Monday

It's been quite a day for us today.

I had some family members coming to see us. They were supposed to be in town after radiation and we'd meet them at a local restaurant. It was my sister and her husband, my Mom, and a brother of mine and his wife whom I haven't seen in about 15 years! I was very much looking forward to seeing them all, 'specially my brother.

He and his wife live in Rochester NY in the summertimes, then in FL in the winter since they've retired. They decided to swing down through Arkansas on their way south and spend some time here. I was really glad to know that and was afraid I might not get to see them, if they decided to leave for FL today. My brother has had some serious heart problems, and I was afraid if I didn't see him this go 'round, I might never see him alive again.

Well, let me back up a bit. We got ready to go to town this morning for Danny's radiation treatment. While there, he got very short of breath and had severe pain in his right upper chest. His color went bad, too. The doctor decided not to do radiation, but instead to call an ambulance. The dr. put Danny on oxygen while waiting for the ambulance, then after the paramedics got there, they took him off oxygen just long enough to put him back on it for the ride to the hospital.

I got in the van and followed them. It's only about 3 blocks from the dr.'s office, but he didn't want to risk getting hung up in traffic or having to wait for triage for Danny to be seen at the ER. I got there and they took me right back to him. They had him hooked up to monitors, on oxygen, and ran an IV in his port. They gave him two albuterol updrafts while he was there plus morphine in the IV.

See, the dr. was afraid he had a collapsed lung or pneumonia. They did X-rays plus took blood. The X-rays didn't show either a collapse or pneumonia and his SAT was good.

They were able to get him breathing better and the morphine helped the pain. We were there about 2 hours or so, when they finally released him. They told him to be sure and use the pain meds he has at home to keep that pain under control. (He hasn't been taking any pain meds even when he's had pain. I don't know why. The dr. had said to take them PRN, but that he didn't have to take them every X hours as before.)

Anyway, he missed radiation today because of all this which means another treatment tacked on next week. We were told today that part of the problem he has with breathing is that radiation causes his lungs to be less elastic so it's harder to get them to expand when he's breathing. That explains a lot right there! Of course, the large mass interferes, too.

After we got to the hospital, I called my sister. They were nearly to town so I told them to go on and get lunch without us and I'd let them know a little later if the hospital would be keeping Danny there. (I didn't know at that point in time.) I also called the kids and left them voicemails.

When Danny got released, I called everyone back again and we made a new arrangement to meet my family at a city park. Danny and I stopped and got some take-out and headed over to the park. We ate and visited for quite awhile. My oldest daughter and her husband also stopped by the park to meet my brother and his wife. I had taken our lawn chairs this morning, so we had a comfy place to sit and just enjoy the cool outdoors for awhile, and rest.

When we got home, we were both wiped out from the day's events. I think it's more mental exhaustion than physical, but the physical does play a part. I fixed us a little supper and now Danny's snoozing on the sofa.

Yes, it's been quite a day. Tomorrow will also be a very full day. First, radiation. Then to the hospital for bloodwork again. Then chemo. I have to be sure and fix us some snacks to have since we'll be in town for a very long time again tomorrow.

I know people are praying. I can feel it. I know God's hand was on Danny today. If he could go from looking like he did, and having such pain and short breath, to breathing nearly normal and again able to walk around in such a short time, it had to be God.