We went ydy for the MRI and it did show new tumor growth. While it is in the same hemisphere, it has spread to the temporal lobe as well as frontal. This explains what's been going on, and was not a surprise to me at all.
It does leave us with a big decision to make about continuing treatment (different treatment) or not. We're going to wait a couple of days before making that decision.
The latest is that Michael's blood sugar has gotten very high because of the high doses of steroids that he's been on (and they just raised his dose a bunch). On Monday, it was 571 and on Tuesday, fasting, it was 330 = still too high!
So we went today to an endocrinologist (all these big words I'm learning!) and I learned how to do finger stick glucose testing with this little strip machine. I learned how to give insulin with this cool pen. And I am going to do both of these things again pretty soon, because it's dinnertime!
I am looking into having some home health care, but... am not sure I want to go that route just yet. I'm really doing fine; Michael is mostly loving and not too demanding.
Yes, this whole thing is tough, but yanno .. this is what true love does!
Me? (Hey, now and then, someone asks!) LOL I'm doing ok. I'm continuing my daily walks and playing the piano now daily. Both of us enjoy that. Even the DOG likes that! :) I'm doing lots of laundry, just keeping things clean, and keeping us fed. Speaking of which...
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Things can change fast
And they have! We passed the 1-year mark from Michael's diagnosis on 8/15, and this anniversary has not gone by quietly. We're now experiencing a new set of challenges.
The first to hit us was the mobility issue. Michael now gets around in the house and out to the car with a walker. If we have anywhere else to go, he uses a wheelchair. This would be ok, but sometimes his legs give way when he's using the walker, so I usually have to walk along with him for support.
Cognitively, the decline is well underway. TV no longer makes much sense to him, but he does understand enough to know that he doesn't want to watch HGTV, which is what I like to watch! He asks really off-the-wall questions that make no sense, though I can tell that he's trying to say something that means something to him. Now and then he does make some sense, but he does best with yes/no questions.
The other challenge we're facing now is bladder control difficulties, and this is a big one, because this affects our ability to get out and go for drives -- one of our few remaining sources of pleasure, it seems. We have talked to the doctors about a catheter and I think that we're going to get that taken care of today. I just hope that it works and simplifies our lives a bit.
Michael's brother George wants me to look into home health care, and I made a call this morning. They're going to call me back.
Now I don't know about going to Tucson. If things continue as they are, it won't be possible.
I'm really struggling to keep some cheerfulness in my life, but it's hard. If I laugh at anything, Michael thinks I'm laughing at him.
Annette, I'd love to see you! Can you come down? We're (somehow) going to go up to Indy tomorrow for a 7am MRI and Dr appt. But after tomorrow we're good.
The first to hit us was the mobility issue. Michael now gets around in the house and out to the car with a walker. If we have anywhere else to go, he uses a wheelchair. This would be ok, but sometimes his legs give way when he's using the walker, so I usually have to walk along with him for support.
Cognitively, the decline is well underway. TV no longer makes much sense to him, but he does understand enough to know that he doesn't want to watch HGTV, which is what I like to watch! He asks really off-the-wall questions that make no sense, though I can tell that he's trying to say something that means something to him. Now and then he does make some sense, but he does best with yes/no questions.
The other challenge we're facing now is bladder control difficulties, and this is a big one, because this affects our ability to get out and go for drives -- one of our few remaining sources of pleasure, it seems. We have talked to the doctors about a catheter and I think that we're going to get that taken care of today. I just hope that it works and simplifies our lives a bit.
Michael's brother George wants me to look into home health care, and I made a call this morning. They're going to call me back.
Now I don't know about going to Tucson. If things continue as they are, it won't be possible.
I'm really struggling to keep some cheerfulness in my life, but it's hard. If I laugh at anything, Michael thinks I'm laughing at him.
Annette, I'd love to see you! Can you come down? We're (somehow) going to go up to Indy tomorrow for a 7am MRI and Dr appt. But after tomorrow we're good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
