The Week in Review

Julie,
Dick is having a rough time I see. I am sorry to hear this. I am sure the meds have something to do with it but the fact he isn't eating doesn't sound good. Here's hopin you see a change in him soon, and he perks up for the visitors about to desend on you there in Tucson!!! TAKE CARE , Ginger

Long and rambling post skip if you want.

Monday was Cancer Center Day. Dick's hemoglobin was 9.3, his white count was below normal and his platelets were way down. He did use the walker where the week before he used the wheel chair. No appointments the rest of the week and he slept most of the time. I thought that he might improve now that the radiation therapy is complete. It takes him hours to do what used to take 20 minutes and I have to prompt him most of the time. He had a low grade fever a couple of days. I think he may still have a UTI. His urologist office phone to say he had opened up a clinic and would Dick like to come in a week early. Absolutely. So I took him in yesterday afternoon. After much discussion and them seeing how long it takes to respond they said it was probably the pain medication which is also responsible for his poor appetite. Plus there were white cells in the specimen so they will culture it and I will phone Monday to get the results. Dr. W said he wanted to give an antibiotic specific to what ever was there as Dick has been on several different antibiotics for the last month.

There is no one thing apparent but putting them all together means Dick is in terrible shape. We also scheduled the next stent change for August.
The resident who saw Dick through most of the stuff last year is back from her rotation through pediatric urology and the VA. A new resident was interviewing Dick and she came in and took over and told the Dr. that Dick would be her patient as long as she was there. This is a good thing as she is very responsive to our concerns and easier to contact than her Attending. This is by far the friendlies relationship we have had with a Doctor and by and large they are friendly. I think the worst was the first urologist who had no bedside manner and was always too rushed to talk.

Dick is eating like he had the stomach bypass about 2 tablespoons a meal. He says he feels full. I don't know if that is the medications or if something else is going on. Things are still moving though with help from Stool Softeners and Senna. He is up to 75mg of Fentanyl and 20 mg of oxycodone for breakthrough pain. I'm not sure the radiation therapy relieved much of the pain.

My friend who phoned two weeks ago offering to help will need support for herself. She took her husband to the ER and the outcome is he has Stage IV metastatic esophageal cancer. She has already called in Hospice. She said she didn't want to bother me and I said phone anytime you know "misery loves company."

Our granddaughters visit in a month and I would like Dick to be awake enough to visit. Julie