Storm Warnings

The day started gray.  Sherry called out from the recliner where she was sleeping at 4:00 am telling me that she was experiencing pain in her knees.  I gave here two Acetaminophren gel caps and pulled up a chair next to her.  I was immediately concerned about the blood clots. I knew that they could hurt, but I didn't know what the hurting meant.  After a relatively short time the pain was managed and Sherry dozed off.  By 8:00 am, when Sherry could have another two gel caps she didn't ask for them, but did disclose that her knee pain was something that she had experienced before the tumors, so I decided that it was not likely attributable to the blood clots.  I noticed that she was having a harder time getting up and navigating with her walker, even with me providing constant guidance.

By early afternoon, Sherry's condition had deteriorated to a point where she could offer absolutely no assistance to getting her up or doing anything else for that matter.  She also began episodic involuntary twitching of her arms and legs.  Very disturbing.

My phone calls to doctors only got me voice mails, and I could observe further deterioration while making my phone calls.  I called 911.  Firefighters promptly arrived, loaded Sherry onto a gurney, and transported her to Kootenai Medicals Center's Emergency Room.  After a plethora of tests and a seemingly endless wait, Sherry was admitted to KMC, Oncology, Room 109.

Our oncologist came to see Sherry while she was in the ER room.  He thought that the options were twofold:  1) that the swelling caused by the radiation therapy could be causing symptomatic trouble, or 2) the tumors are not managed by the therapies and are progressing.  It appears that the weaning from Decadron, the steroid, was too precipitous.  Sherry did regain some of her vitality about an hour after receiving a 20mg injection.  Her total dose at home as  4mg. given as two 2mg tablets twce  day.

Sherry will be hospitalized through the week end.  That is a huge relief to me.  I could not care for her at home in the condition she was in last night.  I do anticipate improvement as the edema from or around the tumors is controlled by this steroid.  I will be able to get a hospital bed set up at home to make her homecoming easier

When I emerged from the windowless rooms at the hospital last night  I was startled to see the sudden snow.  The storm I walked into as I left ER was a flutter of gentle snowflakes.  It was a storm to be sure, but not the one that was so menacing in the afternoon.

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