Walliebloggin': Keep It Movin' Forward

The house is alive again with the slow rhythmic bass drum of the oxygen machine (really), the low hum of the radiant heater in the TV room (where Miki hangs out most of the time), and the two of us talking to one another when not in the same room followed by, “What did you say?” when we meet up again in the same room. It’s like we are an old married couple, minus the old (keep your thoughts to yourself).

Even though I came home at different times during Miki’s latest 4 day visit to The Point, “coming home” to our house after a hospital stay is like coming home from a trip. There is “unpacking” to do, stirring up the musty air of a closed up house, and settling back into routines like feeding the dogs at their “ normal” times, vacuuming the dust bunnies made of mostly dog hair, and emptying Miki’s port-a-potty as needed. It’s a good thing.

This time it is a little different though. In past visits to the hospital I’ve left usually feeling better about her getting the blood transfusion that will soon make her feel human again or a reduction in pain that allows her to continue to be at home while waiting for her body to reboot itself. This time pneumonia was involved and pneumonia is never good for anyone. But it appears she has responded well to the antibiotics. In the meantime though a C/T or computerized tomography scan was taken of her lungs (the left one has the tumor) to see what fluid there might be, if it was collapsed, and what the tumor was up to. Tomography is the process of creating a 2-dimensional image of a slice or section through a 3-dimensional object, kind of like looking at a whole loaf of bread, one slice at a time. The only thing we heard at the hospital was that the tumor had grown significantly. Miki’s general ability to breath and how she feels has not changed significantly. But since the direction of treatment has not had the desired effect on her lung and most likely in other areas as planned, we met with our oncologist doctor today to discuss plan B.

In a previous posting I referred to pictures vs. words. Our oncologist thought seeing some of the pictures from the scan would help explain what might take too many words. She was right. It took seconds to see the majority of Miki’s left lung is now inhabited by the tumor. It was important for us to see it and not have it described to us. There would not be enough words. Miki’s response was along the lines of, “I feel good right now, let’s move forward.”

A new plan is being cultivated with a doctor in Ohio that specializes in this kind of tumor. Some radiation will likely be included to speed up any areas the doctors’ feel will aid in any pain relief and will all be ASAP.

At this point in time, I’ve decided I can’t spend too much time dwelling on what has already taken place, but to support and encourage the movement forward, whatever shape it takes in the coming days. I’ve found that if I dwell…my eyes begin to water and tears will come from what seems like nowhere, but that nowhere is not on the map and as long as it isn’t, we move forward and I don’t dwell.

Instead of dwelling, there is a tree house to finish, more Cribbage victories to claim, and a baldhead to rub. There are smiles to create, pictures to take, and a potty to empty. I’ll probably see more isles in Michael’s I haven’t been down, more fun showers to “help with,” and spur of the moment dashes out of the house to satisfy cravings. As we move forward, I look forward to each one of these and more.

Ready for it's metal roof, siding, windows, door, and then of course...
Miki!

My Zen from Home: While riding the elevator up to the sixth floor at the hospital this week, the door opened on the fifth floor to let someone off and I noticed a woman with her back to me, talking on the phone. I thought I recognized her and quickly exited to check my suspicion. I was right. It was one of our beloved chemo nurses from the infusion room at the KU Cancer Center, Teresa. After she greeted me with a hug, she told me of a serious medical issue her husband had just been admitted for. WHAT? Nurses don’t have such problems! Just like teachers don’t eat food, but surprise their students when they are seen at the grocery store. Even though she has super powers to us, she is still human and so is her husband. Our best to them both.

A Miki Collage...or as we call it, a Mikilage!