Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

Boy, after my last blog, things went down hill fast!  I keep finding these black holes to fall in, what's up with that???  You would think after starting antibiotics I would start improving, WRONG!  This past week has been a really tough one for me.  My head never left my pillow very long except to run for the bathroom.  I know every speck on my ceilings, so tired of laying in the bed.  Bill had to make another emergency call to the Cancer Center to get something better than Phenergan for nausea.  He ran to the pharmacy to get Zofran.  It worked for awhile then back to the bathroom.  I felt like a sick baby, with Bill doing everything for me.  I turned the corner Tuesday and when I went to the oncologist Wednesday, he was pleasantly surprised.  I even put on blush and earrings for him!  Lost the few pounds I had gained, so now I am on a mission to gain them back, very hard on a soft bland diet!  I can't have any milk products yet, so no ice cream, ugh!

I go for a PET Scan on Tuesday in Greenville.  I see the oncologist next Wednesday for those results, labs, and a discussion on what is the next course to treat this dreadful cancer.

I have been laying on the sofa this afternoon just resting, looking out the window of our front door in amazement at the energy my Bill has.  He cut the front lawn, took trash to the recycling center, washed the front porch, came in and cleaned bathrooms and is now vacuuming the kitchen.  I feel like the kid that is trying to escape her chores, guilty feeling!!

And oh did I say, my labs showed I was very low in Magnesium and Potassium.  So I am taking those pills.  You should see the size of the Potassium horse pill.  Bill has to cut it in half just for me to swallow the darn thing!

Now, did you really think I was going to post a picture of me this past week, not happening!  This is a watercolor I did several years ago.  Raggedy Ann's face is just about how I felt last week!  Although I have no hair, maybe my hair will come back in red like Miss Raggedy Ann!

Okay, I'm looking for greener pastures, so keep praying for me all my fellow bloggers!  God Bless each and every one of you.

My comfort in my suffering is this:  Your promise preserves my life, O Lord.~~Psalm 119:50~~

The Devil Visited Last Night

I went to the oncologist yesterday morning and he put me on two antibiotics to combat the fevers I have suffered with since coming home from the hospital last week.  He sent me back to the infusion center and I spent an hour and a half getting IV fluids for my dehydration.  He told me to gain some weight before I see him again next week.  Bill is going to make me some milk shakes.  I am drinking a carnation breakfast drink right now for my snack.  I have been thin my entire life, hope I am up to this challenge.  Dr. G said I need to get stronger before we can start back fighting the cancer.  I felt good after his visit.  I went to bed around 7:00 p.m. and woke up a few hours later with a migraine headache.  I have wonderful meds for the headaches but the Devil must have took one of my "reasoning marbles" out of my brain because I did not take any meds and suffered all night.  Finally got up at 6:30 a.m. and I woke Bill up and got a lecture from him.  Great, now my caregiver was upset!  Thanks DEVIL!  Bill gave me my meds, made my breakfast and in an hour I was a new girl.  If I ever see that DEVIL again he will be beat senseless with my cane.  He is not welcome at Weeks Way!

Just so you know, the rest of the day has been great.  I took a shower all by self.  I know you all think so what, but that is a major accomplishment for me at this point.  After lunch, Fed Ex delivered a nice gift from Michael and Keith in Atlanta, goodies to help fatten me up!  Thanks guys!  Here is a picture.

The Home Health nurse came this afternoon and gave me a good report.  She said next week if I am still good she will discharge me, hallelujah!  I still have the Home Health physical therapist.  She is really good and working hard to build my muscles and strength back up.

Just so you know, I still have my humor and can laugh at myself, I am posting a picture of me in my "biker cap," as Bill calls it.  I put a tattoo on my forehead; this is for my granddaughter Katie!  I want her to know that her Mama G can still have fun.

God Bless every one that reads my blog.  I do enjoy connecting with every one.  Love you all!

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

I wish I could say I have been away visiting Walt Disney World Resort for these past few weeks, but sadly not so.  After my last post of a beautiful day working in my garden, I did a little laundry on Saturday and that night after supper I got an excruciating pain in my abdomen.  The pain increased very fast, so Bill called the Cancer Center and they advised us to go to the hospital emergency room.  I could not walk, so Bill called our good friends Jean and Serge and they helped get me in the car.  After a CT scan at the hospital, the scan showed that when I had Chemo on the previous Wednesday, the Chemo did what it was supposed to do by killing a tumor on my upper bowel, unfortunately when the tumor fell off it pulled a hole in my bowel, causing all that "poison" to come out!  I had emergency surgery at 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning to cut out the bad portion of bowel and sew the good pieces together, I think it is called a bowel re-section.  Anyway, I spent 5 days in the critical care unit and 4 days in a step down unit before coming home.  We were home for 3 days and the pain came back with fevers, so back to the emergency room.  Another CT scan showed a pelvic abscess.  Admitted back to the hospital with more antibiotics and to perform a CT guided drain into the abscess.  Our local hospital was unable to perform the procedure, so an ambulance ride to Greenville Memorial Hospital, about 60 miles away took place.  They successfully put the drain in and we stayed there 4 days.  I am finally home, the drain came out yesterday, Yipee!  I am slowing recovering, but very weak.  My caregiver Bill is not only my husband but what you would call a Saint!

The picture above was taken by my son Michael when he came over from Atlanta to visit me in the Critical Care Unit.  He brought me this hat and some other beautiful gifts.  It was a good few hours for me.  But this is a RIDE I don't want to ever take again!

I wish I could say hospital food is that good, but when you are sick and only on Jello, applesauce, tea, soft peaches and/or clear liquids, it is not what I would call Five Star.  The hospital food was good according to Bill.  He would eat some of the food on my tray.  Bill has done an outstanding job of making my food at home, which is still a soft bland diet.  That's okay though because my appetite is not quite up to what it was before this FRIGHTFUL RIDE!

I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me.  I enjoy all the beautiful cards.  My family has given me some beautiful gifts as well.  I enjoy talking with my Mother in Florida, it means as much to me as to her.  I even got to talk with my son in Maryland on his birthday as well as my granddaughter on her birthday.  God Bless all of you, I could not do this with out God's help.  I won't lie, I have had many discouraging moments with tears, but I know that He is always there to lift me back up.  Love to each and every one of you.