Another day...I got Todd to sit out in the garden with me for a little while today. All the tulips are in bloom: intense pink, red, orange, yellow and a deep dark purple, the color of a grape popsicle. Our neighbors came over for a few minutes to chat.
Todd seems to be slowly getting over the effects of last week's chemo. He said it hurts a little more to swallow now (due to the radiation), but it still is manageable. Eating and drinking are still difficult things to manage. It seems to me that he hasn't really eaten anything solid or substantial in quite a while. Since he can only handle small sips at a time, drinking a few ounces of Ensure or fortified Instant Breakfast can take a really long time. And, if he is tired, he will fall asleep between sips...I think an alarm that would go off every 5-10 minutes would be good. Each day we start with good intentions regarding eating and drinking, and in the end we learn that it is whatever it is.
Eight more days of treatment. On the last day I think we will need a long nap. Maybe even before that!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Todd and Bonnie,
ReplyDeleteWe want to wish you all the strength and courage to go through this. Just wanted to let you know that our thoughts and prayers are with you both.
Wim and Gerda (Rotterdam, the Netherlands)
Bonnie and Todd,
ReplyDeleteNapping is good on so many levels...grab a few minutes every chance you get. And Todd needs to sleep even more. It's the way his body recuperates.
I was thinking about how Glen was able to get some Ensure down. He found that he needed it to be room temperature. He also thinned it with water and used a straw to just power it down. Maybe if Todd's nausea decreases he can try this strategy. Also, as swallowing becomes more painful, be sure to ask about meds that he can swallow to numb his throat. Glen didn't find that super helpful, but it might work for Todd.
Thinking about you all,
joyce