Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Baa Baa Black Sheep

We had a sort-of smooth sailing day. We left the house about 7:40 and headed Manchester way to renew our car license. Then we got on the interstate and headed Nashville way...except for a stop in Murfreesboro to "hand-off" the pulled pork to Melany and family. We could definitely tell that going in a bit later made a difference in traffic patterns. We definitely had smooth sailing traffic-wise. Made it in just about record time considering that we made two stops on the way. His labs and appointment with Dr. Sossman were almost on time...Dr. Sossman's was a bit late, but it was a quick appointment so we were on our way early for the next appointment (the infusion). Dr. Sossman decided that Woody's creatinine level was a bit high so he ordered that he get some extra fluid at the time of his infusions. We were more than an hour early for the infusion appointment and we usually have to wait an hour. So after Woody signed in at the desk at the infusion clinic, he told them that he was going to go visit a friend who was in the hospital there. We were not away more than 15 minutes...but we guess that they called him while we were away and then they didn't see him come back in and he sat back against the back wall so he went unnoticed for quite a while. More than an hour later one of the aides did come and find us. Even though it did back us up a bit in time, I am so glad that we paid the hospital visit. The young man that we visited grew up here in Tullahoma and was very good friends with Nathan. Back in grade school years his mom dropped him off at our house in the mornings and the boys walked to school together and then in the afternoons he came back home with Nathan till his mom got off from her teaching job at another school. Plus they went to the same church as we do so the boys were together a lot. He has been very sick with an infection that made it necessary for him to have a heart valve replaced on Saturday. He is doing amazingly well considering how serious the surgery was and how sick he had been prior to the surgery, but he still has a long road of recovery. We hadn't seen him in years so it was very good to touch base with him and his mom and stepdad. Woody's infusion took longer since he had to have the extra fluid so we didn't get away from Vanderbilt till 3:30. This time since it was so late and we were looking forward to our barbecue meal at home,we didn't make our usual Steak and Shake stop. While Woody waited (futally) in the infusion clinic, I got appointments for all the way into September. It took quite a long time to get all those appointments made and when I got back upstairs Woody was still waiting. When they finally found him (I'm trying to figure out why, since they were looking for him, they didn't call out his name, things proceded smoothly once again...the Keytruda and the saline were already there so we didn't have to wait on them to arrive...which is usually a 30 min. wait once he is in an infusion cubicle. Oh, well, we know next time that we go MIA (as they called it) that when we come back we will let them know that we are back! Woody didn't think much about the wait since most every time we wait at least an hour in that waiting room, if not longer. This was the fourth infusion in this set of infusions and after every 12 weeks then he is scheduled for a PET scan a week before he goes back for the next infusion. This time Dr. Sosman has also scheduled a brain MRI. Woody hadn't had one in a year...so that got added on to the appointment on the day that he has his PET scan. So those tests are in two weeks and then the next week he goes for labs and to see the doctor and to continue with infusions if tests says he should continue. The reason for the title tonight is the number of bags he had hanging on his IV stand today...two saline and one Keytruda...so "three bags full" for Baa Baa Black Sheep! And, since he needed hydration, he got every drop of all three bags. Woody came home and ate supper and then walked to the prayer room at church. Now to convince him that he NEEDS to drink more when he exercises and works outdoors on these hot days so he won't need extra hydration the next time! Good bye to June!

No comments:

Post a Comment