A friend of mine who has beaten cancer now faces another life-threatening illness. Her blogs continue to amaze me. In her I see the spiritual and physical frailty of human life made glorious in Christ Jesus. Her ability to share her hurts, her pain and struggle is a wonderful portrait of how the Lord blesses us and carries us through. My heart hurts for her and I wish more than anything I could be there to comfort and assure her, but as distance separates us, I will pray...
Now isn't that just like us? We don't want to let God do the healing, we want to be an active participant in God's work. Me just praying isn't the last thing I could do...it is the best thing anyone can do, even if you live with the person you are praying for! That is one theme of my life I pray the Lord will help me to overcome someday. I do not do things better on my own...I've had many experiences where if I wanted something to happen, it was up to me to make it happen...but that isn't how it should be with God. He is the only one who can do this perfectly in the best way -not only for the person who needs prayer, but for everyone touched by their life.
Showing posts with label pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pain. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Cancer update
Good evening, ya'll! Sorry...a little bit of dork snuck in there. I just realized that I don't think I ever posted on the results of the CT scan back in December. Here's a quick recap: the scan showed "significantly decreased lymph nodes". Which means the chemo did its job. Hurray! The next CT scan is in June. The doctor said most symptoms should be resolved in 3-4 months. Unfortunately, that may not include the nerve damage in his feet. The nerve damage could be permanent. My hubby says that he feels as if he is walking on rocks all day and by the end of the day his feet are swollen and in a lot of pain. When we saw the doctor in January for his lung test (back up to 75%!), they offered compression socks and/or a prescription medication that changes how your nerves perceive pain. He tried the socks first, they helped with the swelling, but not much with the pain. Then he tried the medication and that was making a big difference until he developed an allergic reaction to it. So, we're back at square one.
I'm praying for complete healing. The doctor is not convinced that the reaction is due to the medication, and we may try it one more time once the reaction goes away. If it doesn't go away, he'll have to see a dermatologist. Medically, we still have issues to deal with. As a family, it feels whole again. Our roles have changed a bit and I've been doing most of the housework and cooking, but I have my husband back and my children have a daddy who is involved and mostly healthy!
I'm praying for complete healing. The doctor is not convinced that the reaction is due to the medication, and we may try it one more time once the reaction goes away. If it doesn't go away, he'll have to see a dermatologist. Medically, we still have issues to deal with. As a family, it feels whole again. Our roles have changed a bit and I've been doing most of the housework and cooking, but I have my husband back and my children have a daddy who is involved and mostly healthy!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tips for a Hospital Stay
These are things I wish I knew going into surgery recovery with my husband.
1. Ask the nurse or CNA to explain everything you don't understand.
(ie. what does that medication do? how often can he have that medication?)
2. Often the doctor will order several medications for nurses to give as needed. The nurses may not offer these and wait for the patient to complain or ask for more meds. Ask up front so you are aware of the options available!
3. Ask where supplies are kept. I was given free access to a closet of clean linens, towels and washcloths, as well as a "nutrition room" that kept extra food supplies like jello, tea, and an ice machine. The CNA's actually are relieved not to have you asking them for these things if you are able to help yourself. They are already busy enough.
4. As weird as it may sound, do not dispose of any bodily fluids and notify your nurse with any fluids that are expelled from your body. They measure and track these things to see how your body is progressing through recovery.
5. If you want to wash your hair, but aren't allowed to bathe or can't get out of bed yet, ask for a Shampoo-Cap. It is a shower cap with built in shampoo. They warm it up and it is like a warm massage on your scalp and removes much of the daily grime. Just towel dry afterward.
6. If you know it will be a long stay for your loved one, bring a bag of non-perishable snacks and food. The hospital has food, but it comes at a price!
7. If you are feeling nauseous...try nibbling on plain potato chips or chewing some gum. We were told that the Mayo Clinic had done some research on this and something about these things helps ease the nausea. It worked for my hubby.
8. If your loved one has a pain pump or "PCA" to deliver medication on demand (usually it will only give so many doses in an hour), talk to the pain doctors about allowing you to helping during times when your loved one is asleep. Nurses will tell you not to help the patient medicate...but in the initial phases of pain management, it helps to keep track and remind your loved one when it is time to push the button. Getting behind the pain is hard to recover from versus keeping it under control in the first place.
1. Ask the nurse or CNA to explain everything you don't understand.
(ie. what does that medication do? how often can he have that medication?)
2. Often the doctor will order several medications for nurses to give as needed. The nurses may not offer these and wait for the patient to complain or ask for more meds. Ask up front so you are aware of the options available!
3. Ask where supplies are kept. I was given free access to a closet of clean linens, towels and washcloths, as well as a "nutrition room" that kept extra food supplies like jello, tea, and an ice machine. The CNA's actually are relieved not to have you asking them for these things if you are able to help yourself. They are already busy enough.
4. As weird as it may sound, do not dispose of any bodily fluids and notify your nurse with any fluids that are expelled from your body. They measure and track these things to see how your body is progressing through recovery.
5. If you want to wash your hair, but aren't allowed to bathe or can't get out of bed yet, ask for a Shampoo-Cap. It is a shower cap with built in shampoo. They warm it up and it is like a warm massage on your scalp and removes much of the daily grime. Just towel dry afterward.
6. If you know it will be a long stay for your loved one, bring a bag of non-perishable snacks and food. The hospital has food, but it comes at a price!
7. If you are feeling nauseous...try nibbling on plain potato chips or chewing some gum. We were told that the Mayo Clinic had done some research on this and something about these things helps ease the nausea. It worked for my hubby.
8. If your loved one has a pain pump or "PCA" to deliver medication on demand (usually it will only give so many doses in an hour), talk to the pain doctors about allowing you to helping during times when your loved one is asleep. Nurses will tell you not to help the patient medicate...but in the initial phases of pain management, it helps to keep track and remind your loved one when it is time to push the button. Getting behind the pain is hard to recover from versus keeping it under control in the first place.
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