sit down until a second nurse arrived so they could take him to the bathroom together and then a third nurse came to clean up the bed and the floor. Meanwhile, one of the other guys wants something now! and buzzes and whines when he does not get immediate attention. His curtain is drawn and he can't see that there are already several nurses working hard in the same room.
Not exactly Grey's Anatomy but it was exciting for a while. Kudos to the nurses who can work with such unreasonable patients and still smile and be nice to us when it is over.
Breaking News at 5 pm
Anne and Teresa are here now. Teresa is the driving force in the Westben office who occasionally brings Brian's feet down to touch the ground so that the non-musical things get done.
I'm not going home today. (Wed)
I'm not going home tomorrow. (Thursday)
I will likely go home the next day. (Friday)
If I don't go Friday, I will go Saturday.
Of course even things we think we are sure of may not happen. It is now 7 pm, Anne says I have this correct and she and Teresa have gone home.
When I do get home it may take until next week to get Internet working at home. I may be able to update the blog occasionally at a friend or neighbour's place or by talking to Stephen on the phone. If you really need to contact us then phone.
Best wishes to all and thanks for your support.
I've had another pain pill just now. I've slept surprisingly well given the extra fuss in our room.
The nurses had a busier than usual night. Yesterday they packed off two graduates and then admitted two frosh in their place. One of the frosh, the one diagonally across my room, is having a colonoscopy, or something that needs you to be as empty as for a colonoscopy, so he has had enough pills to flush his system. Since he has to go a lot and cannot walk fast, they have given him a commode chair so he does not have to go far. Of course, his room is right by the bathroom and his commode chair blocks the way to the spa for the rest of us - we take up more room than normal people because we have to take IV poles with us wherever we go. So the remaining three of us have taken to using the little plastic urinal bottles. All of this is to explain why, even though I have no trouble using the porcelain throne, I've left a 510 ml of urine and a 220 ml of bile in containers on my window sill.
The other extra fuss is the guy beside me. I don't know why but he needed more attention in the night than he usually does and didn't seem to remember where he was and why.
Fortunately, the yeller down the hall has been kept quiet.
It is foggy and I can't even pick out the outline of Wolfe Island in the fog.
Since there is no medical news yet I'm going to see if I can get a bit more sleep.
7:45
I did go back to sleep but the four young doctors group woke me about 6:30 as they made their rounds. It was a slightly different group than other days. The one that did the talking reminds me a little of my nephew Ben. They went over the results of my visit to the stent doctor and didn't really seem to know anything I didn't. There seems to be some difference of opinion as to whether I should have a few days with no surgery (maybe at home) so that I can become stronger or whether they should try again to either fix or replace that stent because it would make chemo and other treatments work better. He said they would see the chemo doctor and Dr Nanji and try to hammer out a decision.
I'm a little hesitant to post too many details about the goings-on in my room as it would be possible to figure out who the people are but I thought I'd share some more goings-on with you.
I suppose this section could be entitled "Why some people want private rooms".
You may recall that one person has been busy on the commode chair most of the night. Fortunately, since I've been awake he has spent more time in bed than on the chair so I hope he is past the worst. However, just as the four young doctors were leaving, another guy decided to get up and go without calling the nurse. He immediately dropped poop or blood or both all over the floor. The four young doctors tried to get him to sit down and I told him to get back down but he said he was up and going. I rang my buzzer to try to get a nurse but it was just after 7. The nurses change shifts at 7 and the outgoing shift is busy finishing reports and exchanging info with the [big gap here while nurse Laura takes my vitals etc.] incoming shift so even though there are more nurses in the building only half of them are on duty and there are fewer available to answer buzzers or who even know what patients they have today. So while she really was reasonably quick to respond, it took longer than usual. It seemed even longer than that because my neighbour really had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed (i.e. on the side opposite his IV). He is spinning his wheels in his poop and almost pulling his IV tower over. The first nurse can't do much by herself and just tries to get him to sit down until more help is there but he still insists he is up and mobile. [big gap here while food lady brings breakfast and I eat it] I think she just hugged him enough to get him to sit down until a second nurse arrived so they could take him to the bathroom together and then a third nurse came to clean up the bed and the floor. Meanwhile, one of the other guys wants something now! and buzzes and whines when he does not get immediate attention. His curtain is drawn and he can't see that there are already several nurses working hard in the same room.
Not exactly Grey's Anatomy but it was exciting for a while. Kudos to the nurses who can work with such unreasonable patients and still smile and be nice to us when it is over.
Breaking News at 5 pm
Anne and Teresa are here now. Teresa is the driving force in the Westben office who occasionally brings Brian's feet down to touch the ground so that the non-musical things get done.
I'm not going home today. (Wed)
I'm not going home tomorrow. (Thursday)
I will likely go home the next day. (Friday)
If I don't go Friday, I will go Saturday.
Of course even things we think we are sure of may not happen. It is now 7 pm, Anne says I have this correct and she and Teresa have gone home.
When I do get home it may take until next week to get Internet working at home. I may be able to update the blog occasionally at a friend or neighbour's place or by talking to Stephen on the phone. If you really need to contact us then phone.
Best wishes to all and thanks for your support.
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Two Weeks Tuesday
6:30 am
I came to Kingston on May 1 presumably just for an outpatient consultation (although I was feeling sick enough that I hoped they would take me in), so it is now two weeks ago that I was admitted. I've never been in hospital more than a few nights in a row before so this is a big deal. I guess it is also an indication that I have had a pretty good life and not needed hospitals much.
Last night was much better than the night before. I think that the problems the night before were made worse by physical arrangement of the bile bag. As it filled up in the night it put more stress on the spot where the tube enters my body and pulled and pulled there. Last night we had a different arrangement and everything went better. That spot, where the tube from the bile bag enters my body, is still the sorest spot.
It will get readdressed today as they are going to put some dye into my body to trace the path through the stent and try to see why the stent does not work when the drain to the bag is turned off. Of course the obvious answer is that it is blocked somewhere but maybe they can find out where and make some adjustment to the stent so that it will do what it was meant to do. In the process I will get the wound cleaned and a new dressing put on.
I'm not sure how many plan B's they have if that does not work so any talk of going home has stopped until they get something working.
There is a new male patient somewhere else on the floor who is upsetting the happy aura of this otherwise surprisingly cheerful place. He is yelling and cursing the nurses and keeps calling out for or at someone called Kevin. I'm sure this can be a scary place if you don't understand why you are here or feel imprisoned, but the nurses and all levels of staff here have been great. They obviously care and do try to make people as comfortable as possible, answering unnecessary buzzer calls again and again with smiles in their voices. In some ways one could almost stay here for a holiday (well no, not really) but they would have to do something about the food.
The main entrees for meals are made in Mississauga. They are sealed in plastic dishes and maybe even frozen before being shipped to the hospitals. Here they are steamed in a little oven. I think each floor has an oven so there is no waiting for food to come up from the basement. "Steamplicity", they call it. So I have meals described as "grilled boneless chicken breast with vine-ripened tomato sauce, wild rice medley and fresh mini carrots and baby peas". And there are several choices in a similar vein. Once you have had a couple of them though and realize that the grilling of the chicken was done over a week ago, all that fancy talk translates to "rubbery meat with tasteless soggy vegetables" and that same description can be applied to almost every choice. They do make sandwiches locally and I've enjoyed their egg salad several times. Today, I hope I miss both breakfast and lunch and when I come back from the OR I'll send someone down for something like chicken nuggets from the cafeteria. I've got to be careful though or I'll get tired of the chicken nuggets.
The yelling down the hall has stopped so maybe they have figured out how to handle the guy.
In short, I'm better than yesterday and hopeful that they can get the stent working. With that I'll leave you for now.
9:15
A nurse just stuck her head in and said I'm going down for work on that stent at 9:30.
10:45
I'm back.
Of course the real reason I was in bad shape yesterday morning is that they turned the tap on the bile bag the day before that. The bile was then supposed to flow down through the stent from my liver, past the gall bladder and into my small intestine. The guy confirmed with dye and pictures that the stent was in the right place but the bile was blocked near the end of the stent by something that prevented the bile from flowing out the bottom end of the stent into the intestine, so it presumably leaked around the top of the stent and into my bloodstream and contributed to the infection.
Since I was not sedated and he was not prepared for surgery, he could not push anything into the stent to try to push the blockage out the end. He could not see what the blockage was but he could tell that there were no gallstones there. He can try again another day with me sedated, but his feeling at that moment was that I'd had enough for a while and his suggestion was that I could go home with the bile bag still on for a few days. The other could even be done as an outpatient. Presumably my surgeon and the chemo doctor and the palliative care doctor will have some say in all of this and lay out some sort of plan of action and when that plan is in place I can go home. I don't know how long it will take but I expect more doctor visits today.
I phoned Anne this morning and she sounds a little like she is getting a cold or a flu. I encouraged her to stay home and build herself up a bit. She has come here every day except for the one day she had an MRI in Lindsay. I need her healthy so I think I have talked her into staying home today and maybe coming 2 days out of 3 or even just every second day.
That time gap in the previous paragraph, that you would not have noticed, was Dr Iforgethisname but who is my chemo guy. He says there is something that I have forgotten the name of already that is at a fairly high level in my blood that they have to get down to a lower level before the chemo will work properly. He is very nice - I know I say that about almost everyone here - and will have a chat with the stent doctor and my surgeon Dr Nanji and try to decide what to do. He may want the stent working ASAP as this will help get rid of the whatever it is in my blood.
I need to write down people's and drug and chemical names right away as I forget things so fast and then cannot explain my condition very well.
Don Phillips was in for an hour and a half or so. He used to teach at the high school and retired 5 or 6 years before I did.
7:10 pm
I'm back. Not much has happened medically. No new reports from any doctor or word on that they will do next. The young guys will likely troop in here at 6:30 am or so and the older ones will wander in whenever they can. The younger one will likely suggest that I may be going home and the older ones will have some reason why not. We will see.
After Don left I did have a good nap, even a sleep for a while and then phone calls from Mike Roach (computer teacher from Courtice, then the board office and then Clarke H.S.) and from Anne as well as a neighbourly visit from Cheryl Stevenson, who was a neighbour on Ranney St in Campbellford and lives in the neighbourhood of the hospital now.
(Warning: the next section contains mature content - why is it that only the most immature TV shows have that warning?)
Then dinner came and I was philosophizing on how it was strange that the hospital made excellent chicken fingers in its own cafeteria but the made-in-Mississauga, shipped-in-and-steamed ones were terrible when my innards just couldn't take it anymore. I'd eaten about half of them but then started horking up the whole mess. I didn't see my barf bag anywhere so went with the flow and refilled my dinner plate. Nurse Aime didn't even let me say I was sorry and just cleaned the mess up with an understanding smile.
I've had a bit of a cleanup myself since then and then a rest. I'm going to make a couple of phone calls and then call it a night.
Best Wishes to All
I came to Kingston on May 1 presumably just for an outpatient consultation (although I was feeling sick enough that I hoped they would take me in), so it is now two weeks ago that I was admitted. I've never been in hospital more than a few nights in a row before so this is a big deal. I guess it is also an indication that I have had a pretty good life and not needed hospitals much.
Last night was much better than the night before. I think that the problems the night before were made worse by physical arrangement of the bile bag. As it filled up in the night it put more stress on the spot where the tube enters my body and pulled and pulled there. Last night we had a different arrangement and everything went better. That spot, where the tube from the bile bag enters my body, is still the sorest spot.
It will get readdressed today as they are going to put some dye into my body to trace the path through the stent and try to see why the stent does not work when the drain to the bag is turned off. Of course the obvious answer is that it is blocked somewhere but maybe they can find out where and make some adjustment to the stent so that it will do what it was meant to do. In the process I will get the wound cleaned and a new dressing put on.
I'm not sure how many plan B's they have if that does not work so any talk of going home has stopped until they get something working.
There is a new male patient somewhere else on the floor who is upsetting the happy aura of this otherwise surprisingly cheerful place. He is yelling and cursing the nurses and keeps calling out for or at someone called Kevin. I'm sure this can be a scary place if you don't understand why you are here or feel imprisoned, but the nurses and all levels of staff here have been great. They obviously care and do try to make people as comfortable as possible, answering unnecessary buzzer calls again and again with smiles in their voices. In some ways one could almost stay here for a holiday (well no, not really) but they would have to do something about the food.
The main entrees for meals are made in Mississauga. They are sealed in plastic dishes and maybe even frozen before being shipped to the hospitals. Here they are steamed in a little oven. I think each floor has an oven so there is no waiting for food to come up from the basement. "Steamplicity", they call it. So I have meals described as "grilled boneless chicken breast with vine-ripened tomato sauce, wild rice medley and fresh mini carrots and baby peas". And there are several choices in a similar vein. Once you have had a couple of them though and realize that the grilling of the chicken was done over a week ago, all that fancy talk translates to "rubbery meat with tasteless soggy vegetables" and that same description can be applied to almost every choice. They do make sandwiches locally and I've enjoyed their egg salad several times. Today, I hope I miss both breakfast and lunch and when I come back from the OR I'll send someone down for something like chicken nuggets from the cafeteria. I've got to be careful though or I'll get tired of the chicken nuggets.
The yelling down the hall has stopped so maybe they have figured out how to handle the guy.
In short, I'm better than yesterday and hopeful that they can get the stent working. With that I'll leave you for now.
9:15
A nurse just stuck her head in and said I'm going down for work on that stent at 9:30.
10:45
I'm back.
Of course the real reason I was in bad shape yesterday morning is that they turned the tap on the bile bag the day before that. The bile was then supposed to flow down through the stent from my liver, past the gall bladder and into my small intestine. The guy confirmed with dye and pictures that the stent was in the right place but the bile was blocked near the end of the stent by something that prevented the bile from flowing out the bottom end of the stent into the intestine, so it presumably leaked around the top of the stent and into my bloodstream and contributed to the infection.
Since I was not sedated and he was not prepared for surgery, he could not push anything into the stent to try to push the blockage out the end. He could not see what the blockage was but he could tell that there were no gallstones there. He can try again another day with me sedated, but his feeling at that moment was that I'd had enough for a while and his suggestion was that I could go home with the bile bag still on for a few days. The other could even be done as an outpatient. Presumably my surgeon and the chemo doctor and the palliative care doctor will have some say in all of this and lay out some sort of plan of action and when that plan is in place I can go home. I don't know how long it will take but I expect more doctor visits today.
I phoned Anne this morning and she sounds a little like she is getting a cold or a flu. I encouraged her to stay home and build herself up a bit. She has come here every day except for the one day she had an MRI in Lindsay. I need her healthy so I think I have talked her into staying home today and maybe coming 2 days out of 3 or even just every second day.
That time gap in the previous paragraph, that you would not have noticed, was Dr Iforgethisname but who is my chemo guy. He says there is something that I have forgotten the name of already that is at a fairly high level in my blood that they have to get down to a lower level before the chemo will work properly. He is very nice - I know I say that about almost everyone here - and will have a chat with the stent doctor and my surgeon Dr Nanji and try to decide what to do. He may want the stent working ASAP as this will help get rid of the whatever it is in my blood.
I need to write down people's and drug and chemical names right away as I forget things so fast and then cannot explain my condition very well.
Don Phillips was in for an hour and a half or so. He used to teach at the high school and retired 5 or 6 years before I did.
7:10 pm
I'm back. Not much has happened medically. No new reports from any doctor or word on that they will do next. The young guys will likely troop in here at 6:30 am or so and the older ones will wander in whenever they can. The younger one will likely suggest that I may be going home and the older ones will have some reason why not. We will see.
After Don left I did have a good nap, even a sleep for a while and then phone calls from Mike Roach (computer teacher from Courtice, then the board office and then Clarke H.S.) and from Anne as well as a neighbourly visit from Cheryl Stevenson, who was a neighbour on Ranney St in Campbellford and lives in the neighbourhood of the hospital now.
(Warning: the next section contains mature content - why is it that only the most immature TV shows have that warning?)
Then dinner came and I was philosophizing on how it was strange that the hospital made excellent chicken fingers in its own cafeteria but the made-in-Mississauga, shipped-in-and-steamed ones were terrible when my innards just couldn't take it anymore. I'd eaten about half of them but then started horking up the whole mess. I didn't see my barf bag anywhere so went with the flow and refilled my dinner plate. Nurse Aime didn't even let me say I was sorry and just cleaned the mess up with an understanding smile.
I've had a bit of a cleanup myself since then and then a rest. I'm going to make a couple of phone calls and then call it a night.
Best Wishes to All
Monday, 14 May 2012
Another Monday
I went to sleep Sunday night with the stent set to drain into my intestine instead of the little bag. Most of the night went very well and I was having a good sleep. I'm a little groggy about what did happen this morning and when it happened. I awoke about 5:30 (I think) to the worst session of pain I've had here. It was in the area of the stent surgery. The chronic pain in my back was much less. Call this stent area pain 8 or 9 out of 10. (They want everything rated from 0 to 10.) This was the first time I buzzed nurse Kathy and begged shamelessly for morphine. She gave me a pill and said I could have another one, called a breakthrough dose, in an hour and I drifted off to sleep again. She opened the stent so it drained into the tube again. I awoke in an hour, in pain again, buzzed and got the breakthrough dose. Kathy went home at 7 am and I have nurse Aimie now. Both are excellent. My blood pressure is way down: seventy something over fifty something. Aimie is hooking me back up to some IV fluid. Gotta go.
OK, I'm on the drip again. Dr Nanji was just in. There is a bit of a concern that I have an infection so I may get an antibiotic later.
He says I am definitely not going home today.
Pat Gruber just called me from Stratford but Aimie was still working me over so I couldn't talk much.
It's 2 pm now.
I've maybe taken too long to continue this as I left you thinking I was in great pain with very little blood pressure.
The pain was gone within a few minutes of my second dose of morphine early this morning and I have been comfortable ever since. I'm back to using the little bag to collect bile. It is my feeling that the stent is not working. A couple of doctors have been in, poked me a bit and gone away. I think they have to have another meeting to decide what to do next. I'm wondering if they will try another surgery to get a stent in so I won't have to use the little bag. My blood pressure has come up - not a lot but at least it is moving in the right direction.
6 pm
Anne and Stephen were here from roughly 11 am to 6 pm. Norm and Gail were here for most of the afternoon but not quite as much as Anne and Stephen.
I'm back on IV with a couple of bags. One bag is NaCl and the other is an antibiotic. I think they have decided that I have an infection from the stent and that the stent does not work when it is directed to drain into my intestine. It does drain into the bag fine and that has allowed me to feel a little better and my skin to get back to a more normal colour. I think they are consulting with each other trying to decide what to do for me next. There has not been any new talk of me going home soon - they want to get the infection down first. Anne gave me a nice bath while she was here today. I'm going to clean my teeth, make some phone calls and try to turn in early. We have discovered that the best food here is the chicken fingers in the coffee shop downstairs.
9:30 pm
My blood pressure is just fine: 107 over 59.
They have decided to have a better look at what the stent is doing by injecting a dye into it and following the dye on an x-ray. I'm to have that done sometime tomorrow. That means no breakfast and likely no lunch.
There are two bags on the IV pump for overnight: KCl in one and something called Piperacillin and Tazobactam with dextrose in the other.
Bedtime
OK, I'm on the drip again. Dr Nanji was just in. There is a bit of a concern that I have an infection so I may get an antibiotic later.
He says I am definitely not going home today.
Pat Gruber just called me from Stratford but Aimie was still working me over so I couldn't talk much.
It's 2 pm now.
I've maybe taken too long to continue this as I left you thinking I was in great pain with very little blood pressure.
The pain was gone within a few minutes of my second dose of morphine early this morning and I have been comfortable ever since. I'm back to using the little bag to collect bile. It is my feeling that the stent is not working. A couple of doctors have been in, poked me a bit and gone away. I think they have to have another meeting to decide what to do next. I'm wondering if they will try another surgery to get a stent in so I won't have to use the little bag. My blood pressure has come up - not a lot but at least it is moving in the right direction.
6 pm
Anne and Stephen were here from roughly 11 am to 6 pm. Norm and Gail were here for most of the afternoon but not quite as much as Anne and Stephen.
I'm back on IV with a couple of bags. One bag is NaCl and the other is an antibiotic. I think they have decided that I have an infection from the stent and that the stent does not work when it is directed to drain into my intestine. It does drain into the bag fine and that has allowed me to feel a little better and my skin to get back to a more normal colour. I think they are consulting with each other trying to decide what to do for me next. There has not been any new talk of me going home soon - they want to get the infection down first. Anne gave me a nice bath while she was here today. I'm going to clean my teeth, make some phone calls and try to turn in early. We have discovered that the best food here is the chicken fingers in the coffee shop downstairs.
9:30 pm
My blood pressure is just fine: 107 over 59.
They have decided to have a better look at what the stent is doing by injecting a dye into it and following the dye on an x-ray. I'm to have that done sometime tomorrow. That means no breakfast and likely no lunch.
There are two bags on the IV pump for overnight: KCl in one and something called Piperacillin and Tazobactam with dextrose in the other.
Bedtime
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Not so Sunny Sunday
Hi
Morning Report
It is overcast and gloomy. The lake is very calm and the windmills on Wolfe Island are barely turning. Even though it is Sunday, the crew is still working on painting the hospital's smokestack across the road. They have done most of the part that faces me so I won't get to see them work much.
I'm a little better than yesterday but am still very gassy. There is some pain where the surgery was but it is much much less than after the surgery on Friday. I can walk around again.
At least two doctors have seen me this morning and both say the same thing. Sometime today they will close the valve on the stent so the liver drains into my intestines instead of the bag. Then if that works well I can go home tomorrow. However, I've been told "tomorrow" for so many things I may not believe it until it happens. I need another visit from the chemo doctor (extremely nice man) too.
Ken and Bridget (my brother and his wife) were here yesterday and did quite a birdwatching tour of the area. They stayed in a local hotel last night and then dropped in here about 9 am on their way back home.
Not much else to say at the moment. I'll do more when something more happens. Damn, something just did. I spilled a glass of water on my bed. I better go and clean it up.
Now it is about half an hour later. The nurse turned the little plastic tap on my drain to send it all through my intestine instead of to the external bag. Now we wait to see if it drains or swells up.
Late Night Report
April Watson, her husband Andrew and her sister Michelle were in from lunch time or so until mid-afternoon. April had written a very touching letter to me in appreciation of my teaching - a bit of a tear-jerker - thanks, April. We played cards because April and Michelle remember playing Go Fish at our house 20+ years ago when they were very young.
I think Anne and Stephen arrived not too long after they did and we all visited in the lounge so we wouldn't crowd the ward room too much. It sounds like April and Andrew are actually enjoying supply teaching and are getting work almost every day.
As they left Jonathan and Jacinta arrived so we had a good family visit. After J&J left my sister Clara and her husband Dan came. That made a busy day but a good day. Cheryl Stevenson dropped in too. A busy day but a good one.
Am I going home tomorrow? Two criteria - have had a bowel movement and have the stent work.
I did have a BM but is was a rather small one so I'm not sure it will count. The stent seems to work but we will know better tomorrow. So the answer is still maybe. We hope to know in good time tomorrow.
Stephen has Mondays off so he can drive Anne. If it is put off until Tuesday we will phone someone who has offered.
Very tired - going down for the count soon.
Good night all and thanks for your hopes and prayers.
Morning Report
It is overcast and gloomy. The lake is very calm and the windmills on Wolfe Island are barely turning. Even though it is Sunday, the crew is still working on painting the hospital's smokestack across the road. They have done most of the part that faces me so I won't get to see them work much.
I'm a little better than yesterday but am still very gassy. There is some pain where the surgery was but it is much much less than after the surgery on Friday. I can walk around again.
At least two doctors have seen me this morning and both say the same thing. Sometime today they will close the valve on the stent so the liver drains into my intestines instead of the bag. Then if that works well I can go home tomorrow. However, I've been told "tomorrow" for so many things I may not believe it until it happens. I need another visit from the chemo doctor (extremely nice man) too.
Ken and Bridget (my brother and his wife) were here yesterday and did quite a birdwatching tour of the area. They stayed in a local hotel last night and then dropped in here about 9 am on their way back home.
Not much else to say at the moment. I'll do more when something more happens. Damn, something just did. I spilled a glass of water on my bed. I better go and clean it up.
Now it is about half an hour later. The nurse turned the little plastic tap on my drain to send it all through my intestine instead of to the external bag. Now we wait to see if it drains or swells up.
Late Night Report
April Watson, her husband Andrew and her sister Michelle were in from lunch time or so until mid-afternoon. April had written a very touching letter to me in appreciation of my teaching - a bit of a tear-jerker - thanks, April. We played cards because April and Michelle remember playing Go Fish at our house 20+ years ago when they were very young.
I think Anne and Stephen arrived not too long after they did and we all visited in the lounge so we wouldn't crowd the ward room too much. It sounds like April and Andrew are actually enjoying supply teaching and are getting work almost every day.
As they left Jonathan and Jacinta arrived so we had a good family visit. After J&J left my sister Clara and her husband Dan came. That made a busy day but a good day. Cheryl Stevenson dropped in too. A busy day but a good one.
Am I going home tomorrow? Two criteria - have had a bowel movement and have the stent work.
I did have a BM but is was a rather small one so I'm not sure it will count. The stent seems to work but we will know better tomorrow. So the answer is still maybe. We hope to know in good time tomorrow.
Stephen has Mondays off so he can drive Anne. If it is put off until Tuesday we will phone someone who has offered.
Very tired - going down for the count soon.
Good night all and thanks for your hopes and prayers.
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Sunny Saturday
Morning Report
Another beautiful-looking sunny day. At sunrise the hospital smokestack outside my window glows a golden colour. By now it is just white.
I was pretty sore and groggy after the operation yesterday but at least the stent is in. It drains out through my side into a bag so far. My urine and bowel movements (if I ever have one again) go where they are supposed to but the bile duct still goes to the stent and into the bag. When they are satisfied it has drained enough they can make it switch to my intestine without any more surgery just by putting a cap on it. Then if everything works OK after a few weeks they will remove the part that sticks out through my side.
It is still quite sore and I think it is just the morphine keeping me from whining. It is less sore than yesterday and they are letting me walk around again this morning. I guess time and patience are what I need. That and rest. I think I'll lie down again. Don't let the word "tired" scare you away from visiting. I can visit lying down if I have to. I hope to see some of you today.
Yesterday I was visited by two groups of specialists. The first was the palliative care group. Somehow the name is a bit depressing. However, two of the three doctors in the group were extremely nice and had useful advice, most of which I promptly forgot. Anne will remember more.
Then while I was still in a postoperative fog a Doctor whose last name starts with B came. He is the chemotherapy specialist assigned to me. Very impressive. I guess he designs and monitors my therapy but it will actually be done in one of Peterborough, Cobourg or Belleville (at least most of the time) so that we will not have to drive so far. Anne now knows how to get to the hospital in Kingston but she is much more familiar with those three closer cities. It will mean that a chemo session will take only half a day vs a whole day if we have to come to Kingston.
Evening Report
Chris Smith was in this morning for a while. Then just before lunch Anne and Stephen came with a surprise, Stephen's friend Cal came too. Cal was very good company - he actually seemed to like hearing stories about teaching in Campbellford and even laughed at the right times. Cal is a high school math teacher at Appleby College in Burlington. Remember Peter Thompson who taught at CDHS for a while in the 1980s or so? He teaches at the same school Cal does. Then my brother Ken and his wife Bridget came about supper time.
I'm a bit fuzzy about which doctors were in today. We had been thinking about having the chemotherapy done closer to home in Belleville, Cobourg or Peterborough. Then the doctor, I forget which one, said that the chemo would happen at about 2 week intervals. We think that if it is that infrequent we can just come here for it where we already have a support team available. We will likely have that sorted out on Monday.
My biggest job today was to have a bowel movement. After a rather uncomfortable couple of sessions I have manged two so I feel I have made progress.
Jim and Pat MacDonald and Doug and Marilyn Keene cleaned up the winter debris from my lawn and cut my grass. My rough and tumble lawn must have been a comedown for both of them. Thanks, everybody.
Nurse Kelly just fed me my evening pills. Time to brush teeth and go to bed.
Another beautiful-looking sunny day. At sunrise the hospital smokestack outside my window glows a golden colour. By now it is just white.
I was pretty sore and groggy after the operation yesterday but at least the stent is in. It drains out through my side into a bag so far. My urine and bowel movements (if I ever have one again) go where they are supposed to but the bile duct still goes to the stent and into the bag. When they are satisfied it has drained enough they can make it switch to my intestine without any more surgery just by putting a cap on it. Then if everything works OK after a few weeks they will remove the part that sticks out through my side.
It is still quite sore and I think it is just the morphine keeping me from whining. It is less sore than yesterday and they are letting me walk around again this morning. I guess time and patience are what I need. That and rest. I think I'll lie down again. Don't let the word "tired" scare you away from visiting. I can visit lying down if I have to. I hope to see some of you today.
Yesterday I was visited by two groups of specialists. The first was the palliative care group. Somehow the name is a bit depressing. However, two of the three doctors in the group were extremely nice and had useful advice, most of which I promptly forgot. Anne will remember more.
Then while I was still in a postoperative fog a Doctor whose last name starts with B came. He is the chemotherapy specialist assigned to me. Very impressive. I guess he designs and monitors my therapy but it will actually be done in one of Peterborough, Cobourg or Belleville (at least most of the time) so that we will not have to drive so far. Anne now knows how to get to the hospital in Kingston but she is much more familiar with those three closer cities. It will mean that a chemo session will take only half a day vs a whole day if we have to come to Kingston.
Evening Report
Chris Smith was in this morning for a while. Then just before lunch Anne and Stephen came with a surprise, Stephen's friend Cal came too. Cal was very good company - he actually seemed to like hearing stories about teaching in Campbellford and even laughed at the right times. Cal is a high school math teacher at Appleby College in Burlington. Remember Peter Thompson who taught at CDHS for a while in the 1980s or so? He teaches at the same school Cal does. Then my brother Ken and his wife Bridget came about supper time.
I'm a bit fuzzy about which doctors were in today. We had been thinking about having the chemotherapy done closer to home in Belleville, Cobourg or Peterborough. Then the doctor, I forget which one, said that the chemo would happen at about 2 week intervals. We think that if it is that infrequent we can just come here for it where we already have a support team available. We will likely have that sorted out on Monday.
My biggest job today was to have a bowel movement. After a rather uncomfortable couple of sessions I have manged two so I feel I have made progress.
Jim and Pat MacDonald and Doug and Marilyn Keene cleaned up the winter debris from my lawn and cut my grass. My rough and tumble lawn must have been a comedown for both of them. Thanks, everybody.
Nurse Kelly just fed me my evening pills. Time to brush teeth and go to bed.
Friday, 11 May 2012
Beautiful Sunny Friday
I'm still wait-listed for stent surgery today but I likely won't know until they come to get me. In the meantime I am not to eat or drink.
If it happens and works then the earliest I might go home is tomorrow. If not then I likely won't go until at least Monday. However nothing much is definite until it happens.
You're welcome to try to visit today but you may be unlucky enough to have to wait for me to come up from the OR. Check the blog or phone before coming tomorrow or Sunday.
It happened.
I'm back from the OR and it seemed to go fine. I have a little drain bag on my right hip with bile draining into it. I'm quite groggy and in more pain than usual so I'm going to rest and come back later.
OK, now it is a little later, 6 hours or so - about 7 pm. Anne has come and gone with her chauffeur, Linda Thompson (retired CDHS teacher). I'm still groggy from the surgery and/or the morphine that is keeping me from going crazy with pain. Visits from Brian Finley and Donna Bennett, along with someone else. I'm sorry, two someone elses: I am so full of drugs I have trouble remembering. Now, Saturday morning, I remember. How about Gord Reid and Cheryl Stevenson.
I don't think there is any chance of getting out before Monday, and even Monday is unlikely.
If it happens and works then the earliest I might go home is tomorrow. If not then I likely won't go until at least Monday. However nothing much is definite until it happens.
You're welcome to try to visit today but you may be unlucky enough to have to wait for me to come up from the OR. Check the blog or phone before coming tomorrow or Sunday.
It happened.
I'm back from the OR and it seemed to go fine. I have a little drain bag on my right hip with bile draining into it. I'm quite groggy and in more pain than usual so I'm going to rest and come back later.
OK, now it is a little later, 6 hours or so - about 7 pm. Anne has come and gone with her chauffeur, Linda Thompson (retired CDHS teacher). I'm still groggy from the surgery and/or the morphine that is keeping me from going crazy with pain. Visits from Brian Finley and Donna Bennett, along with someone else. I'm sorry, two someone elses: I am so full of drugs I have trouble remembering. Now, Saturday morning, I remember. How about Gord Reid and Cheryl Stevenson.
I don't think there is any chance of getting out before Monday, and even Monday is unlikely.
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Stent a Non-Event
I think I got the message out today that I'm not really going to recover from this. However, I do plan to get healthier than I am and enjoy whatever time I have left. One hope for improvement is to put a stent in my bile duct which we hope will get rid of nausea and indigestion. They wheeled me down for that this morning. Between the morphine and whatever anaesthetic they gave me down there, I don't remember much except some strange stuff was in my mouth and the room swayed a lot.
They put a camera tube down my throat and used x-rays to guide a smaller piece of tubing (i.e. the stent) down through my esophagus and stomach and into the small intestine. They tried to stick the stent up through the bile duct towards the liver. However the pressure of the tumour on the bile duct was so strong that the tube could not be forced through the duct and eventually they gave up and pulled it all out. So no points for the good guys today.
They want to try again, hopefully tomorrow, using a more surgical method in which they will cut a hole for the stent so that it will go in for sure.
This may also delay my consultation with the chemotherapy specialist and my return home unless they can do more than one of those in a day. I did have a visit from a palliative care team. I know that term sounds depressing but they do seem to have several ideas to make my life more comfortable.
Anne was here waiting when I came back from the stent attempt. Marilyn Keene (from Westben) drove her today. Barb Kirkham (retired from CDHS) and Cheryl Stevenson were also here.
I forgot to mention that Terry Kirkland dropped by yesterday for a couple of hours. Terry is another teacher retired from CDHS.
I was adventurous enough to eat a slice of pizza. I may regret it in the long run but it was good and so far has stayed down. Supper seems to be staying down too.
Many thanks for all your visits, emails and other expressions of concern.
They put a camera tube down my throat and used x-rays to guide a smaller piece of tubing (i.e. the stent) down through my esophagus and stomach and into the small intestine. They tried to stick the stent up through the bile duct towards the liver. However the pressure of the tumour on the bile duct was so strong that the tube could not be forced through the duct and eventually they gave up and pulled it all out. So no points for the good guys today.
They want to try again, hopefully tomorrow, using a more surgical method in which they will cut a hole for the stent so that it will go in for sure.
This may also delay my consultation with the chemotherapy specialist and my return home unless they can do more than one of those in a day. I did have a visit from a palliative care team. I know that term sounds depressing but they do seem to have several ideas to make my life more comfortable.
Anne was here waiting when I came back from the stent attempt. Marilyn Keene (from Westben) drove her today. Barb Kirkham (retired from CDHS) and Cheryl Stevenson were also here.
I forgot to mention that Terry Kirkland dropped by yesterday for a couple of hours. Terry is another teacher retired from CDHS.
I was adventurous enough to eat a slice of pizza. I may regret it in the long run but it was good and so far has stayed down. Supper seems to be staying down too.
Many thanks for all your visits, emails and other expressions of concern.
Liver Biopsy Discouraging
Today (Thursday) they will put a stent in my bile duct which at the moment is blocked by the tumour pressing against it. Then bile and other digestive fluids can flow from the liver to the small intestine the way they are supposed to and I'll be able to digest foods better and I won't feel nauseous. That is good news and I am glad they are doing it.
They got the result of my liver biopsy yesterday afternoon and it is not good. The cancer has spread from the pancreas to the liver and is now deemed inoperable. They also consider it too far gone for chemo or therapy radiation to cure. They do hope that they can at least shrink the tumour enough so that it will stop pressing on my spine and combined with other pain relief make me feel much better at least for a while. I will see the chemo specialist Friday. Until then I won't know how much or how often I will have chemo. Anne and I have been hugging more than usual. I suppose there is the faint hope that the therapies will shrink the cancer enough that surgery becomes an option again but I think that is a faint hope. Faint hopes are better than no hope.
Some good news is that I can get the chemotherapy in Belleville instead of Kingston. This cuts the travel to less than half.
Another bit of bad news is that they cannot predict how long I will live. My surgeon says to count in months rather than years. Somehow I don't think he means 360 months when he says that. When I suggested twenty-four months, he took that as good a guess as any but wouldn't confirm it. So even that guess might be optimistic. I will get a better idea when I talk to the chemo doctor, likely tomorrow.
Thank you all for your caring emails and phone calls - they do help. This is a little scary but it will be OK.
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Not Going Home Yet - New Room and Phone Number
New Room - New Extension Phone Number
Kidd Wing, 6th floor, Room 641, Bed 2 K641-2 for short
613-549-6666 ext 6956
View of lake instead of curtain - nice
Breaking News: I'm Not Going Home Until Friday at the Earliest
My surgeon came in before lunch just as Anne and Norah arrived and no I will not be going home today.
I expect to have a stent put in tomorrow so that digestive fluids can flow from my liver to my intestine and that should improve my digestion and get rid of the jaundice and the itch that goes with it. Then I will likely go home Friday.
By then they will have results from yesterday's biopsy and I hope they will have a plan in place for therapy.
So most of what I wrote earlier today no longer applies. The bit about the raccoon chewing up my Internet connection still does.
The young doctor group usually comes in earlier than the older ones. They were here about 6:30 and announced that they would take me off the IV again and if I didn't dry out and if I kept food down they might send me home later today.
So if you are planning to come today don't until you have checked back here and found something more definite or phoned here (613 549 6666 ext 6940) or talked to Anne. If you like sitting in an empty hospital room or visiting with my roommate (who will likely go home too) or with our replacements then feel free to come anyway.
Of course I might not go home if the older doctors have other ideas or if I throw up my breakfast.
Norah Watson was planning to bring Anne to visit today so they can be the ones to take me home.
Anne won't know this yet because our Internet is not working at home, thanks to a raccoon with a wire-chewing fetish. That means I can't email or blog either once I leave here. I don't know how long it will take to get things going again at home. This happened last spring too so maybe it is time to change the way Internet is connected to the house. I'll wait until after 8 am to phone her - she will need all the rest she can get if she has to start looking after me again.
Of course, even if I go home, I'll be coming back here soon for some combination of therapy and surgery.
I'll post more when I know more.
Kidd Wing, 6th floor, Room 641, Bed 2 K641-2 for short
613-549-6666 ext 6956
View of lake instead of curtain - nice
Breaking News: I'm Not Going Home Until Friday at the Earliest
My surgeon came in before lunch just as Anne and Norah arrived and no I will not be going home today.
I expect to have a stent put in tomorrow so that digestive fluids can flow from my liver to my intestine and that should improve my digestion and get rid of the jaundice and the itch that goes with it. Then I will likely go home Friday.
By then they will have results from yesterday's biopsy and I hope they will have a plan in place for therapy.
So most of what I wrote earlier today no longer applies. The bit about the raccoon chewing up my Internet connection still does.
Of course, even if I go home, I'll be coming back here soon for some combination of therapy and surgery.
I'll post more when I know more.
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Tuesday
Morning
Not such a good start to the day. I'm back to not even keeping liquids down. They will reconnect the IV soon to keep me hydrated.
They are leaning to the second of the two options that I mentioned earlier: trying to shrink the tumour first with chemo and radiation therapies.
Also, they are going to do a liver biopsy using a needle to get a bit of material from my liver. That may happen either late today or early tomorrow, so I'm not going to be sent home until tomorrow at the earliest.
Thanks again to everyone for their kind words.
Anne's Trip to Her MRI in Lindsay
Her trip to Lindsay went fine. They will phone her in a few days with a plan based on the results of the MRI, so for now we don't know anything more.
"Why did she have to go to Lindsay?", you ask. "Why not use the MRI in Peterborough, which is closer both for us and for her doctor?"
When I asked her cancer doctor this question two weeks ago he just rolled his eyes and said that the MRI in Peterborough wasn't big enough, so I suggested that Peterborough doctors had planned for a bigger one and some bean counter decided they couldn't afford it and ordered a smaller one instead. He said that was pretty much what happened. So in our area, skinny people get MRIs in Peterborough but the rest of us have to go to Lindsay.
After her scan Anne and Stephen joined Jonathan and Jacinta for lunch along with Jacinta's parents Lynne and Gord.
I've got to go.
Then there is a gap of several hours that I'll explain later.
Lynne and Gord spend the winter in North Carolina. A few weeks ago they were packing to return to Lindsay for the summer when Gord had a stroke and Lynne called an ambulance. It sounded to us like he almost died. He couldn't walk, talk, swallow or communicate in any way. He did recover a bit down there and Lynne, with the help of Jacinta's sister Tandy, brought him back to Lindsay. He has slowly gotten a lot better. He can walk and swallow but still does not talk. He is somewhat more communicative in other ways and Anne says he picked out his own lunch by pointing at its picture on the menu.
Liver Biopsy
That time gap mentioned above was caused by a woman with a gurney to take me down for the needle biopsy of a suspicious spot on my liver. They came at 1 pm, much earlier than expected. The procedure itself was surprisingly not painful, but afterwards it has been quite sore where they shoved in the needle. Originally they said they would have to put a dye in my blood and use xrays to guide the doctor, but they used ultrasound instead so I didn't need to ingest the dye. They won't know the results of this for a couple of days but it should help them decide how to proceed. It sure would be nice if they could just open me up, cut out the tumour and let me get on with my life, but it just is not that simple.
Visitors
Anne and our neighbour Marion were waiting for a visit when I came back from the biopsy. I wasn't much fun to visit with as I kept drifting off to sleep. Brian Finley dropped by; he had a fundraising meeting with someone in Kingston. After he left, Carol Robertson came for a while. I was scheduled to do a lighting job for the Lilac Festival in Warkworth the weekend of May 26. Carol is helping to do that along with a lighting tech from Belleville that I met through my brother-in-law Dan. Dan works for Christie Lites, a large lighting company.
I've not felt hungry but did eat a little soup and the filling from a lemon tart. They have increased my allowed painkiller dose so I am hoping I will sleep better tonight.
Cyberspace Limbo - Anne has no Email
Our Internet connection at home has quit working, so Anne can no longer get emails or even read this blog at home. We think a raccoon has chewed through the cable from the Internet antenna. Our TV antenna (remember TV antennas and rotors - we still use one) is not working either, presumably for the same reason. So if you need to get through to her, you are best to phone and leave a message if she doesn't answer. Even if she is coming here, she won't leave very early so phoning about 9 am should work.
Thanks again for all your messages of support.
Not such a good start to the day. I'm back to not even keeping liquids down. They will reconnect the IV soon to keep me hydrated.
They are leaning to the second of the two options that I mentioned earlier: trying to shrink the tumour first with chemo and radiation therapies.
Also, they are going to do a liver biopsy using a needle to get a bit of material from my liver. That may happen either late today or early tomorrow, so I'm not going to be sent home until tomorrow at the earliest.
Thanks again to everyone for their kind words.
Anne's Trip to Her MRI in Lindsay
Her trip to Lindsay went fine. They will phone her in a few days with a plan based on the results of the MRI, so for now we don't know anything more.
"Why did she have to go to Lindsay?", you ask. "Why not use the MRI in Peterborough, which is closer both for us and for her doctor?"
When I asked her cancer doctor this question two weeks ago he just rolled his eyes and said that the MRI in Peterborough wasn't big enough, so I suggested that Peterborough doctors had planned for a bigger one and some bean counter decided they couldn't afford it and ordered a smaller one instead. He said that was pretty much what happened. So in our area, skinny people get MRIs in Peterborough but the rest of us have to go to Lindsay.
After her scan Anne and Stephen joined Jonathan and Jacinta for lunch along with Jacinta's parents Lynne and Gord.
I've got to go.
Then there is a gap of several hours that I'll explain later.
Lynne and Gord spend the winter in North Carolina. A few weeks ago they were packing to return to Lindsay for the summer when Gord had a stroke and Lynne called an ambulance. It sounded to us like he almost died. He couldn't walk, talk, swallow or communicate in any way. He did recover a bit down there and Lynne, with the help of Jacinta's sister Tandy, brought him back to Lindsay. He has slowly gotten a lot better. He can walk and swallow but still does not talk. He is somewhat more communicative in other ways and Anne says he picked out his own lunch by pointing at its picture on the menu.
Liver Biopsy
That time gap mentioned above was caused by a woman with a gurney to take me down for the needle biopsy of a suspicious spot on my liver. They came at 1 pm, much earlier than expected. The procedure itself was surprisingly not painful, but afterwards it has been quite sore where they shoved in the needle. Originally they said they would have to put a dye in my blood and use xrays to guide the doctor, but they used ultrasound instead so I didn't need to ingest the dye. They won't know the results of this for a couple of days but it should help them decide how to proceed. It sure would be nice if they could just open me up, cut out the tumour and let me get on with my life, but it just is not that simple.
Visitors
Anne and our neighbour Marion were waiting for a visit when I came back from the biopsy. I wasn't much fun to visit with as I kept drifting off to sleep. Brian Finley dropped by; he had a fundraising meeting with someone in Kingston. After he left, Carol Robertson came for a while. I was scheduled to do a lighting job for the Lilac Festival in Warkworth the weekend of May 26. Carol is helping to do that along with a lighting tech from Belleville that I met through my brother-in-law Dan. Dan works for Christie Lites, a large lighting company.
I've not felt hungry but did eat a little soup and the filling from a lemon tart. They have increased my allowed painkiller dose so I am hoping I will sleep better tonight.
Cyberspace Limbo - Anne has no Email
Our Internet connection at home has quit working, so Anne can no longer get emails or even read this blog at home. We think a raccoon has chewed through the cable from the Internet antenna. Our TV antenna (remember TV antennas and rotors - we still use one) is not working either, presumably for the same reason. So if you need to get through to her, you are best to phone and leave a message if she doesn't answer. Even if she is coming here, she won't leave very early so phoning about 9 am should work.
Thanks again for all your messages of support.
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