Encouragement, finally, noonish

Hi everyone,

Yesterday was a terrible day, 'talking heads' all over the place, all day long, with Anne hurting in her chair.  But enough of that now.  Let's move on.

Anne spent the night in the recliner.  Her choice. 

Today I was so happy to walk in to a smile, and to see her toes wiggling, her feet slimmed down, and her legs noticeably softer and thinner.  It's been such a long time coming.  Looks like the night in the recliner paid off, big time.

She feels good, relatively speaking, but says her abdomen pain is a 5, and she took 2 oxycodone shortly after I got here.  I brought her McDonalds small Mango Pineapple Smoothy, one of her favorites, and she has taken half of it.  No pain on her face now as she sleeps.  She doesn't know it but she is awaiting Physical Therapy who will wake her and work her soon.  The nurse said it's good for her to take pain meds before working with PT.

You don't know the relief I felt today to see her slim feet and legs this morning.  I can't tell you how grateful I felt.  It's been cause for alot of discouragement for some time now, for both of us.

There was a team of folks in to see Anne (before I got here) today (snooze you loose).  Anne said they were called palliative (sp??) care specialists.  Anne tells me they spoke to her about managing cancer pain.  I'm thinking she was well enough to tell them how she's doing, but she actually said her room was full of these folks, and being that she has a huge room she had her hands full.  I'm sorry I missed it, but Anne asked them to come back to explain things to me.  The Care Coordinator had arranged for these folks to come in after I spoke with her and the doctors yesterday afternoon.  I hope they'll seek me out today so I can get their perspective.

According to Anne they still want her to be moved to a skilled rehab place soon.  I'm thinking she'll be able to start that soon.   

I was told insurance companies have alot to do with what hospital you're in, and what care you get, etc..  For example, the blood infection is gone so they want her out of here. 

Another example is how she'd like to go to New England Rehab on Brighton Ave.  We know the place.  She's been there before following her brain surgery, and, that's where she 'volunteers' with Dixie, our therapy dog, to visit patients on Fridays in the summer.  They know her there.  However,,,, there's a requirement that you must be able to do 3 1/2 hours of rehab every day, else you're not eligible.  She cannot do that at this time.  So, we have been told to pick from a list of other places, places we know nothing about.

Well, that's a quick update for this Friday.  I'll write more later.  She is better, but still in belly pain.  We'll be learning more about managing that, and I'm demanding guidance regarding her entire digestive issues.

Thanks for being there, and thanks for you're prayers.  We're encouraged today.  Anne continues to sleep soundly here next to me.