Off to the Hospital...

Well, Dad is off to the hospital tonight for a few days. They got the results of his bloodwork back earlier today and his blood sugar levels were really elevated. The normal range is around 5, and his level from yesterday when they did the blood work was 25. They expect that his levels would be slightly higher because of the dexamethazone that he is on, but tonight when the nurse came to double-check the level, it was so high that it wasn't registering on the monitor. They gave him some insulin and were able to get it down to around 30, but after speaking with the doctor on call, they were told that he needs to come in to the hospital for a few days so that they can flush his system and get the levels regulated. Mom mentioned that he'll need at least 10 litres of fluid to completely flush everything out.

Thankfully, he will not have to go through emergency at all. Mom got a call around 9 pm and a bed had opened up at Riverview, which is a palliative care facility, so once they got it cleaned up and ready to go, they were to call the non-emergency ambulance and they will come to the house and pick Dad up. We just spoke to Mom a few minutes ago (about 11:30 pm) and the ambulance still wasn't there yet. But, if any of you have been following the weather here in Winnipeg, you'll know that we've had snow all day here! Yup, that's right - it looks like December out there! Gotta love "Winter-peg" right?!?! Needless to say, the roads are icy and it's miserable outside, so it may be a while before the ambulance gets there. Hopefully it won't take too long, but you never know with the weather we've been having!

So the plan right now is for Dad to stay in for a few days, with the expectation that he'll be home once his blood sugar is regulated. Once his levels even out, then he should have a bit more energy again and won't be sleeping so much. He's also been really thirsty the last few days, and Mom said he was drinking about 4 litres of milk a day. He is now not allowed to have any dairy or fruit - those are the two main triggers for upping the blood sugar. Hopefully once his levels even out, he'll be able to have at least small amounts of both - I guess we'll find out in a few days!

Needless to say, Dad needs some definite prayer right now! He will be on diabetic pills and insulin the next few days, and will most likely continue to need insulin when he gets home to ensure that his blood sugar levels continue to stay at a more normal level. I'll continue to update as we get news from the doctors....

A Series of Ups and Downs

Well, the time has come when I no longer have only good news to report. Dad, sadly, has not been doing very well the last week or so. The nurses had increased some of his medication last week, and it seemed to help for a few days, but this last week there hasn't been much improvement at all. He's been very shaky (basically having minor seizures or tremors), is sleeping a lot more, and his balance and co-ordination are quickly dwindling. He's not at the point yet where he can't get up out of bed, although he did have a minor fall earlier today and Mom wasn't able to help him up on her own. It's at the point now where she has been contemplating getting 24/7 care from the palliative team, and finally put a call in this evening to get that put into place. I'm not sure how soon that will happen, but I'm assuming it will be this week sometime. Right now they are still coming from 8 am until 4:30 pm and then again from 11 pm until 7 am. But the time has come when Mom just can't do it on her own anymore; she needs the help round the clock.

Fortunately, there are still a few options with his medication. He had blood work done today, and depending on the results of that, the doctors may change some of his medications, or switch up the doses again. Time will only tell if it will be effective or not.

As for how Dad is taking the recent struggle, I think so far, he is still in denial. He talks of getting better and playing soccer again. And he gets very angry when someone suggests that he isn't doing well. He's been increasingly difficult to get along with, which the nurses had said would happen in December, and thankfully, we didn't experience until now. It's the hardest on Mom, since he takes most of his frustrations out on her. I'm sure sometimes it's hard to remember that it's the tumor talking, and not Dad.

So, please continue to pray for us. For strength, for courage, for patience. I'd like to thank each and every one of you that has been following this blog - your prayers and support mean so much to us! Thank you for allowing us to share our burdens with you, and for following along in this journey with us.

A Much Over-due Update

Feels like it's been forever since I updated on here, and I promise we're not trying to keep people in the dark - there just hasn't been much to tell lately, which has been a very good thing! Dad has been doing amazingly well the last month or so, and we are so very fortunate and thankful for this time that we are having with him. That being said, there are a few major things that have happened recently, so it is once again time to share the latest news.....

A few weeks ago, Dad developed a crackle in one of his lungs, which had the nurses a little bit concerned. If you remember from December, crackling in the lungs is a sign that pneumonia could be starting to settle in. Since Dad is up and more mobile now than he was in December we were hoping it wouldn't turn into anything serious, and thankfully it didn't.

Mom also had an overnight getaway with a girl friend last weekend. They travelled to Grand Forks for a night and did some shopping and a bit of sight-seeing. It was a nice relief for her, and I think both her and Dad were grateful for the opportunity for some much-needed alone time.

Something else that has been going on with the family in the last few weeks is that we have started meeting with one of the palliative social workers that is on staff at the hospital. We have now had two sessions, and it has been a great way to stay connected as a family and to really open up about how each of us is doing with the situation. It's been especially great for Jared and I, since we don't live at home and don't see all the day-to-day things that are going on. It's been a great insight for us into the struggle that this whole ordeal has been on Mom and Dad. To say that it's been a bit difficult the last few months is an understatement. Especially now that Dad is feeling a little better and is more alert, he wants to be more independent. But it's not recommended that he do all the things he'd like to do and he gets frustrated that he isn't able to. And since Mom is the one there with him all the time, it's hard for him to not take out his frustrations on her.

His memory is still not what it used to be as well, so he and Mom will have conversations about things and Dad won't remember them - and then gets mad at a later date because he feels like decisions have been made without his consent or input - when in reality, they have been and he just doesn't remember. I think they have decided to get a notebook to start writing down important conversations and decisions that have been made, so that Dad has a record of those conversations - a recommendation from a friend of ours whose family did the same thing with her Grandma when she had Alheimer's. In some ways, it is very much like Dad has a case of that! It's become apparent from these counselling sessions how much of a strain this has placed on Mom and Dad's relationship, but hopefully having a safe space to talk about their struggles each week will help them to overcome a lot of the stress that it has placed on their relationship. One thing is very clear, though, and that is how great of a job Mom is doing taking care of Dad. Between administering his medication, knowing when he needs which ones and how much of each to give, making sure that Dad is getting up and moving each day, balancing all the paperwork that is involved with Dad's care, planning all of the 'end of life' things that need to be in place for someone who is in palliative care - and still managing to get Brendan off to school each day, take care of bills that need to be paid, etc. etc. I don't know how she manages it all! Let's just say that her overnight vacation was very well deserved!

In other family news, Jesse left for BC a couple weeks ago to stay with Dad's brother John and his wife, Wendy for a few months. He's interested in starting his own landscaping business in the future, and Uncle John owns his own nursery, so Jesse is working for Uncle John while he's out there, getting more experience in the field. From what we've heard, he is enjoying his time out there so far.

And, last but not least, is the latest in Dad's condition. He's been feeling a bit tired this past week and he had a pretty bad fall last Thursday. The nurses were not happy with him, and stressed the importance of using his walker or wheelchair at all times (which he didn't do, and that's why he fell). Because of the steroids that he's on, his bones are very weak and can break quite easily, but thankfully, he did not injure himself seriously this time. We hope there won't be a next time and that he actually listens to the nurses' advice. I think so far he's been doing pretty good about using the walker and he is now wearing his transfer belt at all times as well. He has still been able to get out and about to a few outings, though, depsite not feeling quite as well this past week. Brendan had a volleyball tournament on Saturday and Dad made it out to one of his games. And last night, Jared and I had the privilege of going along with Mom and Dad to the Steve Bell concert. It was very good!

I think that's it for now. As always, we continue to ask for your prayers for Dad and the rest of the family. Thank you all for continuing to follow along, even though there hasn't been a lot to update on recently - just remember that no news is good news, so if you don't hear from me/us for a while, it means things are going well!

Latest News

Sorry for the delay in updating. Dad was supposed to have a meeting with the Palliative doctor last Friday, but we didn't hear anything all week until Jared and I were at Mom and Dad's on Wednesday night for supper. The meeting ended up not happening. I think they just talked to the doctor over the phone. Or to the palliative nurse, Mom didn't really specify. Either way, they have decided to switch a couple of Dad's medications back to pill form for a while, but that was the only change after his CT scan.

Dad had a great personal accomplishment on Wednesday, though. He's been asking to go up to his art studio for a few weeks now and he finally had the energy to make it up there with the physical therapist on Wednesday! He was very proud of himself, and we were very happy for him that he got to see his studio again. It's funny how your priorities change once you become sick. Who would have thought five months ago that walking up two flights of stairs would be such a big deal? It really puts things into perspective and makes you realize that so many of the little trivial things that we worry about each day are really not all that important in the long run.

CT Scan Results

Well, Mom and Dad were at Health Sciences today getting the results of Dad's CT scan. The news wasn't great, but it was what we have all been expecting to hear. The swelling has been reduced, but the tumor is still there and hasn't shrunk at all. There is a chance it has grown further down into Dad's brain, but they can't tell that at all from the CT scan, so we have no way of knowing for sure. The palliative care doctor, Dr. Garcia, will be making a trip to the house this next Friday (the 13th) to re-evaluate Dad's condition and possibly mix up the concoction of medications that Dad is on. Mom mentioned that they might put Dad back on the pill form of the steroids, instead of the liquid ports that he has now in order to give his arms and legs a bit of a break from that.

Since I haven't posted at all since the art show, I wanted to take a minute to mention that as well. It was a very good weekend - very busy - but it was so good to see so many people out supporting Dad and the family. Thursday night at the opening was PACKED! It was wall to wall with people! We heard around 400 in total - I'm sure we broke the fire code regulations for the building! But it was good. Dad even stood up and gave a short speech. He returned again on Sunday for the closing ceremony, and again said a few words. There was a constant stream of people passing through all weekend, and there were a lot of books and prints that sold, as well as a few pieces of artwork. We haven't heard final numbers of books or prints sold yet, but I know there was a lot! So thank you to everyone that came out. It was so great to see so many friends, family, and acquaintances. And a huge thank you to Steve Bell, Jamie Howison, and all the others that organized the event. It was something really special for Dad to look forward to, and we were all very grateful that he got to be there to see everyone's hard work come together.

And finally, a word about some rumors.....we've heard a few things through the grapevine since Dad got sick that we've shaken our heads over and wondered how people heard such things. The latest tidbit of information that floated our way was that Dad's tumor is gone. While we would love for that to happen, and we are still praying for that miracle, it is not the case. So, I am officially setting the record straight, and I ask that before you repeat anything that you hear about Dad, please check the blog first to confirm if it is true. We created this blog in order to keep people informed - so if you hear something that hasn't been posted on here, please check with an immediate family member before spreading the news around. We appreciate your co-operation, and we are doing our best to keep you up to date on Dad's condition.

On behalf of all of us,
Dana

Another Article and a CT Scan

For those of you that missed it, Morley Walker wrote another article about Dad in the Winnipeg Free Press yesterday. I haven't checked yet to see if it's been posted on the website, but I'll update if gets added....

And for the big news, Dad will be receiving another CT scan to check on the swelling around the tumor. It's been scheduled for this next Monday, February 2nd at 9 pm. Then Dad goes back in for bloodwork and to find out the results on the 6th of February. From what Mom told us last night, I don't think they are looking much at the tumor, just at the swelling around it. I guess we'll find out for sure on the 6th when we get the results!

Also wanted to post a reminder about the art exhibit, "Unfinished Business". It opens tonight at the Outworks Gallery @ 7 pm (address and more details @ www.folkerts.ca). The whole family, including Dad, will be there and we're looking forward to a night out with family and friends.

Antibiotics and Outings

Well, I will share the bad news first. Dad had a bit of rattling in his chest a few days ago and the nurses checked him over and determined he was getting a cold. Normally, not such a big deal. But Dad's immune system is still in a very weak state. The doctors put him on antibiotics, and so far, he is doing well. He has to take them for five days, but the effects are supposed to last about another five days after he's done taking them. Hopefully they do the trick and it doesn't develop into pneumonia.

Now for the good news.....where to start is the question?!?!? Dad has been feeling really good the last week or so, despite having a cold. He's been up and about in the house on a regular basis, and he's been more coherent in the last week than he has been for quite a while. It's so nice to see glimpses of the 'old' Dad. Since he's been feeling so well, Dad has been spending a lot of time on the phone calling friends and family. I know he's been thoroughly enjoying the converstations he's been having, and I'm sure he has many more people that he'd like to talk to yet.

His other exciting news is that he actually got out of the house on Saturday. Mom and Dad went out for supper to the Inn at the Forks with a few friends, and Dad told us on Sunday that it was absolutely amazing. I think he was really glad to finally be outside again after being cooped up in the house for so long. I know he is also getting very excited for the art show this weekend, and is looking forward to seeing friends and family.

And finally, as always, we continue to ask for your prayers. Even though the art show is only a few short days away, a lot can change in that short amount of time. Please pray that Dad would continue to feel well enough to come to the show, and that the antiobiotics would clear up his cold before the weekend is here.