Why is it that every time we feel like we are taking a step forward, something will happen to take us at least 2 steps backward?
Husband has been puking a lot today - started even before breakfast! Then after lunch, then in the middle of the afternoon when he hadn't even eaten anything! He has managed to keep down some quaker oats - once for breakfast, and once at about 5.30pm. He has also been good about drinking his Ensure protein drink... and that's about all he has been able to tolerate.
Will take him back to the gastro tomorrow. See what's what.
Also, ironically, putting him on 3 morphine tablets, every 12 hours, is working out WORSE than having 2 tablets, every 8 hours. He has already had to have 2 doses of 4ml each of the liquid morphine, to supplement the pills!!! So our pain management doc has asked me to put him back on the 8-hourly cycle, with doses of liquid morphine, IF required, in between.
The other update - our oncologist in Melaka has made arrangements for us to see an oncologist in KL this coming Saturday, 9.30am, at the University Malaya Specialist Centre. My sister is coming with us, as she knows where it is, and also so she can get a wheelchair for Husband, and keep him company at the entrance of the centre while I go and park the car and make my way back to them (apparently a little bit of a distance from car park to hospital entrance, and I don't want Husband to have to walk that distance!).
Will update tomorrow, once we have seen the gastro doc.
Please continue to keep Husband in your thoughts and prayers, that this may just be a VERY temporary setback.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Showing posts with label morphine tablets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label morphine tablets. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Of hallucinations, and Xmas!
Strange combination of subjects, isn't it?
Well, let's start with the hallucinations. Husband still has them. Yes, on a daily basis. No, not on a 24 hour basis. Happens more at night than in the daytime - probably because we sleep with the curtains open (we are high enough up, with nobody overlooking our windows!), so the shadows that get thrown in the room can be pretty scary. The doc did say it would take a few weeks for the hallucinations to completely disappear, but it WOULD disappear, and that is the reassurance I am holding on to for now. I'm not going to beg for trouble before it happens :-(.
As to his meds, I have switched to giving him the meds twice a day. So instead of 2 pills 3-times a day, at 8 hourly intervals, I am (as per doctors suggestion), switching to 3 pills 2-times a day, at 12-hourly intervals. The doctor wants me to see WHEN (IF) the pain breaks through, and, if required, administer the liquid morphine, and track how much of the liquid opiate I am giving him. She will use this information to adjust his dosage later. The reason for this change is that Husband is still too sleepy all the time, so she thinks the drugs are not coming out of his system in 8 hours. The way it should be is that, as we come closer to the next dosage, the pain should be breaking through. If it is not, then the drug is not being flushed out of his system fast enough. So, first step: 3 pills, twice daily at 12 hour intervals (8am, 8pm). If he is still too sleepy, she wants me to reduce it to 2 pills at 8am, 3 pills at 8pm.... so let's see how it goes.
Now, on to Xmas.
Went shopping with my sister yesterday. She brought my Mum and the maid over as well - my Mum to keep an eye on Husband, and make sure he has his lunch, and takes his meds, at the right times. The maid to clean the house. My sis and I left home at 10.30am, and didn't get home till just after 4.00pm! Phew!!! Talk about TIRED! And my BACK - oh boy, it has been a LONG time since my back ached like that. It's all that walking, even if I did wear so-called "walking shoes"!
It was worth it though. Got all my Xmas present shopping done, AND got all the Xmas tree decorations and lights :-D. IN ONE DAY! Wow, now, that is the first time EVER I have been able to that. My sister had also brought over her small (4 ft) Xmas tree for me, as they had bought a bigger one for themselves. So, after we got home from our shopping, and after my sis had left with Mum and maid, I started on the tree - sorting out the decorations, the tinsel, the lights. Setting the tree up, and then decorating it. Found I had bought TOO MANY decorations :-p, but I figure, what the heck, Xmas decorations always get damaged or lost, so I have lots of spares for the next few years :-D. Also got all the Xmas pressies wrapped, and under the tree... and they will be transferred from here to our PJ house on Xmas Eve, for the family get together dinner and gift opening session after dinner on Xmas Eve. Yes, we always do this on Xmas Eve. Always have done, as Xmas Day was usually an "open house" day when friends come over, and we have no time for just the family.
No, we are not having open house this year. I think, with the way Husband is, nobody really has the mood to do that kind of party. We shall save it for next year when he is better. Husband and I will have Hwee Peng staying with us for the weekend :-D, so she is going to be part of the family get-together on Xmas Eve. Tony won't be able to join us, as he is making his usual Xmas trip back to Ireland to spend Xmas with his family.... BUT, if Husband is well enough, strong enough, we may be able to make a trip to SG to spend New Year with Peng and Tony. At this moment, I am not too optimistic about that - but miracles have been known to happen!
Last night we also had the unexpected pleasure of talking to Husband's sister, Avis, and her husband, John, on Skype.. Not just TALKING, but SEEING, as these two self-proclaimed technophobes shocked themselves by successfully setting up skype on their machine WITH a webcam and all. Well done Avis and John :-)... and we look forward to "seeing" you again soon.
SO, that's it for now. Please, as always, continue to keep Husband in your thoughts and prayers, that he can adjust well to the opiates and have NO MORE hallucinations, and that he gets stronger, becomes more positive, and then we can continue the fight against the cancer.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Well, let's start with the hallucinations. Husband still has them. Yes, on a daily basis. No, not on a 24 hour basis. Happens more at night than in the daytime - probably because we sleep with the curtains open (we are high enough up, with nobody overlooking our windows!), so the shadows that get thrown in the room can be pretty scary. The doc did say it would take a few weeks for the hallucinations to completely disappear, but it WOULD disappear, and that is the reassurance I am holding on to for now. I'm not going to beg for trouble before it happens :-(.
As to his meds, I have switched to giving him the meds twice a day. So instead of 2 pills 3-times a day, at 8 hourly intervals, I am (as per doctors suggestion), switching to 3 pills 2-times a day, at 12-hourly intervals. The doctor wants me to see WHEN (IF) the pain breaks through, and, if required, administer the liquid morphine, and track how much of the liquid opiate I am giving him. She will use this information to adjust his dosage later. The reason for this change is that Husband is still too sleepy all the time, so she thinks the drugs are not coming out of his system in 8 hours. The way it should be is that, as we come closer to the next dosage, the pain should be breaking through. If it is not, then the drug is not being flushed out of his system fast enough. So, first step: 3 pills, twice daily at 12 hour intervals (8am, 8pm). If he is still too sleepy, she wants me to reduce it to 2 pills at 8am, 3 pills at 8pm.... so let's see how it goes.
Now, on to Xmas.
Went shopping with my sister yesterday. She brought my Mum and the maid over as well - my Mum to keep an eye on Husband, and make sure he has his lunch, and takes his meds, at the right times. The maid to clean the house. My sis and I left home at 10.30am, and didn't get home till just after 4.00pm! Phew!!! Talk about TIRED! And my BACK - oh boy, it has been a LONG time since my back ached like that. It's all that walking, even if I did wear so-called "walking shoes"!
It was worth it though. Got all my Xmas present shopping done, AND got all the Xmas tree decorations and lights :-D. IN ONE DAY! Wow, now, that is the first time EVER I have been able to that. My sister had also brought over her small (4 ft) Xmas tree for me, as they had bought a bigger one for themselves. So, after we got home from our shopping, and after my sis had left with Mum and maid, I started on the tree - sorting out the decorations, the tinsel, the lights. Setting the tree up, and then decorating it. Found I had bought TOO MANY decorations :-p, but I figure, what the heck, Xmas decorations always get damaged or lost, so I have lots of spares for the next few years :-D. Also got all the Xmas pressies wrapped, and under the tree... and they will be transferred from here to our PJ house on Xmas Eve, for the family get together dinner and gift opening session after dinner on Xmas Eve. Yes, we always do this on Xmas Eve. Always have done, as Xmas Day was usually an "open house" day when friends come over, and we have no time for just the family.
No, we are not having open house this year. I think, with the way Husband is, nobody really has the mood to do that kind of party. We shall save it for next year when he is better. Husband and I will have Hwee Peng staying with us for the weekend :-D, so she is going to be part of the family get-together on Xmas Eve. Tony won't be able to join us, as he is making his usual Xmas trip back to Ireland to spend Xmas with his family.... BUT, if Husband is well enough, strong enough, we may be able to make a trip to SG to spend New Year with Peng and Tony. At this moment, I am not too optimistic about that - but miracles have been known to happen!
Last night we also had the unexpected pleasure of talking to Husband's sister, Avis, and her husband, John, on Skype.. Not just TALKING, but SEEING, as these two self-proclaimed technophobes shocked themselves by successfully setting up skype on their machine WITH a webcam and all. Well done Avis and John :-)... and we look forward to "seeing" you again soon.
SO, that's it for now. Please, as always, continue to keep Husband in your thoughts and prayers, that he can adjust well to the opiates and have NO MORE hallucinations, and that he gets stronger, becomes more positive, and then we can continue the fight against the cancer.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
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