The Reality of Recovery

Well, we have been home since Sat. the 19th. It has been great to be home with the boys, but it is very hard work. Pam ran a fever on Monday night so we had to go to the emergency room at FAHC (I think now we have hit the entire hospital). They took some blood, did a chest x-ray, and gave her fluids. We were sent home around 12:15am and got some sleep before our morning visit to VCCC (Vermont Center for Cancer Care). We have had to go there every day to get fluids for Pam and to get blood work done. They have found no infection from the blood tests so that is good news. The fever has not returned. Pam's counts have recovered well enough that they took out the Hickman!!! Yeah!!! No more white plastic tubing protruding from her chest. She was very happy about that. It seems like it has been two steps forward, one step back all week. Pam has tremendous fatique. Pam's mom has been here with us this week, otherwise we would be sunk. She gets home from the Dr.s' visit and lies down on the side porch in the shade for a cat nap. She is physically and emotionally exhausted, it has been a rough month. I think the biggest factor is that she was so excited to be done with the treatment, and get her port out and the fact that she still feels so lousy is doing a number on her. She has lost 13 lbs in the last two weeks (not the diet program anyone wants to be on). We are feeding her Ben and Jerry's, butter, whole milk products and the like. It has been hard to get the food thing going again. We knew this was coming and we are plugging along. It is going to be like this for the next several weeks. If yo want to see her, give a call and check in. Visits are OK as long as they are BRIEF! Pam will visit with you as long as you stay, that is just the way she is, but it is not helping here. Short visits to brighten spirits are great, bring her some Ben and Jerry's and give her a hug, we need to fatten her up!!!!
I will keep you posted on any changes.
Troy.