The C Word – A New Battle Day 16 - How time flies

So, today is our 16^th day here at Good Samaritan Hospital.  Since he is not going home, this means that we are surpassing the stay we had after his first surgery in 2014.  It was 16 days.  This one appears that it will be 19 or 20 days. 

Today Dr. B removed half of the staples and today is the LAST day of TPN.  They will turn it off when this bag is done in hopes that George’s appetite will increase.  Currently his appetite is suppressed as he is receiving 2000 calories via TPN and 1000 from the tube feeding.  By taking out the TPN, he should start wanting to eat more.  The ultimate goal is that the tube feeding be done at night to supplement whatever he eats during the day because it is unlikely that, for now, he will able to eat enough calories for healing.

The main holdout for this visit is the antibiotics for the colitis and CDIF.  The colitis antibiotic is via IV every 6 hours.  Ideally you should not go home requiring that much IV meds as I believe a nurse needs to come out and administer those.  Dr. M is the driving force for when we get discharged.  And we already know he needs a few days to see how things proceed.  New target date is Monday or Tuesday.

It is so hard to believe how long it has been since surgery day.  Each day melds with the one before, most of it without much change.  If it weren’t for light coming through the shades we would have a hard time distinguishing between night and day. 

Unbelievably, it is August!  More than half way through the year.

And, today is Stephanie’s birthday – George’s papoose!  He remembers a day she came out of a restaurant and she had saved some French fries in her pocket so she could have a snack later.  She helped him build a wooden shed in the back yard for garden tools.  He remembers the day the two of them went fishing.  Stephanie is the only one that caught anything that day.  He was very proud of her when she was involved with ROTC.  She learned some great leadership skills.  He remembers how much she enjoyed having high tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC.  He remembers how she cheered on the cops one day when they caught a perpetrator in their front yard.  These are just a few of the special memories he has of her.    It is hard to believe she’s “all grown up”! 

Today we appreciate the young woman she has become.  We love her fighting spirit, her sassiness, her contagious laughter.  We admire her for her tenacity in fighting her disease as we know how difficult some days can be.  She is kind and loving and creative.  We wish we could be with her today as she celebrates her 33^rd birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear daughter.