Its a roller coaster ride

This journey called cancer is a roller coaster ride fraught with every emotion imaginable under the sun. You gotta enjoy the highs while you can because a low will be soon to follow. I offer that as a descriptor but fear that it may be a little melodramatic as today was a good day. Roger felt better than he has for several weeks. And, we didn't need to go to the hospital for fluids. We anticipate that we will be going into the hospital tomorrow for fluids as a precautionary measure. One low part of the roller coaster ride is Roger's energy level. He is good for short spurts of doing something or staying upright. After a couple hours, he's ready for a nap or at least has to sit down. He is easily winded - but at least we know to anticipate it. Its a little unsettling because its just not like Roger to need naps or have to sit down if he gets winded. I have to remind myself that this is temporary.

Today's issues (though much less than previous days) continues to be sores on his tongue, a swollen tongue and pain in the esophagus. He's able to take a couple different medications that help numb the area and kill pain for a short period of time. Roger has found that if he can take at least one of these medications a few minutes before trying to eat, he is able to eat or drink a little. He's still not getting the necessary 5000 calories and not getting the 15-17 units (8 grams per unit) of protein. We anticipate that the he has another handful of days with these symptoms...

Roger is finally sleeping much better. He made this upholstered piece that attaches to the bed and essentially creates a "corner" with an arm rest for him to sleep upright against with 5-6 pillows wedged around him. He said that its much better than trying to sleep in the lazyboy chairs (which we did during the week when he was choking as he slept). Fortunately Roger is so creative and incredibly talented that he was able to whip out this piece which fits with the bed and is hardly noticeable. He is hoping this will work after he has surgery. I think that we may need to rent a hospital bed that can elevate the head or feet of the bed. He rolls his eyes when I make this suggestion. We'll do whatever we need to do.

Speaking of the surgery...we do not have a set date yet for the surgery. Its our expectation that it will be sometime the week of November 5. Since Thanksgiving is a couple weeks later, we anticipate that the surgeon may not want to have a patient with possible needs in the hospital recovering close to the holiday. I'll post the date as soon as we know.

We feel like junior old people...eating early....going to bed early....needing naps....eye sight going....and wrinkles. :-) And speaking of going to bed early. My handsome hubby is snoring in the lazyboy across from me. Its time to nudge him awake and get him up to bed. We need to steal sleep whenever we get a chance.

More soon~ love, A