The “C” Word – Day 65 The End (of the Hospital Stay) is in sight

Finally, all of the medications George has been taking are having some effect.  The bathroom trips subsided quite a bit over night and we both were able to stay in bed and relax (as much as is possible when there are things happening around you all night long).  Although we had to wake up for a short while to do meds this morning, we went back to bed and back to sleep.  Didn’t get up until nearly 6:30AM!  What a “treat”!?!?

Early morning blood tests showed very low levels of potassium (still) and 8 bags are ordered up to take via IV.  Those started at 9AM and we are just now on the last bag.  It only takes about an hour for each bag but the nurses do not come around to check them every hour.  As a matter of fact, we were the ones to call them at least 4 times today to let them know a new bag could go on.  We are nearly done with the last bag and then he will get a final IV drip of antibiotic.  Once that is done (hopefully by 10:30) he will be unhooked for the rest of the night. 

The doctor came in this morning to see how things are going.  He removed the staples AND the GP/JP? Bulbs that came out of the belly.  Coupled with the fact that the IV will be off for most of the night means George is free to roll around in bed a little more freely and maybe even sleep on his side. 

We talked about what the plan was going forward and he things that if we can get the potassium level under control that George could go home as early as tomorrow (would be late in the day I presume) but we are thinking in may be Wednesday.  At any rate, the time to go home is looming on the horizon without a stop in rehab before doing so.

The other thing of concern is the fact that George is still having trouble getting good breaths.  He still labors a lot even when being still.  When we go to walk around it is even more pronounced.  The doctor did a couple of taps on his back and thinks there may still be some fluid retention around the lungs.  He ordered up a chest xray and is asking a lung doctor to review the results and come check on George.  The chest xray order went in at 9AM and they finally came up to get him at 8:20PM (and I only think they did that because I asked the nurse to check to see if they were still going to do it tonight because George would like to get into bed!). 

In the morning they will do labs at 5AM again and we hopefully will the lung doctor will visit us in the morning so we can see what is going on and determine if there is anything that can be done to help relieve the pressure on the lungs.

Other than that it has been a relatively calm day.  George is still eating well enough for where he is post-surgery.  His bathroom trips are FAR less frequent and producing far less outgo which is good.  This has allowed him to take a couple of naps in bed during the day.  I think I may even have taken one in the calm of the afternoon. 

Once they do the evening meds in just a short while we will hook up George’s CPAP, I will pull open my bed and we will try to get some more much needed shut eye. 

Soon enough we will be home and resting in our own bed or our own living room and I can actually get some things done at home that we have been neglecting.  This includes seeing if the hummingbirds will come around since their little feeders have been empty for a week!  While it won’t be “business as usual” at home, it will be a welcome relief to be home… sweet home.