Better Late than Never

It has been a couple of weeks since I posted. There is a good reason for that.

After my first visit to the ER at Mayo I've been back in the hospital (Mayo) for a four day stint. During this period they installed a Pleurex Catheter in my right side. This allows me to drain the fluid buildup at home instead of going in to the hospital. It is not that comfortable, but doable with a little help from pain killers.

In addition, one of the doctors on the Palliative Care team recommended I stop taking the Stivarga as well as the Semvastatin I've been taking for years. He researched my file and could not find any evidence that the Stivarga was doing me any good. The Semvastatin has been shown to cause muscle weakness when taken for long periods. I am hoping to see my energy and stamina increase.

There was a complete screw up with getting the Pleurex Bottles and Sterile kits which caused Vicki to have to make 5 separate trips up to Mayo to get bottles and kits so I could drain at home. The case of bottles just arrived yesterday.

At first I was draining every day and getting a full liter of fluid. That went on for four days. The fifth day of draining only got 800 ML of fluid and I had extreme pain in my back and shoulder. I called Mayo and they recommended I come in to the ER again. We decided that I would just go to Chandler regional and get an X-Ray. The X-Ray showed the catheter was in place properly and they released me to got home. I waited a day to drain and got 500 ML of fluid.

I skipped a day again and then got 300 ML of fluid. After two days I drained again and got just 50 ML. I reached out to Mayo and they had me come in for another X-Ray. That was yesterday. The X-Ray was good and they put me on a 3 day drainage schedule. So I won't drain again till Sunday. If the fluid output remains small they will pull the catheter in a few weeks. That's the best news I could have gotten.

While at Mayo yesterday I had my first session with a Veterans with Cancer project that is set up to help Veterans with terminal illness. It was very interesting.

I will continue with the project if possible.

So that's why there have been no posts till now.

Here's this weeks contribution to the "New Normal"

Time Was (a singular conversation)

“Time was when we were relevant

movers and shakers were we”

Some can still shake it a little

Others think they have the moves

Now I don’t mean to belittle

but this crowd has lost its grooves

“Time moves on it’s the true Mover and Shaker

No holding it back or slowing it down”

I concede time’s the action taker

Nothing stops it coming around

So maybe we can’t shake our money maker

The way we did with the 60s sound

“Still we feel inside like we did back then

Though our exteriors have changed their shape”

Don’t blame us for feeling lost at times

We’ve forgotten more than you think

We’ve listened to many decades’ chimes

and many ice cubes clink

“We’re on second and third and 4^th Careers

We’ve retired and come back again”

Many have found new spheres

Of influence and endeavor

So be wary my little dears

Though old we’re still quite clever

 

That's it from here.

Hang in there,

RT