The C Word – A New Battle Day 43 Trial run

Tonight we begin a trial run of no feeding tube.  After cutting back to 500mL and then 400mL, Dr. Bastidas suggested we stop the night time feedings and see if George can maintain his weight.  I imagine that, as with the first night after each drop, there will be a weight decrease and then it should pick back up again.  I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed all night, uninterrupted.  Wow, first time in nearly 7 weeks I think! 

And I do so need it.  I had a health problem this week.  I thought I had a bladder infection earlier this week but tests showed that was not the case.  Possibly a kidney infection??  So the doctor put me on Cipro antibiotic.  Although my belly and back started feeling better, I experienced some odd sensations in my leg and arm and also started to get high blood pressure readings (very high) as well as abnormally high heart rate.  So… off to the ER I went last night (thank you to my daughter, Sara for taking me and staying with me).  All of the blood tests did not show anything wrong – a few numbers slightly high but nothing alarming.  And EKG did not show signs of a stroke which an advice nurse on the phone thought was happening.  Apparently I am very sensitive to some medications - - and since I never had meds as a kid I never had the opportunity to find these things out.  My “not good” list of meds now includes Benadryl, the TDAP vaccine and Ciprofloxacin.  Ugh! 

As a result of all the activity last night, I am a bit tired this evening and will retire to bed shortly, leaving George to his own in the living room.  I know that this will not bode too well with him he feels somewhat abandoned and lonely.  However, given the circumstances of the past few days he will be okay with it on the short term.  I look forward to the day he re-joins me in the bedroom where he belongs! 

Today we ran a few errands.  Looking at wheelchairs for his mom.  Just pricing them out for now and seeing the quality of various brands.  He will likely go online to shop as it is less expensive.  And she does not yet need one as she is using ones that the skilled nursing facility has on the premises. We stopped in to see her for a few minutes.  The facility had therapy dogs visiting.  There must have been about ten dogs of various breeds and sizes.  Needless to say, Mom was smiling a lot and enjoying that very much.  She’s always in good spirits and happy to see us.  Minutes after we leave she won’t remember we were there, but in those moments she is happy.