Recycling news
Sep. 18th, 2008 01:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stephbgI was asked by a non-lj reader for an update on BB. I skipped the recent history, but the status quo was quite long enough. Not one to waste text, I reproduce it here.
There's no such thing as brief with BB at the moment but I'll have a go at the status quo. You can share this if the others are curious.
New tumours in his head, probably lymphoma rather than the original multiple glioma. Cancer has spread down the length of his spine. He has no feeling up to about waist height and along selected nerves in his arms. He has a compression fracture of one of his vertebra as a result of a fall last week (and long term steroid use also softens the bones), but that's a bare side issue. He has massive constipation which they've tried everything but Drain-O to shift. He's got a catheter, drips in both arms, ongoing insulin shots, had oxygen for a while because of the morphine, and more pills by mouth than anyone can count. HUGE steroid dose, which is a little trying on everyone. He's started a new very aggressive chemo program by drip, and tomorrow they're installing a permanent reservoir in his brain, a kind of sponge they can fill with drugs or drain off pressure.
He prefers scalp massages, hugs and hand-holding, which he's getting at regular intervals.
He's in a four-bed ward with very little space, but I'm afraid that between his hard-of-hearing drug-hyped voice, endless stream of nurses, constant demands to move the furniture, and up to 5 visitors at a time, he is perhaps the most disruptive influence in the room.
Fortunately we've passed the initial crisis where it looked like he might die within days. It hasn't really settled, but we're becoming accustomed (kind of) to the new ramped-up pace.
Told you it wouldn't be brief.
There's no such thing as brief with BB at the moment but I'll have a go at the status quo. You can share this if the others are curious.
New tumours in his head, probably lymphoma rather than the original multiple glioma. Cancer has spread down the length of his spine. He has no feeling up to about waist height and along selected nerves in his arms. He has a compression fracture of one of his vertebra as a result of a fall last week (and long term steroid use also softens the bones), but that's a bare side issue. He has massive constipation which they've tried everything but Drain-O to shift. He's got a catheter, drips in both arms, ongoing insulin shots, had oxygen for a while because of the morphine, and more pills by mouth than anyone can count. HUGE steroid dose, which is a little trying on everyone. He's started a new very aggressive chemo program by drip, and tomorrow they're installing a permanent reservoir in his brain, a kind of sponge they can fill with drugs or drain off pressure.
He prefers scalp massages, hugs and hand-holding, which he's getting at regular intervals.
He's in a four-bed ward with very little space, but I'm afraid that between his hard-of-hearing drug-hyped voice, endless stream of nurses, constant demands to move the furniture, and up to 5 visitors at a time, he is perhaps the most disruptive influence in the room.
Fortunately we've passed the initial crisis where it looked like he might die within days. It hasn't really settled, but we're becoming accustomed (kind of) to the new ramped-up pace.
Told you it wouldn't be brief.
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-20 12:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-20 02:52 am (UTC)