Another after-surgery checkup today with Dr. A’s PA (yea, too many initials there). Anyway, since the surgery, all of Suzanne’s followup’s have been with Dr. A’s assistant. So far, he has always stopped in for a cameo but most of the work is done by the staff at this point, although he still calls the shots. Suzanne’s swelling continues to go down as expected. We compared last week’s photos to today and it was really noticeable, even if we don’t…
Who doesn’t love flowers? Birthdays, Anniversaries, Funerals, Get Well Wishes, everyone loves flowers. Since getting home from the hospital, lots of friends and family have been sending flowers to Suzanne which bring such joy to her. Bright ones, tall ones, roses, bright yellow, short ones, all sizes. Especially in the past few days, she had 6 different arrangements that really brightened up the house today. Trying to discover all the variables that lead to Suzanne’s lung and sinus mucus problem…
When friends visit and we spend any time outside, the first question we get is “Don’t the trains going by bother you?” The easy answer is “We don’t hear them anymore”. I’m sure the same holds true for my good friends to the east and to the south who are even closer to the tracks. As we get used to noises that are repetitive, our mind has a way of quieting them down to the point that you don’t hear…
There is no bigger job for the caregiver of a loved one than to be ‘The Great Pretender’. “Pretending, that I’m doing well . . . . weee doo, weee doo.” For the ‘Pretender’, the daily minutia of wound dressing, medications, meals/feeding, morning & bedtime routines, and overall well-being of the family member is paramount above all personal needs. Their time to wash their face, brush their hair, and prepare for the day occurs after the loved one is set…
When you hear the term “The Right Stuff” it brings to mind astronauts. Those brave men & women had qualities about themselves that made them do what needed to be done which most people would find difficult to do. Venturing into space where no one has been before. In my mind, the same would hold true for the pioneer who moved west through the United States. Not knowing what laid in store for them but searching for something better for…
The phrase for today is: Extracapsular extension. Defined as invasive cancer passing through the nodal capsule of the lymph node into the perinodal tissue. In farmer terms, the fluid-filled tractor tire had a leak in the yard and it could kill the grass. That’s what the pathology for Suzanne’s cancer showed. Of the twenty-five lymph nodes that were removed from her neck, two sprung a leak. What that means is not definitive. Basically, there could be a problem down the…
I’ve shared before, I’m a numbers guy. When we had our business, I loved the bookkeeping, payroll, balance sheets, sales, projections, and anything related to the numbers of the business. So it was natural for me to put Suzanne’s illness into a format that I had some control over; a medium that gave me a quantitative value for our life together both now and the future. If you have been reading along since the start, you’ve seen the numbers I’ve…
Her sixteen day journey in patients now changes into a lifetime of hope. Nothing moves at a farmer’s pace in the hospital. Decisions have to go up the ladder and back down before actions occur. Boundaries, a chain of command, job authority, territorial responsibility, and all the other descriptions of how individual employees in such a large organization are forced into little boxes, make it tough for the common person to deal with things happening at such a snail’s pace….
“911 – What’s your emergency?” A soft muffled voice on the line answers “Hurry, I’m being held hostage in room 1320 at Rush Hospital, send a SWAT team quickly” That’s the scene that unfolded before my eyes when I arrived at Suzanne’s room today. Early morning, the ‘Grey’s Anatomy Crew’ did do a scope of the surgery area this morning, took pictures to send to Dr. A, showed Suzanne all that was going on, and made some 8×10’s for the…
When I arrived at Suzanne’s room today and asked how has your day been going, she responded, “just been watching the dandelions grow” The ‘Grey’s Anatomy Crew’ came by and someone asked “has she really been here 14 days” to which Suzanne quickly and clearly answered “YES I HAVE” They all laughed and someone commented “Don’t ask her how many hours it’s been” They did remove the stitches and extra bandage on her wrist this morning for the first glimpse…