Saturday, July 12, 2008
$222,228.60
That's what Summit says it cost for Ma's hospital stay. The figure doesn't include doctors' fees. It also doesn't include the stay at Doctors Medical Center. My guess is the final tally will be over $500K. Thank goodness for Medicare and supplemental insurance. Pa said he doesn't have to pay a deductible or even a co-pay.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Cancer vs. Cirrhosis
Ma has visited her oncologist (Dr. Irwin) and pulmonologist (Dr. Majid) back at Doctors Medical Center. In addition, Pa has consulted with a GI doctor at the same hospital. They all think the pleural effusion is due to the cancer, not the cirrhosis. The only treatment they can suggest is to continue with the chemo. Ma resumes her chemo on Wednesday, July 16.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Home on the 4th of July
Ma went home yesterday. Her catheter had to be drained twice. Although I believe she produces 2L of fluid a day, only 650 ml came out the first time she was drained and 500 ml the second time. Draining is a painful process for her despite the Darvocet. The pain is supposed to subside in a few days.
Kuya Richard and Ryan stopped by with pancit malabon. Ma couldn't resist eating some right away. She really should eat more protein though. Ensure & Boost & Glucerna drinks give her diarrhea. I got her some Glucerna bars, and those she can tolerate.
Some stats:
33 days in the hospital
2 hospital admissions
8 hospital rooms occupied
3 pleurodeses (none of them worked)
2 surgeries
7 chest incisions
11 days in ICU
5 days on ventilator
1 bed sore
12 lbs. lost
This will be my last post for a while. Thanks for reading.
Kuya Richard and Ryan stopped by with pancit malabon. Ma couldn't resist eating some right away. She really should eat more protein though. Ensure & Boost & Glucerna drinks give her diarrhea. I got her some Glucerna bars, and those she can tolerate.
Some stats:
33 days in the hospital
2 hospital admissions
8 hospital rooms occupied
3 pleurodeses (none of them worked)
2 surgeries
7 chest incisions
11 days in ICU
5 days on ventilator
1 bed sore
12 lbs. lost
This will be my last post for a while. Thanks for reading.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Second Chest Tube Out
The Pleurx was installed yesterday. We asked the nurse to make sure Ma doesn't feel any pain from the procedure, and she didn't. Afterwards, the PA removed Ma's second chest tube. She felt some pain despite the morphine, but Darvocet took care of it.
This morning the nurses showed Pa how to drain Ma's catheter. They did it too early, before I arrived at the hospital, but I have a DVD and instruction manual on how to do it.
Ma is going home today. We've started packing and are just waiting for the discharge papers.
This morning the nurses showed Pa how to drain Ma's catheter. They did it too early, before I arrived at the hospital, but I have a DVD and instruction manual on how to do it.
Ma is going home today. We've started packing and are just waiting for the discharge papers.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Pleurx Pleural Catheter
As I mentioned the previous night, Ma's fluid output wasn't as bad as last week's. However, that changed overnight. In the 12-hour period from 8pm-8am, 1100 ml of fluid was drained from her. She must have put out 2L yesterday.
Today she will have a Pleurx catheter installed in her so that she can go home. A nurse or PA (physician's assistant) will teach us how to drain the catheter. At the rate she's going, we may have to drain it twice a day. No official word yet on when she can go home, but maybe in a day or two.
Today she will have a Pleurx catheter installed in her so that she can go home. A nurse or PA (physician's assistant) will teach us how to drain the catheter. At the rate she's going, we may have to drain it twice a day. No official word yet on when she can go home, but maybe in a day or two.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
One Month Anniversary
Ma was first admitted to the hospital on June 1st. Today is her one month anniversary. It's not a happy milestone, but the end is in sight. One of her chest tubes was taken out today. Good thing, too, because I had accidentally knocked over the canister that the tube drains into. Oops! The nurses reassured me they had all done the same thing at one time or another.
I had misgivings about the PA (physician's assistant) removing the tube instead of the surgeon, but she did it quickly and painlessly. I had asked her to give Ma morphine before the procedure, and she agreed to it. With just one tube left in her, Ma's pain should lessen.
With the other tube gone, the remaining tube has started draining more than usual. It's nothing compared to last week though. If the second tube is removed tomorrow, Ma could be discharged by Thursday. But don't listen to me. I had also predicted that Ma would be home before Kit arrived.
Ma's friend and hairdresser Auring and her husband visited two days in a row. Yesterday they brought lots of fresh fruits -- plums and apricots from their trees and two mangoes. Today they brought more plums plus some food they promised Ma - sinigang bangus, rice and eggplant. I told Auring I prefer my bangus fried, and she cooked that, too. :) Tonight Ma asked Pa to get her some fried quail from the Thai restaurant. All this food is interfering with my weight loss plans. And the nurses are probably wondering why Ma's blood sugar is so high.
I had misgivings about the PA (physician's assistant) removing the tube instead of the surgeon, but she did it quickly and painlessly. I had asked her to give Ma morphine before the procedure, and she agreed to it. With just one tube left in her, Ma's pain should lessen.
With the other tube gone, the remaining tube has started draining more than usual. It's nothing compared to last week though. If the second tube is removed tomorrow, Ma could be discharged by Thursday. But don't listen to me. I had also predicted that Ma would be home before Kit arrived.
Ma's friend and hairdresser Auring and her husband visited two days in a row. Yesterday they brought lots of fresh fruits -- plums and apricots from their trees and two mangoes. Today they brought more plums plus some food they promised Ma - sinigang bangus, rice and eggplant. I told Auring I prefer my bangus fried, and she cooked that, too. :) Tonight Ma asked Pa to get her some fried quail from the Thai restaurant. All this food is interfering with my weight loss plans. And the nurses are probably wondering why Ma's blood sugar is so high.
Slowing Down
Not much happened yesterday. Ma had nausea in the morning, but Zofran and a nap took care of it. She managed to walk just once around the unit. In the afternoon she had more pain and took a long nap.
No surgeon stopped by to check on her. But the fluids draining out of her chest are definitely diminishing. After her first surgery, the fluids coming out of one chest tube slowed down, but the other just kept going and going. This time it looks like both chest tubes are slowing down.
The pulmonologist stopped by. He didn't really have much to say. I thought we'd be seeing a liver specialist while in the hospital, but it looks like that can wait till Ma is discharged.
In the meantime, a hospital bed for Ma has been delivered to the house. We just need to find some extra long bed sheets for it. Isa's cat has been checking out the bed and has approved it.
No surgeon stopped by to check on her. But the fluids draining out of her chest are definitely diminishing. After her first surgery, the fluids coming out of one chest tube slowed down, but the other just kept going and going. This time it looks like both chest tubes are slowing down.
The pulmonologist stopped by. He didn't really have much to say. I thought we'd be seeing a liver specialist while in the hospital, but it looks like that can wait till Ma is discharged.
In the meantime, a hospital bed for Ma has been delivered to the house. We just need to find some extra long bed sheets for it. Isa's cat has been checking out the bed and has approved it.
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