Here's the Latest...

01:56AM -- A lot has happened in the last week, so I'll try to summarize it all. Larry didn't dialyze on Tuesday or Saturday last week, and only dialyzed for 3 hours on Thursday.

His bedsore is causing a lot of pain for him, and he has 3 other skin breakdowns. The one on his heel and inside below the ankle is healing nicely. I'm using honey on all of them and it is working well. I also alternate the honey with silverdine and acquacel ag. I change these bandages every day. He's experiencing nausea. He has problems with an upset stomach every so often, and suffered dreadfully with heartburn tonight. I gave him his Prilosec which eventually eased that up. He's hoarse tonight, and says it was from coughing. Naturally, my immediate concern was the heartburn may have been a heart attack instead. But, the Prilosec worked. He's had some tough times with the cancer pain in his lower left abdomen. I called hospice and they contacted his oncologist. They upped his dosage on the Dilaudid from 4ml every 2 hours to 8ml every 2 hours. I was told to give him the Dilaudid whether he was having pain or not as a preventive measure. While I don't do it every 2 hours, I do give him an initial dose every day when he wakes up.

He told me last week to have hospice send in a hospital bed for him. So, it was delivered Thursday while he was in dialysis and I set up a single bed next to it for me. However, he woke up Friday morning complaining he was uncomfortable, couldn't sleep in it because of that, so I called hospice and had them remove it Friday afternoon (around 3pm) and I put our bed back in our room once the hospital bed had been taken out.

We learned from his newest hospice nurse that Missy - the first hospice nurse - will not be returning to hospice care afterall. We have really missed her, but wish her the very best. It's got to be one of the toughest jobs out there.

I contacted the Central Virginia Area on Aging here in the city and they came out on Friday to qualify Larry for the paratransit that the city bus line offers. They will pick him up here at home and bring him back from dialysis every day he goes at no cost to us. I've had to pull him across his sliding board from the bed to the wheelchair; into the van; lift his legs into the van and repeat the process on returns home. So, this will alleviate all that strain on him and me as the paratransist bus has a lift.

Larry's appetite isn't any better and he's very weak...steadily losing weight now. He eats very little and I make sure he drinks at least one if not 2 Ensures each day. He still gets on his computer for a short while most days. Today (Sunday) he stayed in the bedroom, watching tv and not complaining although I know he felt really bad. (It shows on his face when he isn't aware that I'm in the room.) I've also noticed a slight twitching (which he isn't aware of) in the area of his mouth and cheek. I stayed in the bedroom most of the afternoon and early evening today.

It's late, so I'll close here and try not to skip so many days in the future here.