We are down to the last full week of summer break. We only have a few supplies to buy for Kyle and then the kids will be ready for school. On Tuesday Cody will get oriented with the Middle School and meet this years teachers. Katie will be at the same school, but they have made major improvements and she is excited to see what they have done. Kyle is going into High School and just received his schedule during his orientation; he hopes that he does not get lost.
Tom continues with his health care. Last Thursday Tom and I were able to meet one of the Lymph edema Therapists. She went over Tom's case and explained in detail how the Lymph nodes work with the body. I once again am amazed at how the human body is made up and works together to keep us healthy. She did a demonstration of how to manually drain the lymph nodes, which is about a 10 minute process that he will need to do everyday. Tom will wear a compression bandage around his neck and a "stocking" with a compression bandage on his right cheek each night while he sleeps. She also confirmed that this is a lifestyle that Tom will practise for the rest of his life. Tom will start this Physical Therapy the week after Labor Day.
I also had a call from the Grievance Coordinator at the insurance company. Tom's PET scan has been denied once again. I asked for the Committee Appeals Meeting transcripts and told them that we will take this Appeal to the next level. I have received the hundreds of pages of notes and plan to bring them to Tom's Oncology appointment this Thursday to go over the necessary steps.
Unfortunately it is taking a little longer this time around for the Calcitonin levels to be reported from the lab. It should be reported in the next few days and I am anxious to know what they are. Tom is feeling much better since he received his new Thyroid medicine. I can tell that they are helping with his energy level. Some days I feel that I have my healthy husband back.
This week has been a blow to Tom and I. As we try to comprehend the steps to take and what this means to Tom's care, we are learning how to handle each other's reactions to this news. I have to admit that tension was a little high here for a few days. It is another reminder that there is no "quick fix" and that this disease is life changing. This brings back the meaning of why we wanted to share life with each other and the love that brought us and keeps us together. Life is hard to handle and love smooths our paths. I will conclude with a verse that is so embedded into my being and I hope that you feel it too:
"Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out." 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
1 comment:
Sounds like everyone there is doing a great job of taking it one day at a time. There's some exciting stuff going on, like getting lost in high school hallways and going to school with your sister. Adjusting to a new routine can be exciting too. Maybe draining your limph nodes will take minutes instead of hours in the morning. Thanks for the update and remember to take one step at a time. You'll be surprised at your progress when you look.
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