This morning started out with a scare...I think for both of us! Woody woke me up out of a sound sleep around 5am saying that he needed help. That starts the heart racing first thing in the morning. I got downstairs as quickly as I could (move a lot slower these days). I found him in the doorway of the bathroom on the floor. On the way out of the bathroom his legs just gave out from under him...he hadn't realized how weak he was still from being so sick yesterday. He had hold of his walker so he said that he went down gently. He did land on his "bad side," his left side with his arm that has plates and screws in the upper arm and where the melanoma tumor is just above the elbow. We found out later that the tumor must have taken a blow as it did bleed...thank goodness the nurse gave us several of those oclusive bandages. He managed with a bit of my help to scoot out the door and down the side of the couch and around to the front of the couch and made it onto the couch to sit there to catch his breath and regain some strength. I did call Nathan to come get him into the transport chair and back to his recliner. Phew...we were all so glad when he was seated once again! I could tell that other than what the fall took out of him that he was better today than yesterday. And, as the morning progressed he did regain some of his strength back and started feeling better...his fever was almost gone. He drank a protein shake for breakfast and I'm sure that helped him some with his strength. It did take a bit longer than usual to get him out to the car in the transport chair and into the car. I am glad that I planned to start much earlier than usual as even with some built in time, we were still a bit late for his appointment. We finally got in and got him seated in the room. He had dietitian, social worker, nurse, and Dr. O all talk to him...all were there in person except for Dr. O...that visit was through a computer screen. Woody was given an iron infusion and also his shot for anemia. Dr. O doesnt expect Woody to have to go for a transfusion tomorrow. He said that the numbers from Vanderbilt weren't to the point of him actually needing a transfusion...just heading that way...so trying to reverse it by way of eating, the iron and the anemia shot. He did change his prescription for Zofran to the kind that are disovable in the mouth...not needing water...might help him to take them when he is feeling nauseated. I hope doesn't have too many days like yesterday! I know part of yesterday was his response to the T-Vec injection...pretty sure that the fever was caused by that...and can't help but wonder if his nausea was partly caused by that since it increased so much from other days. His weakness was probably due to 1)fever, 2) nausea which meant that nutrition wouldn't stay down even if he could attempt to eat, 3)anema, and probably the list could go on and on. He is ever so much better this evening...a little while ago went into the bathroom and had no problems...definitely he seems to have his legs under him once again. Okay...so the way he awakened me this morning was the way he scared me...now for the rest of the story. We both were so tired after our trying morning. Once we got home around noon from the kidney center, all Woody wanted to do was lean back in his recliner and try to sleep. And, after lunch, I made my way up to my recliner and found myself dozing off fairly soon after I sat down. When I woke up I decided to go check the mail and then check on Woody. The mail contained a box of sewing goodies that I had ordered a few days ago. So I checked on Woody and found him sound asleep so I decided that it was a good time to open up my box. It had several things that I needed to make some gifts for both Fall and Christmas and some finishing items that I may use to make ornaments, a few zippers that I picked up at a bargain price, and a piece of rib knit to use on one of the sweat shirts/pants that I plan to make for myself. I checked again on Woody...still out like a light. I decided that I would go on and embroider one of the designs using the special fabric that I had been waiting on...it is a very quick stitching design...especially when the machine sews at 600 stitches per minute. It worked great, but the problem was that I was almost out of another item that I need for these designs so I decided that I would make a quick trip to my sewing machine dealer. I checked on Woody again and he was still asleep...I hated to leave the house without him knowing, but I also knew that once asleep he doesn't want to be awakened. I knew that I wouldn't be gone much more than 30 minutes. I got to the store and found what I needed and checked out...of course their cash register was acting up and it took a while to ring up my 3 items! On the way home I did stop at the pharmacy to pick up his new prescription for zofran. I walked into the house exactly 30 minutes after I left. You should have heard the relief in Woody's voice...he had really been in a deep sleep and when he woke up he thought that it was in the middle of the night and not in the afternoon...so he was disoriented. He realized that I hadn't hooked him up for his dialysis...thought that I had forgotten...so started trying to get my attention through Alexa (use her as an intercom between his room and mine) and he couldn't get me to answer...then he started to imagine too much...had I had a heart attack...or a stroke and couldn't answer him, etc. He was trying to figure out how to get in touch with Nathan...he saw my cell phone on a table in the family room...of course he doesn't know how to use it. Then considerd trying to get up the stairs...well, I walked in before he did anything rash! He was very relieved! So I guess scaring each other today was tit for tat! He has been fine today with the dialysis solution left in him...it is now time to go down and get his dialysis going as we have now added the time of a fifth drain to the whole "ordeal." The fluid left in him will have to be drained off before tonight's dialysis can begin...this is not an unusal part of dialysis as it is in the program...just a part that we were able to bypass up till tonight. So off I go...hopefully tomorrow won't be as eventful. He does have an appointment with Oncology for them to recheck his labs...and we will see what that leads to...they indicated a transfusion...Dr. O thought not yet. Once again...time will tell! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!
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