Chemo #1 Day 14 - Off the Ventilator!

Ma was successfully weaned off the ventilator today. Yey! There was a different respiratory therapist today, and she said Ma didn't have to be in agony during the weaning off process. Her nurse gave her enough Fentanyl to make the pain tolerable. That means Ma suffered needlessly yesterday.

The sedation was turned off because Ma has to stay alert. When the doctor came over, her pain med was also turned off. First, the doctor removed her chest tube, the thing that was bothering her the most. I heard Ma cry out in pain when it was pulled out. But the pain didn't last long (at least I hope not). Then the respiratory therapist and nurse took out her breathing tube. She looked so much better but a bit shocked that it's almost over. Her voice is very hoarse. One of the first things she said to me was did I have lunch yet. Typical. She's coughing up thick mucus from her lung. A couple of hours later, the nurse removed her feeding tube. That's three down, two to go. There's another chest tube that's supposed to be removed tomorrow. Maybe the catheter can also be removed.

Ma was in pain after the tubes were removed, but it must have faded because she stopped complaining about it. When I left in the evening, she was still off the Fentanyl. I'm sure her throat is raw though. She has scabs on her lips and nose where the tubes rubbed against them, and it looks like she has sores on her tongue. But she was able to drink some soup and ate most of a popsicle. The nurse gave her something for her constipation yesterday. Today it worked too well, if you know what I mean.

The meds made Ma confused. She asked me several weird questions. Then there's the hallucination. She wanted me to move her bed because there's something in the ceiling that's loose and likely to fall on her. But she decided after a while that it's bolted firmly to the ceiling, whatever it is. Oh, and she kept talking to me in Kapangpangan. I think I understood everything she said, but I answered in Tagalog.

One notable thing is that her hair started falling out today. It's been two weeks since her first chemo. The hair loss is right on schedule. I'd better warn Ma tomorrow. I left three hats in her room but still hoped this wouldn't happen.

When Ma was still on the ventilator, of course she couldn't talk. She could nod and shake her head, but I had to guess from her hand gestures what it was that she wanted. I tried having her write it down, but her writing was unreadable even when I helped her hold the pen. Throughout it all, she didn't express any frustration. And with all that pain, she never cried.

Ma looks ten times better today than yesterday. At this rate, she could be home by the time Kit arrives.