Late Monday Night

We had quite a day today. No radiation. The dr. office called to change the appointment to 3 PM, but Danny was already scheduled for the outpatient surgery this afternoon, so they said to come in a little earlier tomorrow - 10:30 AM. I'm not sure what's up. They just said the dr. would be talking to Danny. This makes 2 radiation treatments he's missed, but they'll catch up with them at the end.

Anyway, we got a call from the optometrist. Danny's glasses were in so we could go pick them up. (They came a lot sooner than we'd been told they would.) It took us nearly an hour there and that was after we hurried them up since we needed to be at the hospital before noon. Danny's glasses look nice and he can see much better now.

Then we headed to the hospital to get Danny checked in to outpatient surgery. Arrived there around noon. Surgery was scheduled for 1. They got Danny settled in, weighed him, and started an IV. He's lost 5 pounds. (I think probably from refusing to eat a lot of what's here. He's been feeling bad and then not eating enough just made him feel worse.) Danny was so nervous that they wound up putting him on oxygen for a little while since he was hyperventilating some. He did finally get settled, though, and his blood oxygen was fine.

They finally wheeled him to surgery around 1:30 - don't know why they ran late. When they did, I went for lunch. The hospital cafeteria was already closed so I went to Sonic. Ate, and went back to the hospital. They had said the procedure would take about 30 minutes. Well, it was 3:30 before they brought him back to recovery. They put the port under the skin on the left side of his chest and left a needle and some tubing in it for tomorrow. After chemo, they'll remove that part and put new needle and tubing in next time.

Two nurses came in to talk to Danny about the port. One very young nurse is recovering from breast cancer and showed us the scar where the port had been on her. She's finished with chemo now and her hair is just starting to grow back. Another one came in and told us she has had a port for 4 years because she has debilitating migraines and they use the port to give her strong meds. Hearing from the two of them helped him relax somewhat. They both thought the port was the best thing they could have done in order to receive treatments without having to be stuck every time. See, the chemo dr. already told us that if Danny came in and they couldn't get a vein, he would have to be sent home for that day because they can't do the chemo without a good vein.

He was then scheduled to come home at 5, but they brought him a light lunch since he hadn't had anything to eat all day - ham sandwich on wheat bread, applesauce, and graham crackers. He actually ate everything but the crackers. They gave him water to drink, as that's what he requested.

We finally got out of there around 4:30 since he was doing ok. Headed over to Fred's pharmacy to get the meds he has to take before chemo. We wound up there another hour and a half. I thought we never would get those two scrips filled!

By the time we got home it was nearly 7 and we were just plain worn out. Brandon was home and had been doing some laundry. He cooked us some supper when we got here - buffalo weiners, mac & cheese, and canned baked beans. Not fancy but at that moment, we didn't care. We just wanted to eat.

Danny ate all that really well, too, except he just ate the center of the weiner he had. The skin on these is a little tougher - like on smoked sausage. There's some of everything left so I'll take it with us tomorrow. We'll have another long day.

After radiation in the morning, then we go back to the hospital for Danny to have chemo. That will take at least a couple of hours which means we'll be in town through lunch again. So, having leftovers with us will help save some $$. They'll be cold leftovers but I don't think that will matter much. For all I know, they'll give Danny something to eat at the chemo place.

I'll take a book, a puzzle book, and some crochet stuff with me so I can stay occupied. I'll also make sure we have a couple or three of the Reader's Digests with us so he can have something to read during chemo. We were shown the room. It has lots of windows and lots of comfortable recliners for the patients to relax in while they get their treatment.

The medicine Danny has to take before chemo is 5 steroid tablets tonight and 5 more in the morning. He also has nausea med, if he needs it. The chemo dr. said he'd have to take the steroid before every treatment.

We haven't heard any results from the CT scan they did Friday on Danny's neck or on the EKG, though I assume if the EKG had a problem they probably wouldn't have done the surgery today. Maybe we'll hear something tomorrow.

We're both beginning to get pretty exhausted. Him, from the treatments, of course, plus the daily grind of just going. Me from going every day and then trying to get some few things done here at home. Today we were both a bit discouraged and on edge. We got past it, though, only through God's grace.


I've got to get some meals planned and cooked ahead. We both need to have sound nutrition in order to even halfway maintain some health and peace of mind. I believe poor nutrition has a profound effect on how clearly we think, not to mention how Danny's body can withstand all the treatments he's getting and all the meds he's taking.

Ps 74:12
For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
KJV

Job 19:25
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
KJV

Hab 1:5
Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
KJV

I am clinging to God's promises. I know what the doctors say is fact. But I also know that what God says is truth!