Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Tuesday Morning Medical Bullet

Morning VP's...Houston Central here. After much, much trial and error, some well placed complaining to key folks and the help of good ole Vicodin, we might be on the right path to get poor Chemo-sabe through these next 3 weeks. Man! Has this been an ordeal.

Monday, Mary called us to check on Brenda after the melt-down that our poor Chemo-sabe had Friday...a horribly long, tedious day. This really says a lot about Mary and how closely she is monitoring Brenda...Mary is on vacation and still called to see how things were going. Now folks...that's dedication to her patients welfare. She is really dedicated to making this path as easy for Bren as possible. Unfortunately...or fortunately...I answered the phone and gave her an earful. Those of you that know me know that I have a tendency to be rather blunt (30 years of police work and way too many years in police management!! Ha!) so when I turned the phone over to Brenda...Mary already had the total idea of what we were dealing with. I filled her ears with our complete displeasure with Mr. Lucky among other things.

Well that prompted a call to the BIG MAN...Dr. Hong...who called Dr. Schwartz...who called his PA...who immediately called us back. That total chain took about 15 minutes!!! It's amazing what happens when you call the RIGHT folks. Thank heaven that Brenda is Dr. Hong's patient...thank you Amanda and friends!!! Although they were late again with Radiation, we did talk at length with Leah, Dr. Schwartz's PA about the horrific back-up that Lucky causes for ALL the radiation patients. We did find out that the techs changed shifts and I think we might have Emily back...she is great and can actually do more than one thing at a time and can look at the schedule and predict when we should come in to minimize the wait time. Thank you Emily!!!

After seeing Leah, we also got some new meds that will help Chemo-sabe digest her food better and a mouthwash that will help numb her mouth so the stent will ease the gagging response she is developing during radiation because her mouth is loosing elasticity. Poor Bren is definitely entering the most difficult and painful part of her treatment. It just breaks my heart to watch her endure all this. You just can't imagine! We have started giving her Vicodin to take the edge off all this pain and that seems to be helping. She actually got a half way decent nights sleep, but she now can't breathe through her nose because it's all swollen and her mouth is so dry that she wakes up and has to rinse her mouth out with water...it's just a vicious cycle of misery right now.

So here we are on Tuesday morning...we got her meds in her through the tube. We have most things in liquid form and I crush the pills for the stuff that's not liquid. We also have the first can of food in and will hope that we can get another 5 cans in throughout the day and evening. We're behind the power curve and can't loose any more ground. She's sleeping now and that's a good thing. The Vicodin should help take the edge off her extreme discomfort. Man! This is brutal...that's all I can say.

We only have radiation today...hopefully...so we can spend the day getting the food and meds in. Please keep those prayers coming...positive energy flowing...and comments on the blog...it truly brightens her day.

OK...so here's a note on Mr. Hotpants...we're really not sure there is a Flo up there!! HUMMMM! Hotpants must be a young man or sexually frustrated!! Yep...he was at it again last night! LORDY! At least he did his "THING" at 11:00 pm and not 2:00 in the morning. Ya just gotta laugh! Vic...I like your idea about taping Mr. Bojangles to his door...but we enjoy Mr. Bojangles hanging out in the breakfast nook!!!

Have a great day where ever you are.

Nurse Dee and a sleeping Chemo-sabe

9 comments:

  1. Wow, it's bad enough that you have to go through all of this, but to deal with a not so lucky Mr. Lucky and then Mr. Hotpants....I'm sure you must be beyond frustrated. Thank God for Mary! She knows who to chat with and I love that Hong says jump and Lucky says how high!

    I'm sooooo glad you got the vicodin. There is not a single reason to be in pain. It sounds like the tube is finally working well. Thank goodness. Just keep with the one can at a time plan.

    Sending you all the universal mojo this Noho Sista can musta!!

    Love you guys very much,
    Amanda

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  2. WOW... sounds like things have been very frustrating & unpleasant for you folks! Hopefully a good complaining and some drugs will aleviate the problems for now. Maybe you should start complaining about Mr Hotpants too!
    Wishing & hoping & praying that the day & week gets better or at least more tolerable for both of you... sending you both lots of good vibrations, postitive energy & anything else you think you might need to make it through one hour at a time!!!
    Lots of Love, Hugs & Blessings, Cathie

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  3. Peeker,
    I love how you keep calling these medical "bullets", hummmmmm any intentions on that? Say the parking lot person and Mr. Lucky? HA HA HA You go girl!

    Brenda, you need to wear the new shirt I got you every day!!......the Life is Good shirt that says GO VAN!!!!! Thought that was so appropiate for you :) Hope you are having an even better day! You can start singing the ole tune..99 little cans in the bag, 99 little cans...(for your cure, keep sucking them down) he he...
    Love you both!
    Rhonda

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  4. oh guess the shirt said VAN GO oops :)

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  5. Hi Girls, Sorry you've had such a hard time of it lately. Glad you got Dr Hong involved and some resolution seems to be in the works. When these frustrating things happen, at the hospital, you really need to get management involved. They usually don't know what frustrations the patients are dealing with and can generally help fix the problem. I'm sure they want to keep Dr Hong happy and happy patients are what all hospitals shoot for. It was good to be able to talk to Brenda on Sunday. I am so glad the feeding tube is fixed. Now you will be able to get back some of your strength. I agree with Amanda on sticking with one can at a time. I am thinking about you daily and sending all my good wishes and positive energy. Miss you both. xoxo Karen

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  6. Dee and chemo sabe

    Hospitals are special places filled with wonderful, kind, caring individuals who are truly there for the care of the patient and their significant others. Then there is Mr. Lucky; he seems to be the exception to the rule. Let's hope your "melt-down" heated things up for all the staff to keep an eye on our gal. If that does not work, I know patients that have marched right into the Hospital President's office to complain. That got attention!!!! Do not hesitate to do just that to be sure you get the level of attention you deserve.

    Now to Hotpants and Flo, or is not no flow, or is it.... never mind. (Rhonda did you get that innuendo?)
    Anyway, Mr. Bojangles appeared to be too sweet and innocent to send up to your noisy neighbor. Also, as he was a gift from the Aussies, we do not want to compromise their country status with accusations or latex prostitution (Rhonda - another innuendo just for you). Sooooo, my thought and I do have at least one per day is to purchase a little blow-up doll, you know the kind, for him to use for the work outs. I know it is making many of you go eeewwww, but think about it. We could alter the utilization instructions to read something along the lines of:
    Hi there, my name is Little Pattie Play Pal. I want to be your friend. I am very talented and could prove to be the best friend a lonely guy like you could ever have. However, if you want to maximize my prowess, I am best used during the hours of 9AM up to 8:30PM. An additional caution, I am an inflatable item and prone to punctures (perhaps an innuendo there), so please do not use me near squeaky springs.
    Anyway, I am just thinking. This way we save Mr. Bojangles from a creepy ending (with that, I will end pointing out innuendos) and limit the extra curricular activities hours.
    I want to reiterate Karen's words and share that you are both in our thoughts and hearts every day.
    More than half way thru to better than new (Rhonda - that is what is known as a rhyme ;) )

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  7. Hey Michele,
    I took you up on the suggestion you screamed out over the phone on Sat.....Tues's are BBQ days for lunch at our hospital, so had a huge sausage or HOT DOG as you would say today. :) Just thought I'd let you know. :)

    PS Love MY innuendo's....your the best ha ha..

    Does MacGuyver's bag include repair patches for latex punctures???? That would be a new add on for her to consider....never know?? Just a thought :)

    Hey also...have you seen the movie "The Changeling" with Angelina Jolie??? Great movie, us girls watched it in Houston Sat. night. Any way the scene where she is in the mental hospital(and shouldn't of been there) sharing a room/cell with a mentally disturbed woman-(Quite SCARY!) then the woman rolled over to look at her....I just yelled out..That's what Sue Size 9 looked like and that's how I felt sleeping in the same room with her!....Dee and Bren cracked up!! If you have seen that movie you may remember that scene...I had nightmares all over again!! LOL

    Hope all is well in your neck of the woods :)
    Goodnight to ALL!!
    Rhonda

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  8. Sis and Peeker....Great to talk to you tonight!!! What a great conversation huh!!!
    Love you!
    Rhonda
    oxoxo

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  9. Hey Rhonda,
    I have not seen that movie and based on your description, do not think I want to either. I am just now able to blur the real Sue Size 9 from my minds' eye.
    In terms of McGuyver's little bag of tricks, I am sure there is a latex patch in there somewhere. I will not ask because I am very afraid of the answer I will receive. Especially since Karen hasn't rode her bicycle (push bike for OZ gals) in years. I have learned long ago some mystery is actually a good thing:)

    Okay - I have to ask - why the name "Peeker" for Nurse Dee?

    Chemo sabe and Dee,

    I really hope today finds you both with a bit more energy, a lot less pain and a smooth schedule where everyone is prompt and efficient.
    xoxoxo

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