Now that I am down backtracking a bit and bringing everyone up to speed, it's sad that I am now writing this blog (as with the other previous posts) in the hospital. After getting back from New York at 5pm on Sunday, March 21, my Mom was experiencing a lot of pain and a fever. My dad warned me about some of this, but after I took her temp and finding it was 101.1 degrees, I knew something needed to be done.
After speaking with the Doctor, he was concerned that it could be plyo. My mom had a stent put in just below her left kidney around March 9. The purpose of the stent was to ensure that the left ureter was open (it's not since the cancer as constricted it to such an extreme degree which is why her Kidney is still vary large).
It was determined that the stent might be the cause of the infection and she was put on IV antibiotics.
The Kidney: It's large and no one is doing anything to address it. They could do a nephroscopy which is a flexible tube that attaches the Kidney to the Bladder, thus bypassing the ureter. Even the radiation oncologist agreed the priority should be to ensure the kidney function and ureter is open. the doctor's recommendation? To have my mom live in excruciating pain until the radiation and chemo force the cervical cancer to become smaller thus removing the blockage.
Stupid huh? The kidney is not able to get rid of the fluid in it's system and this guy refuses to do anything about it. He is hoping that the radiation/chemo will do something about this issue but I'm not holding my breath. I've accepted the fact that some pain is necessary, though this much pain that is not directly related to the cancer? Something has to be done since pain is something my mom refuses to deal with. Oh yeah, hospitals to. Combine these two together and you get a terrible situation that increasing chances of depression and helplessness.
After meeting the doctor today, he seems very curt. The nurses and residents suck. Neither seem able to listen or comprehend the English language to the point that residents prescribe medication that would adversely effect her kidneys, and therefore successful chemo treatment and the nurses never seem to be able to administer pain medication earlier than 2 hours after they have been told of the presence of extreme pain.
Either way, mom is battling this like a champ. Though we expect her to be in the hospital for the next few days, I'm hoping that she will be better on Wednesday so that she can leave. Being at home and able to manage her pain is critical to her well being.
Half the battle is medical treatment the other half is a positive disposition willing to fight this to the end. She has the former, I hope she can continue the latter.
Showing posts with label hospital. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hospital. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Chemo
My mom went to the hospital to have surgery to have something implanted underneath her skin for her future chemo treatments. My mom's doctor, an unnamed award winning Pittsburgh Physician who practices at AGH has determined, with some excellent Radiation Oncologists, that she'll be on a daily radiation treatment along with chemotherapy on a case-by-case basis (anything meaning once per week to once every 2-3 or 4 weeks depending on how she does).
Surgery is not recommended for cancer as advanced as my mom's. However, not being a doctor, something needs to happen to drain that Kidney. The Kidney seems to be causing agony with my mother and as anyone with a loved one experiencing excruciating pain will attest all you want to do is take their place. To do anything necessary to alleviate their suffering. This includes being short and curt with everyone - which is understandable for any patient/family.
However, My mom is the most courageous woman, heck person, I've ever known. Sure she complains from time to time about the pain, but at no time will she scream, and at no time will she ask for more medication than is absolutely required/necessary (even if a tad bit more will make her more comfortable). She is the epitome of the strong, independent woman. She is someone who defines herself on her own terms, and refuses, despite the agony and pain she is experiencing, to give any amount on the management of our family. This is most amazing both positively and negatively.
She is positively the best mother I child can have. She is someone who without even thinking, will kill herself for her husband and kids. She refuses to not bug me about eating lunch or dinner if we've missed it due to taking her to the hospital and she refuses to allow her illness to "burden" the family.
Negatively, she has yet to understand or full grasp that none our late night hospital stays or long drives to get home to see her are a not a burden. It's worry, caring, love that requires me to drive sometimes 7 hours to see her and make sure she's ok. It's love that my older brother is worried about her condition and is getting increasing anxious and curt with some people. It's out of love when my father, an ER physician get's frustrated with idiotic residents, doctors, and nurses who sometimes reflect the worst of the worst of America's health care system.
Back to the topic at hand, the surgery went well, no complications and she is ready to kick cancer's ass. Beware Cancer, your days are fucking numbered.....
Surgery is not recommended for cancer as advanced as my mom's. However, not being a doctor, something needs to happen to drain that Kidney. The Kidney seems to be causing agony with my mother and as anyone with a loved one experiencing excruciating pain will attest all you want to do is take their place. To do anything necessary to alleviate their suffering. This includes being short and curt with everyone - which is understandable for any patient/family.
However, My mom is the most courageous woman, heck person, I've ever known. Sure she complains from time to time about the pain, but at no time will she scream, and at no time will she ask for more medication than is absolutely required/necessary (even if a tad bit more will make her more comfortable). She is the epitome of the strong, independent woman. She is someone who defines herself on her own terms, and refuses, despite the agony and pain she is experiencing, to give any amount on the management of our family. This is most amazing both positively and negatively.
She is positively the best mother I child can have. She is someone who without even thinking, will kill herself for her husband and kids. She refuses to not bug me about eating lunch or dinner if we've missed it due to taking her to the hospital and she refuses to allow her illness to "burden" the family.
Negatively, she has yet to understand or full grasp that none our late night hospital stays or long drives to get home to see her are a not a burden. It's worry, caring, love that requires me to drive sometimes 7 hours to see her and make sure she's ok. It's love that my older brother is worried about her condition and is getting increasing anxious and curt with some people. It's out of love when my father, an ER physician get's frustrated with idiotic residents, doctors, and nurses who sometimes reflect the worst of the worst of America's health care system.
Back to the topic at hand, the surgery went well, no complications and she is ready to kick cancer's ass. Beware Cancer, your days are fucking numbered.....
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