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Mathew's Journey Through DSRCT Continues

I’ve been looking at the pages of texts messages I have and Mathew’s Journal entries for the next few days. I look at it all and it’s a mass of pain, to the hospital, home from the hospital, medical ups and downs and Mathew navigating it all physically and emotionally and I feel like I am trudging through thick cloying mud as I write these blog posts. And I wonder what you, the reader thinks and feels. Does it seem like an endless drudgery of depressing procedures and physical and emotional pain? 

 Constant, constant constant. 

 If that is how it comes across, then I have successfully conveyed the feelings of this part of the journey.

And I continue:


From Mathew’s Journal

3-29-14
Wake up nauseous again. Then headed to the bathroom for the gross morning rituals.

The day went by with me sleeping. I have been very tired since my last chemo.

At 12:00 pm I go NPO because tomorrow I go get a port to replace the nuisance of a pic line.

Honestly, though, I can say I am a little scared as the last procedure for the lung catheter was so painful.

I need to change my bandages again and finish up with the antibiotic IV and flush the final pic line.

3-31-14

Excruciating pain is the only way to describe today. It was in my liver port and moves up to my right shoulder.  ***(Remember the warning on the Neulasta shot?)


We woke up early this day in order to do everything needed before leaving the house and getting to Moffitt in time for Mathew’s appointment at the IR.
But when Mathew woke up he was in excruciating pain. So as soon as he was ready I said let’s go. I called ahead and was told to go to the DRC as soon as we arrived. They put Mathew in a room and within minutes Dr. Knight was there. Mathew was screaming in pain. She grabbed his hand and put her face close to his and asked him what type of pain and where. Within minutes she had ordered pain meds for him and they were starting to work. Dr. Knight was concerned because this had been the most pain Mathew had been in, to date.


IR to put a port in around 9:00 and at the time they examined the bill bag through CT with contrast and said it was working. By now it started draining again, but the pain is still excruciating.


Dr. Knight helps with pain. Holds my hands and hooks me up to generous amounts of Dilaudid** I did not know how much longer my industrial fortitude would have held out. In fact, it pains me to write about it.

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