JoJo Jensen, Dirt Farmer Wisdom, 2002
Mom is having a hard time with the nausea. I put her to bed last night with the same meds that worked so wonderfully Thursday night that gave us a wonderful Friday. I ran to the grocery store about 11:30 PM. I got back a little after midnight. Mom woke up about 1:30 w/nausea and pain. Morphine, another BHR supp at 3:00 AM, more morphine. A call to hospice early this morning to see what else I can give Mom. We switch up her meds about 8:00 AM to try a different approach. She starts throwing up at 9:00 AM. Call back to hospice. Hospice calls Dr. Dr calls in some emergency meds,fast trip to the drug store, and we start a new round of different drugs to see if we can calm this down. Patch behind the ear and we begin alternating 2 different nausea drugs to see what works. Mom finally starts to get some better around 1:00 PM but these are very sedating. Wendy and Grandma are here during the middle of this. Check back in w/hospice at 1:00 PM and mom is feeling some better. Hospice nurse calls again about 4:30 to check on Mom. We weren't sure if they would need to come our way. Mom seems to be settled at this point but we are aggressively treating the nausea and pain right now, which is making Mom sleepy. We need to break the cycle and this may be the only way out is to let her sleep until everything calms down. When you throw up so much, your body forgets it isn't supposed to do this all the time. The time sleeping helps her body (and tummy) settle down and remember to act right. We didn't sleep last night, so sleep is very valuable today for both of us.
We actually have 5 different nausea drugs at the house in several forms. The problem is that what worked today may not work for the nausea the next day. Each has a different mechanism for treating nausea, so sometimes this may be trial/error until we figure out the right drug for what is happening right now.
Wendy brought up some more stuff and they both had a chance to visit briefly. Depending on how Mom feels, she may be back in my bed with me tonight instead of in her bed by herself. This way she can touch me when she needs me and not need to move.
Gerald is coming this way tonight to see Mom for a while. I am letting her sleep. [We are watered up.] until he gets here just so she has some energy for the visit.
Beth called today to ask if she could sit with Mom so I could go to the baseball game. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. [She is an ICU nurse.] I just couldn't leave Mom today but I will take her up on this at some point. Leaving Mom creates a new level of stress right now.
Unfortunately, this day has become more common over the past week. As I sit and try to update you on Mom, I look back at the past week and this has been more draining that Mom's diagnosis. We have had really wonderful caring people in our house this week and at the hospital, and this has allowed us to make it to Saturday, with Mom laying on the couch. Wendy and I had a good day with Mom Friday and we are very thankful.
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