TGP goes into hospice

Himself in 1959

My father, Vertrees Hollingsworth, was admitted to hospice today.  He was diagnosed with prostate cancer over a year ago and it has recently metastasized to the lungs.  Sophia, Dunn and Piel were with him over the weekend.  Caroline will be there later this week.  TPG & Alice hope to make it to Lexington in early August.   Mary Anne and Eleanor and I will visit in NC later in August.  

He's not in pain and, as always, has a great attitude.  I'm glad we can start hospice early enough for it to be a real help.  His oncologist is the Medical Director of the agency seeing him.  I've dealt with hospice professionally for a couple of decades and it is a tremendous service.

We welcome prayers from all those who know himself or any of the rest of us in the family.  It hasn't been an easy year+

Ten Days Post-Op

It's been a while since my last update.  We have been back from the hospital for over a week and Mary Anne has been getting better every day.  The weather has been nice enough that she has been out of the apartment for 3 days in a row now.


Friday was a wheelchair ride in the sun late in the day after work.  Saturday was a car ride, Mexican food and a couple of hours in a used book store.  Today was a long wheelchair ride in the sun, then two laps around the sidewalk circle with the walker outside.


We have had 5 therapy visits and a couple of visits from the nurse.  After working with home health for 20+ years, it's very enlightening to be on the receiving end of visits.  The therapist always seemed to come after  hard night and have a new technique for a transfer or stretch that made things better.  Pretty much made me glad that I have have spent much of my career supporting these folks; they certainly provide tremendous support for their patients.


Mary Anne has been doing some watercolor journaling.  

My picture doesn't do her work justice.  It's been a great release for her and provides nice decoration for the mantelpiece.


It's not clear if Mary Anne will be ready to be independent by house closing day on March 28th - I think I may do that as a quick KY round trip.  We're definitely set to be back in the bluegrass by opening weekend at Keeneland.  It will be wonderful to be back home.

Discharged!

Both of our old school Family Practice physician fathers would not approve of the large variety of doctors we have seen while we have been inpatient.  We are waiting on our third "hospitalist" to sign the last of the papers so we can get out.


The transfusion went fine last night and MA has a little more strength today.  She's sitting on the edge of the bed knitting.  I have already made 4 trips to the car (two just for flowers) and we're packed except for computers and yarn.  We've got home health orders and will have the PT, OT and nurse at the apartment periodically starting tomorrow.


Mary Anne is still having muscle spasms and some pain with movement, but it's a very different pain.  The orthopedist (surgeon's partner) says that it's par for the course and will subside as she works through the new internal arrangement of bones, etc.


All in all, we're doing well and extremely glad to be headed back to the apartment and the terriers.  Updates will be less frequent, but I'll let everyone know how the home therapy progressed.


Please know how much we have felt the prayers and the love of all of our family and friends.  As they used to say at Bartles and James, thank you for your support. 


P.S.  Update as I finish - we've gotten the last of our D/C orders and will be headed out very soon

Another night in paradise

CT scan showed no clots in the lung at all; that's good news.  The current diagnosis is post-surgical anemia.  We've just had the blood draw to cross check and get a couple of units of red packed blood cells.  Everyone says herself will feel much better after the transfusion.


Thinking towards home tomorrow, our insurance wouldn't let us pick my home care agency to come serve us, so we'll have another outfit coming to the apartment.  On the upside of the insurance, MA has new chariot.

We rented our wheelchair for the last month and bought our crutches at Walgreens, but the walker comes from the local medical supply place and is billed directly to insurance.  Mary Anne keeps talking about pimping it out.  I'll need to find some rhinestones or something once we get settled out of the hospital.


As the title says, one more night in paradise.  The dogs have someone staying with them and I'm headed out to get some supper.  Mary Anne, as usual, gets hospital room service.  We should be back at the apartment by early afternoon tomorrow.


Thanks to all for the continued prayers and support.

A minor setback

Mary Anne is getting a CT scan right now.  We've been cleared by the Physical Therapist and the Occupational Therapist.  The wound is looking fine.  However, she has an elevated heart rate and the hospitalist wants to rule out any possibility of a pulmonary embolism.  Even if there is any clotting, they will simply increase the anti-coagulant dose she is taking and probably observe for another day.


So we're slogging through.  Best case, we still get to go home later today, but if I were a betting man, I'd think we've got another night here.


Had a nice dinner out last night with our new friends the Rews, the only folks we know out here besides my work colleagues.  Time seems to stop inside hospital walls.


Probably a little rambly, and without the review I like to do, but hoping to get the word out.


Keep those prayers coming and I'll update again when I know more.

Day 2 post-surgery dawns early

Things can frequently be harder when it's dark outside.  The surgery anesthesia has fully dissipated, leaving Mary Anne pretty uncomfortable overnight.  Hospitals are lousy places for rest anyway, and the return of some leg spasms didn't make it any easier.


She's sleeping comfortably now.   She's off of all IVs and other hospital-only assists, so we remain hopeful for discharge orders soon.  If not today, tomorrow.

Every new person that comes into the room comments that the flowers are beautiful and it smells great in here.  We've also been informed that there will be chocolates back at the apartment.  There is comfort in the small things.


I have to throw in a plug for Your Best Friend's Friend.  The folks watching Scout and Sparky have been great with our last minute dog sitting needs.  If you're in Denver and need dog help, call them.


I'll post again when I know when we get to go "home"

Post Surgery Day 1

Well, it's loud in a hospital.  MA's monitors, plus those for other patients on the hall, keep it from ever getting too quiet.  Despite that, we had a good night's sleep last night.


So far today, we have seen the PT, OT and Case Manager (discharge planner).  We're getting set up for some home care therapy visits at the hospital, hopefully as early as tomorrow (Friday).  I've requested to have Centura Health at Home (my current client - they are why we are in Denver) deliver the care.  If our overly complicated American insurance system will support it, we will be my client's patient.


Mary Anne is rating her pain a 2 on the 10 point scale, which is an order of magnitude better than the 9/10 she got to before surgery yesterday.  We've heard from LOTs of friends that have been through this (or known others that have) and know to expect today/tomorrow/Saturday to be a little painful, but getting better with time.


Two weeks with only toe-touch weight bearing on the left leg, and after that more ambitious therapy.  Hopefully, she'll be walking and we'll be able to come home to KY before too long.


I think we're both headed for a short pre-lunch nap.  More tomorrow.