Well 1 step forward and 2 steps back! Very rough night! Ron was restless all night, just couldn't seem to get comfortable. Around 4:30 AM he began vomitting and having diarrhea. Afterwards, he continued to feel bad and still could not sleep. About 7:30 AM., he seemed to finally be sleeping well, at which point I went home to pick up a few items and take a short nap myself....I was so tired I actually fell into a deep sleep and didn't get up until almost 1! It felt wonderful but, when I returned to the hospital @ 2, I could tell Ron was still having a rought time of it. He continues to feel nauseaous and can't sleep; he feels he's having hallucinations as he's dozing in and out.
After meeting with docs, decision was made to try tweaking his meds...even though he's done well on Demerol previously, when it's in a continuous drip it metabolizes differently and the side effects have not been good. So, Ron has opted to come off the continuous drip and have Demerol (along with Phenergan) as needed instead. It's a catch 22 because this combination really knocks him out and he needs/wants to be able to get up more but really needs the relief from pain! He is also experiencing alot of back pain, most likely from being laid up so long; but this adds to his inability to get comfortable and rest well.
His numbers look great today, all within normal ranges...except White Blood Cell Count has increased to 28,000. They were hoping things would be making a turn for the better since all the numbers were dropping so quickly but still believe he is making progress, just very slowly. Doctor Elieson said to be patient...this is not a sprint but a marathon.
They have just taken him down for a CT scan (check pancreas and to see if maybe there is a build up of bile that may be causing extra problems.) Not sure when we'll get the results.
It's been a very discouraging day but...we keep placing one foot in front of the other looking towards the SON!
Christie
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