Her vomiting has been very bad these few days even with trying various medicines. Today was the first day she did not vomit. She ate a muffin, and a quarter cup of soup for lunch. I am just very happy that she did not vomit as of 5:30PM today. The two medicines that worked were compozine and reglan. She is still on morphine and the fentanyl patch but she is taking the drugs orally rather than intra-venously.
I want to bring my computer to the hospital so that we can video chat with Bangladesh. We will have to set that up somehow.
They unhooked her IV and she walked around the ward with my aunt.
Monday we are having a meeting with the pain management team and the DFCI oncologist at 4:00. I do not know the nature of the meeting but will post an update.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Hospital Stay Update
Back from Brigham and Women. It is late so I will make this brief.
Parveen was there in the morning but then she reluctantly returned to work.
The doctor at DFCI admitted her today and the wonderful nursing staff arranged for a bed at Brigham. We were going to have to wait a long time at DFCI (until 7 the doctor thought) but then a bed opened up at 3. I rode in the ambulance with her which was a bumpy ride. It upset her a tiny bit and increased her stomach pain.
At Brigham I met a nurse that I knew from Simmons. I saw her several times in the science building, I introduced myself and she turned out to be my mother's night nurse.
At this point she hadn't eaten anything, had vomited this morning, and last night. She tried very hard at DFCI and ate two crackers. This came up soon after she got settled into her bed at Brigham.
The doctors were very caring, good listeners, clear, and helpful. The woman in the curtained bed next to my mother, a little older than my mother wearing a fuzzy black faux fur hat liked her stay so much she took me aside and said:
"I was sick like your mother too, I was throwing up all over the place. I got very good care here. She is in good hands. I will pray for her at church."
A complete stranger was being so nice to me and so forthcoming about the institution's care. I really appreciated this kindness.
The evening progressed, my friend drove over with my aunt and I felt better having them there. The nurses again were so very attentive, they wanted to prepare my mother for a CT scan tonight if at all possible.
One doctor truly impressed me. He is an MD, PhD. I looked at his title and was just like...oh God I hope he's nice...I know it is a poor bias to have. Shame on me!
In any event, he came by and took my mother's ENTIRE history. Like when she immigrated here, what part of Bangladesh she's from, where she works, the whole rundown. I knew he was just doing a mental faculties check on her but he did it so well. He made her recount things he already knew from her chart. His last name was little odd...for a quasi plain looking white guy.
It turns out that his wife is Gujrati and he spent two months in India, knows Gujrati and some Hindi. His sons speak it, one of them is named Anand, he lives with his whole big family (in-laws and all). He talked to my mom in Hindi for a bit. When he left mom said by in Hindi. He replied:
"Salam aleikum" (Goodbye/hello in Bangla/Arabic).
Here's the kicker: He took his wife's last name! The feminist in me is tingling with joy.
The nurse from Simmons gave me the number to their desk in case I can't sleep, I'm worried, I want to know her status.
Anyway, even though I don't know how she's doing right now at 11PM tonight, if she threw up again, I know at least she is in great hands. In fact I think I'll give her a call. Just so that I can sleep better.
Parveen was there in the morning but then she reluctantly returned to work.
The doctor at DFCI admitted her today and the wonderful nursing staff arranged for a bed at Brigham. We were going to have to wait a long time at DFCI (until 7 the doctor thought) but then a bed opened up at 3. I rode in the ambulance with her which was a bumpy ride. It upset her a tiny bit and increased her stomach pain.
At Brigham I met a nurse that I knew from Simmons. I saw her several times in the science building, I introduced myself and she turned out to be my mother's night nurse.
At this point she hadn't eaten anything, had vomited this morning, and last night. She tried very hard at DFCI and ate two crackers. This came up soon after she got settled into her bed at Brigham.
The doctors were very caring, good listeners, clear, and helpful. The woman in the curtained bed next to my mother, a little older than my mother wearing a fuzzy black faux fur hat liked her stay so much she took me aside and said:
"I was sick like your mother too, I was throwing up all over the place. I got very good care here. She is in good hands. I will pray for her at church."
A complete stranger was being so nice to me and so forthcoming about the institution's care. I really appreciated this kindness.
The evening progressed, my friend drove over with my aunt and I felt better having them there. The nurses again were so very attentive, they wanted to prepare my mother for a CT scan tonight if at all possible.
One doctor truly impressed me. He is an MD, PhD. I looked at his title and was just like...oh God I hope he's nice...I know it is a poor bias to have. Shame on me!
In any event, he came by and took my mother's ENTIRE history. Like when she immigrated here, what part of Bangladesh she's from, where she works, the whole rundown. I knew he was just doing a mental faculties check on her but he did it so well. He made her recount things he already knew from her chart. His last name was little odd...for a quasi plain looking white guy.
It turns out that his wife is Gujrati and he spent two months in India, knows Gujrati and some Hindi. His sons speak it, one of them is named Anand, he lives with his whole big family (in-laws and all). He talked to my mom in Hindi for a bit. When he left mom said by in Hindi. He replied:
"Salam aleikum" (Goodbye/hello in Bangla/Arabic).
Here's the kicker: He took his wife's last name! The feminist in me is tingling with joy.
The nurse from Simmons gave me the number to their desk in case I can't sleep, I'm worried, I want to know her status.
Anyway, even though I don't know how she's doing right now at 11PM tonight, if she threw up again, I know at least she is in great hands. In fact I think I'll give her a call. Just so that I can sleep better.
Update - Mom at Brigham and Women's
She's lost a lot of weight recently and her nausea's been pretty bad, so the doctor recommended that we bring her in to the hospital in order to control her symptoms and run more tests. She hasn't really been able to eat for the last week, so we're trying to settle her stomach and make her able to digest food properly. Therefore, she's going to be hospitalized for a few days.
More later...
More later...
Sunday, January 17, 2010
A bit of good news
The new medication that my mother was put on is working. She is able to eat.
However, she is still in some pain but that we can control somehow. At least she can eat. We are all very happy.
There were a lot of people at our house yesterday, it was nice for her to be around people. We really appreciate all the support.
However, she is still in some pain but that we can control somehow. At least she can eat. We are all very happy.
There were a lot of people at our house yesterday, it was nice for her to be around people. We really appreciate all the support.
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