USA, USA, USA!

So, it has been a few days since my last update. I was thinking to not do as many but have heard from people that they want to know what is going on, so for now I will keep updating once or twice a week.

Darrel was doing fairly well on Thursday after chemo except he had a pain in his left side since Tuesday. We told the nurse on Wednesday but it was a watch and see situation. Thursday it was still bothering him so I called her and we discussed and decided to update her later.

His leg was doing much better, though. Swelling and pain down.

He went down to the marina and fed the fish (his baby salmon in the net pen), went for a walk around the marina, then came home. His side bothered him when he was walking into the wind and breathing harder. We did a little shopping and he took a nap when we came home.

Friday, his side pain was better but after emailing update to nurse, she talked to the oncologist and they thought he should go to urgent care to see what the side pain was about. So, back to Capitol Hill we went. We were concerned it might be another pulmonary embolism (PE).

The doctor did a physical exam and reviewed his CT scan results, talked to the Oncologist, and us. His symptoms didn’t seem to indicate a PE. The CT scan showed the spleen was being encroached upon by the pancreatic tumor and it also showed a clot in the splenic vein. She determined that this was what was probably causing the pain.

The Urgent Care doctor was also a Hospice/Palliative care specialist so we discussed pain management. I think we have him on a pretty good regimen now.

She was another great doctor. Been very impressed overall with the GHC docs we have had. Her and Dr Feldman decided less was better so no scans or anything else and we were cut loose after just a couple hours. Yay!

He was feeling pretty darn good on Saturday and washed both cars and RainXd the windows. He decided to put some air into the wheelbarrow tire (we use it to haul wood to the back door for the fireplace) and the tire and rim blew out cutting his thumb pretty badly. Everything and every doctor and nurse has told him to be extremely careful not to cut himself when on chemo (infection) or blood thinners (bleeding out), but you know Darrel, can’t keep him from doing things!

We cleaned it, put antibiotics on it, and wrapped it well and back out he went. He did go out and buy a new wheelbarrow on Sunday instead of trying to repair the rusty, ancient thing. His thumb is still looking pretty good so, hopefully, no infection.

Sunday was another good day. He read the paper, did the crossword, laughed at the comics, made himself breakfast, shoveled the sidewalks, went to buy the wheelbarrow, then went to the marina to check on the fish. Kept himself pretty busy all day. I quilted and watched Olympics on my iPad while sewing. Went to dinner at some friends and had a good time!

Today, he went to his mom’s and got his haircut. Came home and some friends stopped by for a while to visit. Garry Wamsley and Brian Halvorsen came by to help put the distributor back in the boat and do a few things to it. Guess what?! The exhaust manifolds were cracked from the freeze.

Darrel puts a work light into the engine area when it freezes, and we have never had a problem. This time, he used an energy efficient one and it doesn’t get warm enough to keep the water from freezing. So, brand new engine and already needs replacements! Will it never end?

But he was doing very well today and we just keep on keeping on, one day at a time.

Thanks to all once again for all your thoughts and prayers!

Your Olympics watching and Quilting Fool,

Robin