Jeff reports success getting to sleep with two sleeping pills. Hurray! Now we know what works for him. Unfortunately, at 9:30 pm he heard a gush of air and thought one of his IV tubes blew a leak. It was his air mattress. Nurse Holland ordered a new one at 2 am when the thing really blew. Jeff says he must have eaten one too many string cheeses.
The attending oncologist, Dr. Ahmedi, thinks Jeff is doing well. Jeff's neutrophil (ANC) count was down a little, to 300, today. Nurse Christina said not to worry. It is normal for the number to jump around a bit as his body begins to use the new cells to make blood. We asked again for a visit from PT since they have yet to assess Jeff or run him through his exercises. Jeff has begun the leg exercises described in his patient care manual in addition to his biking "regimen." HUP doesn't have PT services on the weekend.
I asked Dr. Ahmedi whether Amy Lyn would be able to visit since she just had a booster shot - a live virus - for something she needed for nursing school in the fall. The answer: not for 30 days. Uncle Jeff will miss seeing her but she and her mother already helped us by allo-cleaning our bedroom for which we evidently owe her hush money.
Even though Jeff sits in the shower, he is getting strong enough to sing in there. Yesterday he sang a tune from The Fantastiks, "September." Today as he washed, Alana made up his bed. He wanted to sing something special for her but couldn't think of the perfect song for the occasion. He'll have to think about that. A hymn? Splish Splash?
After only one dose of pain meds this morning for arm and shoulder pain, Jeff drifted in and out of sleep most of the day. During the times he woke up, he ate pretty well (maybe not 1000 calories, though) and he could look at a book for a short period of time. His arms hurt too much in the morning to hold the iPad but by the afternoon he could play short games off and on. TV was awful.
Today a wonderful team of family and friends allo-cleaned our house so that we can take Jeff home to a relatively safe environment when he is ready. Jeff asked, "How are we ever going to repay those people?" It was a big job. Every surface had to be wiped down, ceiling to floor. They even hit the contents of our medicine cabinets, pictures, furniture, most of the appliances, etc.
While that was going on, Jeff and I had a visit from Pastor Oxley. We told him how pleased we were that he came because several of our people were cleaning our house and, therefore, were not able to visit. Pastor O asked whether Giblet would have to be sanitized. Jeff told him the next time you see Giblet (our 18-pound black hound/pointer mix), she would be bleached white! We howled! Pastor O related a story in which two groups of people were not getting along too well. Jeff quoted lyrics from the musical, Oklahoma, "The farmers and the cowboys should be friends." I am beginning to think his girly marrow is settling in very nicely.
No comments:
Post a Comment