“The best part about getting chemo is the ice chips. They give me the illusion that I’m actually eating.” -- Craig (before getting his 5th round of chemo)
Mom and Craig were swapping war stories today while Craig waited for his chemo (actually he’s still waiting). Apparently, they both vomited earlier this morning. Aw, and the competition continues. I see your vomit, and raise you a vomit. Here’s the latest:
From Stillwater
Mom will be in the hospital another day until they can get her symptoms under control. They’re running a culture on her colon just to make sure she doesn’t have yet another bacterium, which may be contributing to her loss of bowel control. She’s been complaining of headaches around her right frontal lobe (where the tumor is) as well as near the back of her neck. She’s been off chemo since Michigan, and probably won’t start back up until she’s out of the hospital for a week.
From Denver
Craig was just wheeled off for another x-ray to make sure he’s not bleeding out. . Last night’s pain could be new bleeding, or possibly a tumor. I gave him factor VIII last night, which seemed to help, but he was up earlier with a fever and, of course, nausea. They’re also testing him for…wait for it…a blood infection. Yeah! As mom says, the septic shock club is not a super fun club to join. I doubt he has an infection, but good they’re exploring all options. Dr. Flaig will be stopping by to review both and determine whether he can receive chemo today.
Logistics
I spoke with mom earlier as well. She sounds tired, but, otherwise, ‘hanging in there’. (Haha, eat it, Diane. Diane HATES the expression ‘hang in there’ although it seems like an apt way to describe how we’re handling things.) Phone calls seem more strained with a lot of dead space. Bonding over the telephone is always hard, but throw in brain cancer which directly affects one’s ability to concentrate, and the attempt is nearly impossible. And getting things secondhand from dad or Diane just doesn’t cut it. We need to be there to experience the laughter and the struggle. But that’s easier said than done.
Logistical nightmare doesn’t begin to describe our little predicament. Let’s recap: mom is in Stillwater and unable to travel; Craig is in Denver and, pretty much, unable to travel. I haven’t seen mom since January and Craig since February. It seems crucial that we get there as soon as possible, given her fragile condition. Craig and I were hoping to travel next Thursday, but Craig said yesterday that he can’t imagine going to Oklahoma in his current state. I’m keeping the fingers crossed that he improves, but we won’t push it if he’s still feeling bad. It’s heartbreaking that their illnesses are preventing a reunion during this time when they need each other most. Craig said yesterday that he doesn’t know how he’ll get by if I have to leave. I told him not to worry about that (I’m not leaving until things improve or he kicks me out) and that he should focus on getting better.
Erin is waiting in the wings to help, but has two kitty cats to think about, and one with kidney failure. (Erin has to give Sammie IV meds every morning/night…sounds familiar.) The costs associated with boarding the kitties each time she travels are horrendous, but short of driving the cats to Oklahoma each time, there’s really no alternative – she’s the only one able to give Sammie his IV injections. If Erin is able to drive them to Stillwater, we then have to worry about housing the cats, as Craig, mom and dad are severely allergic. We managed to secure a room at the Best Western over Christmas, but again, that adds up.
We may be facing the situation where Craig and mom may not be able to see each other for a while. If that’s so, that will require one of us (the girls) to rotate between Craig and mom. We have some tough choices ahead in determining the urgency of their situations, and deciding where we need to be. All six of us together may not be realistic at this point….and that’s a really tough reality.
Just wish this wasn’t happening....
--J
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