Where does the time go?

What a combo of food, Stephany. Yes today is better. I stopped at a Vietnamese place on my way home from church for a Bun bowl which is vermicelli noodles over greens and cucumber with a meat topping. They included a vegetable soup and he ate most of it and had several bites of noodles and pork.
He is not holding a thought in his head long enough to complete a sentence. So he called to me and then couldn't tell me what he wanted. I felt like I was playing 20 questions. I'm still not sure I did the thing he wanted.

And more hugs from Iowa. Have you tried a cold cloth around the back of his neck? And on his head? We lose a lot of heat through the top of the head, and that might help. I notice in Iowa that if I don't wear a hat in the winter, my hands get chapped, too.

I feel for you. I know what's it's like to be pacing the floor, watching the thermometer, and hoping for it to go down, or for someone to call and help.

I hope tonight is easier.

Stephany in Iowa (full of sushi and pho and chocolate)

Hi Julie - I've not been on the website much lately and today did a little catch-up reading. Your road has been a rough one and I just wanted to send (((HUGS))) your way. I hope you can feel them and want you to know you and Dick are in my prayers as well. Margot

Dick had a good day yesterday he watched TV and ate solid food for dinner. One surprise was his blood oxygen was down to 80 on 4 L of oxygen. The Hospice Nurse and I tested higher settings and at 8 L he could get reading of 92. His regular concentrator won't go that high. I put him on the back up tank last night and by morning most of it was gone. We had used about half the tank up to that point.

I a so thankful for a responsive pulmonologist. I emailed her the information and she was willing to order the equipment so he could get the higher dose. She faxed Apria the information today and this evening the weekend worker delivered a concentrator that goes up to 10 L, two new 'portable' tanks, and a new back up tank. So we should be set for now.

It was an anxious morning as Dick had a fever of 102 and it would not come down despite me giving him Tylenol first thing. I am so glad Hospice gave me the liquid Tylenol. I finally phoned the weekend nurse on call for Hospice for more ideas as to what I should do. I had done all the things I've done before, such as give him Tylenol, uncover him, get water into him. So I turned on the fan and waited some more. I gave him more Tylenol and waited. Finally late this afternoon his temperature dropped. Then he was able to drink his water instead of me giving it to him one medicine cup at a time. He also ate some diced peaches but was not interested in Boost.

I expect we will be dealing with these fevers and bouts of confusion regularly as we have not figured out how to predict what brings them on.

Without this forum and letters from members I would feel very isolated. Julie

Lorrie, I, too, distanced myself from my "family of origin". It would have taken too much out of me to explain what I was going through, and all they would have wanted was reassurance that I was OK.

I wasn't, and I didn't want to have to try to tell them that.

Stay with Bob, talk to him, and maybe cry a little. The tears won't heal your pain, but it will put in on the outside, instead of the inside.

Juliann, can you talk to your Mom about it? Would she welcome a chance to just talk about things that she remembers about the past? Maybe you can give each other the gift of listening.

And Julie, I reach out to you. I miss my Doran so much tonight. The house is quiet, after my son and I watched TV. Tomorrow, we're going to have a long leisurely "family day", and I hope to have a better outlook. As Cynthia said in her post, we have hope.

Stephany in Iowa

I learn so much from this site. By reading the posts, I can visualize where we will be. Sometimes I cry because really don't want to know. Sometimes I feel totally inadequate to handle what I know will be coming. Then there is the time like right now when he seems so well. It's so confusing-

I'm so glad that your sister is there to give you a hand for a few days. My family has distanced themselves, they don't know what to say. I haven't talked to my sisters (3) or my mother since June. It hurts.

Take care of yourself- Lorrie