meds, meds and more meds

Today has been one of those days when I have had many phone calls in regards to Lee's medication.  The reason for this is because the systems are interconnected.  To explain:  The lung transplant coordinator calls me or Lee and informs us what the changes or additions will be.  This is followed by a call from both the pharmacy and the I.V. distribution center to let us know that the medication is ready or will be delivered.  Next, we get a call from the delivery person announcing a time for the delivery.  Sometimes there  are calls concerning the results of Lee's lab reports, or calls to schedule either a lab visit or a clinic visit or another procedural appointment.  Usually all of these do not occur on the same day, however, today they did.

I am anxious to get the medications started.  The I.V. antibiotic will start @ bedtime and the nebulizer (an enhaler that is operated via an electric pump) with an antibiotic will begin in the a.m.  He will continue to use this once each day for the remaining time here and possibly on the return home.  I know that Lee will begin to feel better within 12 hours of the medication.  He seems to have a very stubborn bacterial infection.  I was concerned that he may have a megalovirus and was relieved to learn today that the test for that was NEGATIVE.  GOOD!

Once again, we have been on this up and down roller-coaster.  First, everthing is going very well and in a matter of two or three days, Lee has slipped into a brief period of fatigue or general malaise as compared to earlier.  These latest ones have been treated from the home area without hospitilization and that is a huge advantage for both of us, especially Lee.  We are so glad that these latest ones are very small "bumps" in the road as compared to those in  July and August.

I have to admit that I am having withdrawal from my good friends, Gloria and Veda.  Both have returned home permanently but will be back in a few weeks for some procedures.  We had become a support group for each other, meeting in the courtyard and discussing any and all things in our daily lives as caregivers.  It was always good to compare notes and learn from each other's experiences.  In addition, there were times when we each gave to the other a good strong shoulder to cry on.

I know that those good strong shoulders are also available to me when we can return to our home through our many friends, family and our wonderful neighbors. For all of those, I am eternally grateful and look forward to our homecoming.

More Later......................................Brenda