Sitting in the quiet house again....writing this update.
I wish I had great news to report about Lori coming home or at the very least being able to eat something but I can't. But we are still plugging away,her bile output is still continuing to slow but needs to be slower still. She is still discharging about 400 to 600cc of matter and it has to be under 200cc per a 8 hour shift before they will shut down her tube and then reengage it to see if she can handle any type of food intake.
They are also attacking the partial obstruction by sending Vancomycin above the colon to help jump start her digestive system. Its a bitch of a treatment as she has to hold in the medicine for a hour before she relax and go the restroom. There has been some movement but not enough and not very fast. But we know its working,its just painful. I had to really encourage her to do the treatment today,it leaves her bottom sore.
But its one of the last things they can try....so we have to grit our teeth and plow through it.
We did pass on the last one tonight because Lori actually fell asleep and she had said she wanted to skip it. I tended to agree,the nurse we had looked VERY green and sort of unsure of what to do....in fact,I overheard the nurse on duty explain what to evening nurse what she would have to do. One would think on a cancer floor,she would know this.
So I was okay with skipping the evening session...I just asked her to not miss anymore sessions. She agreed and we'll be charging first thing tomorrow morning back into it.
Before I headed to Ann Arbor,I had to pick up Lori's PT Cruiser that had been damaged. My neighbor Al said he would drop me off....when I told him last Tuesday about Lori,I told him I knew whose fault this was...he asked who and I blamed ex Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick,Al and I can sit and talk for hours about Detroit. And Kwame is a huge part of the debates....so when I said "It's Kwame's fault",he actually laughed...
So Al dropped me off at Westland Car Care,its the same place we took her car when she was rear ended a couple of years back. They do quality work for a fair price. When I walked in,I recognized Jeremy from the time before. He asked what exactly happened and when I told him how she was hit coming home from getting her chemo meds,he was really touched by that...said "You have a rough road ahead,my own mother is very ill herself". As we chatted along with his dad,I started to write out what we owed him,our insurance paid for the damage but our deductible is still 500.00. The other driver's insurance should pay us back but as of today,they had not. I had to talk to a adjuster today who wanted Lori's statement,had to explain why that would be sort of hard. She said she would see if they could pay based on the police officer's report....which I think will be enough as the driver admitted to being at fault AND getting a ticket.
Anyway,as I was writing the check,he said "I'm taking off a hundred bucks". I said "No,you don't have to do that,we're getting it back and you have always taken good care of us". He said "No,I want to do this,we want to do this for you." So needlessly to say,I got choked up and thanked him very much.It was a very classy and kind thing to do.
As we walked out to the car,Jeremy was saying how his own wife is at risk for the same cancer Lori has. When I asked him what system she was in and he said "Oakwood",I just about died....I urged him to call Dr. John Armstead,the same doctor who spotted Lori's cancer. I told him I would leave Dr. Armstead's number on his answering machine and I did just that.
Lori's car looks great and tomorrow I'll get some gas in it for her.
I also called the Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit and made a appointment for next Thursday for Lori to be seen,I'm praying she is well enough to make the trip. Its just beyond frustrating we didn't get more advanced warning about this second tumor,I feel like we are so behind the 8-ball now...I guess the lesson is to be ready but we really weren't. Dr. Shrenk,one of Lori's doctors,admitted they don't a good job at letting folks know about advanced cases. They say they don't tell patients because they want them to keep fighting and I totally agree with that.....but tell the caretaker!! Take us aside and explain the situation so we can process it and start getting things ready in case the outcome isn't a happy one. I rather know the blunt truth then dealing with this,the pressure to hurry is a bit hectic..
But not complaining,just venting what I am feeling...I know I probably come across as a bit of a whiner and I'm sorry for that....I'm sure we'll get this handled properly.
So touched by the kindness by folks,both who know us in "real life" and those who have yet met us. Its very helpful to me to get this support,helps me when I'm down here alone thinking of the IVs,tubes and bruising that Lori has endured from her Heprin shots,holy crow,she looks like she has been hit on the arms...but it looks worse then it really is.
Tomorrow will see me doing some errands,laundry and a Target run to get some cat litter (I know,pretty exciting,isn't it???) before I head back to Ann Arbor. I'll drop another update tomorrow night....
Feel free to share this blog with your friends or with anyone who might being going through the same thing.
Love and Light,
m
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