Skip to main content

Crunching the Timeline Tip #2


My niece Allison was going through her oncology fellowship in Orlando, Florida, at this time. In the beginning and throughout the entire time, she availed herself to me whenever I needed her. She also gave me information that helped me crunch the timeline and navigate the journey.

 At this point, I am texting her saying they want to send him home. It frightened me that he was in so much pain. I couldn’t imagine being able to care for him at the house.

She messaged me back and told me not to let them send him home, that I didn’t have to allow them to release him under those circumstances.

As I am writing this, I wonder if he had been sent home if it would have taken longer to get him to Moffitt. I believe because the doctors came in every day and saw him failing, dying, they were pressured to pass his care on to a more experienced and knowledgeable medical team. Specialist for cancer, at this point, that was still unidentified.



FROM THE NOTEBOOK
         
Monday 2-25-14
Family Dr. Dr S, pain meds
ultrasound to testicles
lower left

MRI pancreas  11 am because it was pushed down because of tumor
morphine

biopsy Tuesday morning

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hair Loss After Chemo for Sarcoma, My Son's Point of View

I can't imagine or pretend to know how it feels to lose your hair because you have cancer and the chemo causes your hair to fall out.  I only know what I saw with Mathew and years ago, my sister Elizabeth's experience as they lost their hair to chemotherapy. But it was something that affected Mathew more than just the initial hair loss, it had nuances. Here is a journal entry. It's short but I think it speaks volumes. MATHEW’S JOURNAL     5-23-14 Lately, I’ve been envious of people’s hair. Well, I guess not envious of other people’s hair but missing mine. I told my Mom about it and expressed to her that I was afraid I was falling prey to vanity. She expressed the idea that I may be missing having hair because it’s part of being healthy. I do miss having a life and at the same time, I’m afraid that I may never have a full life again or that I may lose what’s left of the one I have. -  I’ve been thinking about dying a lot lately. I don’t know why it has hit
Post a Comment
Read more

The Chemo Bell at Moffitt Cancer Center

Bells ring.  Bells, chime, toll, peal, resonate and resound. Bells foretell, warn and celebrate. The Chemo Bell The Survivor Bell Cancer Centers have one or several large bells, each with a large clapper. They are mounted on the wall and when a patient receives their last chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer they ring that bell. Mathew and I heard the Chemo Bell in the Infusion Center at Moffitt ring one time. Early on our journey. Everyone clapped and cheered. Mat and I stopped and looked at the bell that day and I thought at that time, it was a possibility for Mathew. Bells have a vibration. When a chemo bell rings, when a person survives cancer (even if it’s for a short time) they resound for the rest of us. Their survival reverberates and gives the rest of us hope.  I found another chemo bell on the 5th floor at Moffitt, in the hallway, past the patient rooms.  Next to the chemo bell was a copy of a photo of a patient surrounded by loved ones
Post a Comment
Read more

Replace the 3 Lumen Pic Line with a Port

Mathew's 3 Lumen Pic Line was replaced with a Power P.A.C. Both Mathew and I were given Medical I.D. cards to carry at all times. I have mentioned before that texting from the DRC is almost impossible. The staff told me it used to be the X-ray department so the walls are leaded. Again, the phone tree would have helped so much. I texted the following information to my niece, my sister and Mathew’s Dad and Stepmom. And probably Joseph and Carlos. I know that could have been reduced to two texts, three at the most. At the time  I didn’t know about group messaging as my phone was an old Android. Texts Between me and Diane Hi. We are at the hospital early because Mat is in a lot of pain.  We think the bill stent may have moved. Sent 3-31-14 Because he was NPO for other  procedure they should be able to fix today. Sent 3-31-14 In the DRC sending texts is almost impossible so if you don’t hear from me for a while don’t worry. If any big pr
Post a Comment
Read more