This week has been very hard for Peter. The chemo transfusion on Monday was fine - a 2 and 1/2 hour process in the Chemotherapy Clinic of the National Capital Private Hospital where all the staff know Peter from his past courses of treatment. They are exceptionally excellent, efficient and competent nurses who understand Peter, his history, humour and concerns and amazingly have mostly all been there for the past 5 years.
By Tuesday Peter was starting to feel a bit under the weather, but he was able to shower, dress and read in his recliner chair. It was a bit mad as I had the carpets and lounge steam cleaned so the house was in complete uproar (something I had booked before we knew Peter was starting the chemo). By Wednesday, he was very ill with unrelenting nausea and has been in bed since then. I'd say the worst days were Wednesday through to Friday and the nights were bad as well (not much rest for me there). Over the weekend he has been still nauseated but I have been trying to be rigorous in administering the Cyclizine (anti-emetic) every 4 hours to avoid him starting to get unwell and then having to spend an hour or more bringing it back under control.
He couldn't make any of his medical appointments this week as a result and I was, luckily, able to get the community nurse to come out to assess the pressure area on his paralysed right elbow. She says we are doing well with using a memory foam neck pillow to support his arm while he is in bed (courtesy of the OT at the ACT Hospice) to avoid further problems. Also our Homebased Palliative Care nurse came out on Thursday which is always reassuring.
Unfortunately, the longer Peter stays in bed the weaker he is becoming. However, he has been in such a bad state that he really needs to be in bed. He has been pretty monosyllabic for the past few days but today was able to say a few phrases so I think he is pulling out of this round now. The problem is that tomorrow the nurse from ACT Pathology will be coming to take bloods with Peter due to re-commence the 2nd week of this 1st cycle of chemotherapy on Tuesday if his blood count is able to take the next round. However, he said to me today that he feels so sick that he just can't go on. I'm not sure if that means with the treatment or generally. So I will have to wait until tomorrow to broach the subject.
With Peter being so ill, he needs more personal care than before and I am needing to do more to help him with toileting and personal care, which he can't do one-handed and when he is weaker. He is also disturbed a lot throughout the night. During the day I can get him settled and he will be generally get some peaceful rest while I do the household tasks. But at night he seems more disturbed and hence needs me more. So I am now trying to get some rest in the afternoon and we have a quiet time from about 5.30am to around 9.00 or 9.30am when I can often grab a few hours. Any routine I once might have had has now completely gone out the window.
Anyway, I have no idea what next week might bring but thanks for thinking of us with your emails and phone calls. I am not feeling very conversational at the moment, so please accept my apologies in advance if I don't phone. Best wishes to you all - Leanne
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