Day +12 – Discharge Day

Saturday July 28, 2012
Quail Run Lot 15
Moffitt Cancer Center Lot 15
Marriott Residence Inn

 

This morning I was up early again  with a lot of things to do in order to make today come off with as little effort on David’s part as possible.  I had washed his clothing last night late when I got home so that was done.  I had to pack up my clothes and anything else we needed or wanted to take to move in to the half way hotel room for about a week.

I wanted to get to the hospital early so I could attend the last rounds and be able to get checked in to the hotel, drop off all my things, go to the grocery, take that food back to the Marriott, drive back to Winnona and take the important foods out of our refrig and freezer (read that as J-M-C ice cream and other “stuff”) and put them in the refrigerator at the Marriott.  All before David was discharged so that he wouldn’t have to go on any of these errands given how tired he has been.

After discharge he has to have a trained caregiver with him 24/7 so if I have to go to the grocery or anywhere, he has to come too.  He can’t sit in the car and he really shouldn’t go into the store with so many people.  He has to wear a mask whenever he is outside his room and gloves if he goes into any place where he might have to touch carts or other things touched by anyone else.   The list of rules is mind boggling.

I get to his room and check his numbers.  Some ups, some downs.  Looks like he’ll probably get a transfusion tomorrow because of his hemoglobin numbers.   Below 10 and they transfuse.   Platelets have dropped for a second day but by less.   White counts are up a lot.

 

When I come in, he is again sitting on the sofa in the sunshine.  He’s had his breakfast and is on a saline drip.  I have remembered today to bring his NEW hat purchased specifically for his new doo.  He likes the hat.

 

He also received two more cards today. 
Thanks to Loree and Roger and Carol.

I walk my lunch down to the “family lounge” where I have never spent any time except to put my lunch/dinner in the refrigerator and then return to heat it up before eating it.
Then I go down to the pharmacy to pick up the six prescriptions he’s leaving Moffitt with.  He has several other medications he has been taking already at home so we will have to bring those to the Marriott as well.  According to the list the pharmacist gave us yesterday, he will be taking 10 different medications daily.

 

 

He seems to be feeling much better today but then I hear him breathing heavily and ask if he’s OK.  He gets up and moves out of the sun to his recliner dragging the machine behind him.   After a few minutes, up comes part of his breakfast.  This is the second time vomiting has followed his getting too hot.  He lays back to rest but now he has severe abdominal cramping.

 

He goes through a period of these cramps about one per minute lasting up to 15 seconds each (even as badly as he feels, he wants to me to record the times.  I find this just AMAZING).  His nurse Mina and PA Mark Honor think it may be mild constipation for which they can give him pain medication but they suggest that if he can, he drink more water and go for a walk.

I won’t detail the next hour or so but ultimately everything comes out OK.  :-))    We do go for a short walk and when he returns Sarah brings him a chocolate peanut butter milkshake (650 calories) which his nurse Mina suggests will help move his system along.   He’s very pleased with this idea since Sarah makes great shakes.

David’s favorite technician and milk shake maker Sarah brings him a shake 

It’s about noon now and his rounds team still hasn’t come.  I would really like to be there when they do but I can’t wait any longer since I have so many errands and trips to make to and from the hotel.  I need to be back here at about 2:45 so he can check out.

I race around and get it all done as well as filling up Ruby with gas and am back at Moffitt at exactly at 2:45.  I feel like I’ve done enough driving for a week.  Remember I’m the person who doesn’t like to drive or even ride.   The guy who likes to drive can’t drive until the doctor gives him the OK which will probably be at least a month.  I sure hope it isn’t more than that.  I’m not smiling about this or the 24/7 requirement.  But you do what you’ve got do.

Although they’ve changed his nurses and technicians far more often than it seems necessary to me, he has two of his favorites, Mina and Sarah, on his last day.   He says good by to them both but I only get a picture of David and Mina because by the time we see Sarah as we are leaving, I have my hands full of bags and cart.

 

At 3:45 he walks out of the inpatient West Wing of the Moffitt Cancer Center we hope forever.   We drive about 4 miles down the road to the Marriott Residence Inn.   Here he is going into the outside door nearest his room wearing the mask he has to wear anytime he’s outside of the room.

 

Down the hall leading to his room.

 

He’s getting quite accustomed to this patient stuff and goes in and lays down on the sofa and turns on Olympic Women’s Volleyball.

I put most of the stuff I’ve lugged over here away but leave his clothing and toiletries to him so they will be where he wants.  I also have to wipe down all the surfaces he’ll be in contact with using antiseptic wipes.  Table tops, faucet and door handles, telephones, remotes, lights, and light switches to mention a few.

Here are some pictures of Room 118.  It’s a one bedroom one bath suite with full kitchen.

 

 

Do I look as tired as I feel here enjoying my Almond Joy treat??

 

 

I have been too busy to eat my  lunch so around 4:30 I warm it up and call it lunc-inner.  David turns off the TV, gets up from the sofa and puts his things away after the US Women beat Korea in volleyball.  I make his dinner which he eats carefully and with no ill effects.  He takes a nap directly after.

 

It is now 7:00 and he has not done his spirometer, his PT exercises or the last of his 3 daily walks.  I’m too tired to hound him.  He is going to have to start taking some responsibility for doing these things.   I am as you have seen, very sensitive to his situation, but I really don’t think that I have to do everything.  When he’s feeling pretty good, he needs to take responsibility for them himself like he does his meds about which he is very good.

Tomorrow is his first outpatient appointment and at the rate he’s going doing the walking and drinking the water, he’ll be on a saline drip for several hours.   That’s one VERY nice thing about being at the Residence Inn, I won’t have to sit in the waiting room, while he is in their care, I can drive 4 miles down the road back to the hotel and do whatever I want. Whoopee!!  When we are back in Winnona, I’ll be stuck in the waiting room.  One Point for the Hotel!

So he naps and I type this blog.  When I finish, I’m going to have a GIANT bowl of Jamaica-me-crazy ice cream, prop my feet up and see what happens.