Well, since Monday's thoracentesis where they drained a liter and a half of fluid, we've had a busy week. Monday mornings x-ray showed his line had moved once again into the wrong place. After the thoracentesis the x-ray showed it had moved back into the right place. We were totally baffled. Tuesday he was supposed to start cardio rehab at the hospital but his heart rate was too high, so they couldn't do anything. Same thing happened on Thursday. So, no cardio rehab this week. Poor Brent says he failed cardio rehab. :(
On Tuesday we tried to set up another thoracentesis to drain the last of the fluid off of his lung. Low and behold, IHC's central scheduling system was down. FOR THREE DAYS! So frustrating. How can such a huge corporation, especially medical, not have a back-up system? We finally worked with Dr. Caines office to have them schedule it. We ended up having to go to Riverton Hospital to do it, which was fine. They pulled another 1.375 liters of fluid off. Here's hoping and praying that it stays off and doesn't reaccumulate. BUT, the x-ray after the thoracentesis once again showed that the line was in the wrong place. What the heck? In 14 years, we've never seen this and it just keeps happening. Soooo, STILL not able to schedule anything through IHC, our awesome PA/nutritionist finally got him scheduled for this afternoon. He's now sporting another new central line. The nurse we had before they took him back was awesome. She wrote on the white board under 'goals'
STOP THE FLOP! Here's hoping. He can't keep missing his nightly TPN. He's losing too much weight.
Last night was the first night he has not needed oxygen. He also hasn't been using it during the day for a couple of days. That's awesome!
If you love salmon, you should be really jealous. Tonight is the annual Payson Salmon Supper. Google it. It's amazing. We are just getting ours and bringing it home due to Covid, the heat, and Brent still recovering. Can't wait. It's seriously the best salmon we have ever had. People come from all over the state for this, some on buses.
Anyways, we know that we are blessed with good and amazing people all around us. We truly have a great medical team that continually go to bat for us. We have so many prayers being said in our behalf. We don't know why we continue to be so blessed. We know that miracles come in all sizes and shapes, and often aren't the miracle we were expecting, but miracles nonetheless. We have dear friends that are facing the loss of their husband and father of six children (ages 2-14) to a very aggressive pancreatic cancer. Their's and hundreds of others' prayers for his life to be spared or extended have not been granted, and he is now on hospice. It is heartbreaking and hard to accept. This is a family that is loved by so many, and who serve others quietly and abundantly. They bless the lives of so many. I know that they have seen tender mercies and miracles. In Tim's words, "a miracle in this case may be an extension of my own life, or it may be getting someone to pray that has not prayed in years. My deepest hope is that it includes strength coming to my wife and children as they suffer the brunt of the emotional, psychological, financial, etc effects of the next months and years." Brent and I are struggling to come to terms with this. We wish we had answers as to why. Why do some of our sweet friends and family have to suffer so much? Why have so many of our friends had to go through the loss of a sweet baby, a son or daughter, or a loving spouse? It just breaks our hearts. To those suffering, mourning, or who need extra strength, please know that you are never alone. We know without a shadow of a doubt that our Father in Heaven is mindful of you. He knows you. He loves you. He will grant you the strength and peace that you desperately need. He has done that for us. So many times. We are eternally grateful.
