Yesterday was long and tiresome but as we assured ourselves we got a lot done. stuff no one wants to do but stuff that NEEDED to be done. I found my way to the front desk of the hostel and signed up for the weekly shuttle to the grocery store and saw there was to be a fresh fruits and veggies farmers market on the street right outside of the hospital in the middle of the day! I planned to restock us with some fresh things after radiation. We walked over to the hospital at10am [very short walk and the only exercise we have really gotten so that was good]. We caught up with the radiation oncology staff and with some discussion it was decided that this day something WOULD be done to help Gene with this anti nausea side effect [put on your thinking caps but don't say it out loud--to stop nausea you slow down the gut......when you slow down the gut enough you have a whole new problem] by now a 13 day old problem. I insisted today it must get fixed. They agreed. Off to stand in line at the pharmacy [did this 4 times today I think!--but there is always someone interesting to talk to, once I spoke with a fellow who loves music, plays all kinds of instruments and is from NY, another time I chatted with folks from NJ. Hopkins has a baby grand piano sitting in the waiting area and patients or families or Peabody students sit and play for us from time to time.] Anyway what a blessing....I was able to get the chemo medicines and I paid $32 for thousands of dollars worth of this medicine. How thankful I am for Gene's endurance at a job he has always hated that we have this insurance.
On to radiation treatment and then off to the emergency department as that is where it had been decided we would address the problem. By 2:30 we were through all the preliminaries of admittance to the department and were upstairs in a hospital bed. We found that not only could they get a start on the gut problem but they also diagnosed a urinary tract infection and started Gene on antibiotics! Maybe that explains the back pain he has had for 3 weeks! We did not get back to the apartment at the hostel until after 10pm. [I missed out on the trip to the store and the farmers market] I then ate some supper--er lunch having had breakfast on our way to the ER when, as we were walking past the cafeteria to get there I said to Gene, I MUST eat something!!! I could never have imagined stopping on the way to the ER for a quick bite but what must be must be! The hospital fed Gene a nice supper even if he said he likes the way I fix spinach a whole lot better! Sweet man!
So this morning we head to day #7 of radiation and to fill prescriptions for the antibiotics and maybe start the chemo but ....it has a tendency to constipate!!!! But the antibiotics can give you the runs! Oh the fun of balance. Who ever said we need balance in our lives! I could use some.
I am thankful.......for antibiotics, for the excellent flow through the ER and the kindness and personability of every single person and we will be more thankful for the chem to start---what is God saying with this delay--I must trust Him to know what He is doing. I choose. I choose. I choose.
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