Peter has remained in hospital all this week and while the doctor is aiming for his discharge on Monday I am not so sure it will be then. Peter has continued with the Cisplatin and 5FU chemotherapy this week for 5 days through a pump into his Pic line in his arm and he has also commenced radiotherapy and had 5 of the 12 sessions to date. While he has not been as nauseated this time as he was from the last bout of chemotherapy he said yesterday he feel flat and low and is thinking he can't go on. I think that within a week or two some of the nausea and depression may well lift a little as he begins to eliminate the toxins from his system. He currently has a low sodium level and so the IV drip has had to come off and salt added to his tube feeds to try to rectify that. He also has an infection at the Peg tube site and so is now on antibiotics too. The human body is so complex that everything is linked to everything else and one thing out of synch leads to so many other issues.
We have successfully commenced overnight feeding through the Peg tube into his duodenum with a pump and he is now having the 1 litre infused overnight with 2 smaller feeds through the tube during the day. So with that nutrition going in now on a regular basis I think Peter will start to look a little better and start to feel a bit better gradually as well.
I have been at the hospital showering, dressing and administering the extra feeds as well as keeping an eye on the dressing changes and medications as there is a bit of laxness from time to time and things don't get done when you necessarily want them done. I also learnt to do the overnight feeds through the pump so I can do them when he comes home. We are being loaned a special pump to do the feeds and I was keen to use it under nursing supervision before being at home wondering what goes where etc.
This week I managed to take a quick drive up to Sydney to see my mother who has just had a tumour removed from her salivary gland and will now undertake 30 sessions of radiotherapy. I hadn't seen her for more than 6 weeks and so I was glad that Peter was in hospital so I could take the quick trip and be back within 24 hours. Luckily I have an excellently competent sister who is accompanying mum and dad to the specialists etc, in between work and family.
So as for next week, I am hopeful we will see some gradual decreasing of the impacts of the chemotherapy, while the radiotherapy is still continuing. After that, I am unsure as I am not sure how many cycles of the chemotherapy Dr Yip considers appropriate. So I will wait to hear about that next week.
Until then, take care everyone and remember - don't smoke, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and don't get fat!!! Cheers - Leanne
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Monday 23 June 2008
A hugely busy and tiring day today. Up early and after 2 hours and 45 minutes of feeding Peter and myself, showering Peter and myself, organising a 2nd feed and medications, loading up the car and packing his hospital bag with medications etc we got to the hospital. I know that those of you who have had babies know all about this and so it is not new but it is new for us to have to have one of us do everything for the other.
Anyway, Peter spent up to 3.30pm today getting his next round of chemotherapy, Peg tube wound attended to along with bloods taken etc before being admitted to the National Capital Private Hospital and then having a consultation with the dietitian, another with the registrar, being wheeled across to the Canberra Hospital for radiotherapy at 5pm and then having to be hooked up to drips, have meds injected through the Peg and have a 1 litre bottle of Ensure ("complete food") hooked up for a 12 hour "feed" through the tube. So at 8pm I decided all was well for the night and headed home.
As per the previous blog entries, Pete is scheduled to be in for around 5 days and then will come home and I will need to take him into radiotherapy for another 2 weeks after that. So far he has regained a little cheer at the fact the dietitian has agreed to try him out on higher amounts of tube feeding. I have to say both Peter and I were keen to see if more was possible as he has been loosing condition faster than a speeding bullet and over the past 2 days I have had to help shower him again as he can stand but not do anything much to contribute to the exercise and of course I have to towel him dry and dress him.
I am very hopeful he can cope with the increased feeds and it doesn't put too much adverse pressure on his system as he is now eating nothing - with only an occasional apple juice or broth.
Anyway, stay tuned for the next episode. I can say that on past performance, by tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday morning he will probably be feeling appalling from the effects of the chemotherapy. At least he doesn't have to try to cope with swallowing anything or eating now if the tube feeding works out.
Au revoir - Leanne.
Anyway, Peter spent up to 3.30pm today getting his next round of chemotherapy, Peg tube wound attended to along with bloods taken etc before being admitted to the National Capital Private Hospital and then having a consultation with the dietitian, another with the registrar, being wheeled across to the Canberra Hospital for radiotherapy at 5pm and then having to be hooked up to drips, have meds injected through the Peg and have a 1 litre bottle of Ensure ("complete food") hooked up for a 12 hour "feed" through the tube. So at 8pm I decided all was well for the night and headed home.
As per the previous blog entries, Pete is scheduled to be in for around 5 days and then will come home and I will need to take him into radiotherapy for another 2 weeks after that. So far he has regained a little cheer at the fact the dietitian has agreed to try him out on higher amounts of tube feeding. I have to say both Peter and I were keen to see if more was possible as he has been loosing condition faster than a speeding bullet and over the past 2 days I have had to help shower him again as he can stand but not do anything much to contribute to the exercise and of course I have to towel him dry and dress him.
I am very hopeful he can cope with the increased feeds and it doesn't put too much adverse pressure on his system as he is now eating nothing - with only an occasional apple juice or broth.
Anyway, stay tuned for the next episode. I can say that on past performance, by tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday morning he will probably be feeling appalling from the effects of the chemotherapy. At least he doesn't have to try to cope with swallowing anything or eating now if the tube feeding works out.
Au revoir - Leanne.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Saturday 21 June 2008
Saturday 21 June 2008
I am having a go at writing a few lines of my own again to this blog. It is not that I I am unappreciative of the work that Leanne is putting in the opposite in fact. By staring at a screen of data and then trying to emulate the erudite and witty contents I realise how much effort this now requires what with muscles that I actually tried to look up the other day doing a translation from a text book and a mirror image of what I was seeing. It is truly frightening when the differences are in seeing more puny musculature in the mirror image and NOT the text book.
I have not dared to step onto a set of scales but would not be surprised if the weight is down to the 50 -55 kilo range. For those of you who have known me - think abut it - that was usually the size of the conference papers an then there were the working papers and clothes PLUS the bulk of the attendee.
I notice that Leanne waxes lyrical abut those attending to to our needs here at home and I have to say I am empathic to this. However let us not forget those who work at the hospital directly and actually have the permissions to make the visits there as well. These doctors share rounds and patients and are equally dazzling and legendary a fact that they will have to prove again I suspect when the places into which subcut needles can be placed with which a syringe driver can be used. What IS truly amazing is what takes place in the home - I mean seriously folks whatever your fantasies about a former public servant it should not extend to the notion that without attending work there is an income stream available to pay for incurred bills for treattment. Medical supplies are not cheap. Take a few of the 'essentials Leanne has referred to:
a walker,
a wheel chair,
an oxyen concentrator,
a shower chair,
a high back motorized chair to get you into and out of positions of comfort;
wedge for the bed to emulate a hosptial elecrtonic bed;
the real thing if you need one,
pic line;
peg tube;
Injector;
not to mention the costs of visits for the personnel to use all this stuff stuff professionally in your own home and of course their costs (transport etc) as well as medication
If you want to horrify yourself check out prices and costs at Weston creek at the Independent Living Centre - don;t bother with the smalls just check the bigger ticket items only
Then ask your self how ANYONE can afford all this?
The reality is different your Doctor's fees and the medications are a little like death and taxes, there to be paid - and if you have been clever enough to DIRGREGARD the propaganda and take out private health insurance cover when you were in receipt of an income you're laughing now as bills are turned over to them and magic happens - they get paid by the insurance company and you are no worse off.
Explore then the unreal world of leasing the equipment as distinct from BUYING it. The costs will surprise you. They completely left me high and dry with admiration. THEN when you contemplate the overall service and its connectivity if will leave you with a sense of resolve to preserve all that you find intact as you have found it (minimalist position) or ADD value where you can find some (eg donations of your own) or Opimal value position where (assuming you get the chance) you volunteer YOUR TIME to the cause.
Not many things bring grown men to cry but these services up there with the better motivators.
I am having a go at writing a few lines of my own again to this blog. It is not that I I am unappreciative of the work that Leanne is putting in the opposite in fact. By staring at a screen of data and then trying to emulate the erudite and witty contents I realise how much effort this now requires what with muscles that I actually tried to look up the other day doing a translation from a text book and a mirror image of what I was seeing. It is truly frightening when the differences are in seeing more puny musculature in the mirror image and NOT the text book.
I have not dared to step onto a set of scales but would not be surprised if the weight is down to the 50 -55 kilo range. For those of you who have known me - think abut it - that was usually the size of the conference papers an then there were the working papers and clothes PLUS the bulk of the attendee.
I notice that Leanne waxes lyrical abut those attending to to our needs here at home and I have to say I am empathic to this. However let us not forget those who work at the hospital directly and actually have the permissions to make the visits there as well. These doctors share rounds and patients and are equally dazzling and legendary a fact that they will have to prove again I suspect when the places into which subcut needles can be placed with which a syringe driver can be used. What IS truly amazing is what takes place in the home - I mean seriously folks whatever your fantasies about a former public servant it should not extend to the notion that without attending work there is an income stream available to pay for incurred bills for treattment. Medical supplies are not cheap. Take a few of the 'essentials Leanne has referred to:
a walker,
a wheel chair,
an oxyen concentrator,
a shower chair,
a high back motorized chair to get you into and out of positions of comfort;
wedge for the bed to emulate a hosptial elecrtonic bed;
the real thing if you need one,
pic line;
peg tube;
Injector;
not to mention the costs of visits for the personnel to use all this stuff stuff professionally in your own home and of course their costs (transport etc) as well as medication
If you want to horrify yourself check out prices and costs at Weston creek at the Independent Living Centre - don;t bother with the smalls just check the bigger ticket items only
Then ask your self how ANYONE can afford all this?
The reality is different your Doctor's fees and the medications are a little like death and taxes, there to be paid - and if you have been clever enough to DIRGREGARD the propaganda and take out private health insurance cover when you were in receipt of an income you're laughing now as bills are turned over to them and magic happens - they get paid by the insurance company and you are no worse off.
Explore then the unreal world of leasing the equipment as distinct from BUYING it. The costs will surprise you. They completely left me high and dry with admiration. THEN when you contemplate the overall service and its connectivity if will leave you with a sense of resolve to preserve all that you find intact as you have found it (minimalist position) or ADD value where you can find some (eg donations of your own) or Opimal value position where (assuming you get the chance) you volunteer YOUR TIME to the cause.
Not many things bring grown men to cry but these services up there with the better motivators.
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