Another experiment.....

I decided that, maybe if Bob had someone to look at (other than this face he's been seeing for 50 years!), he might forget his MM, his pain, and how miserable he'd been feeling. I began to "schedule" visitors, and lucky for them, my cooking has gotten pretty good since retirement! (Maybe Cousin Pat wasn't so sure - she brought food!) And, it was much appreciated.

On Friday, the Fentanyl Patches seemed to be causing confusion and not relieving the pain. Of course this would happen, the weekend was upon us! I think I may apply for a Government Grant to study why pain is always worse at night, or on the weekend! I called the Cancer Center and was able to speak to his Oncologist's nurse. I asked if I could give him a "light" dose of the Decadron that I had on hand, to get him through the weekend, since that is the one drug that seems to appease the pain. She approved 12 mg. x 3. I gave him the 12 mg. on Friday, and 12 mg. on Saturday and continued the 6 mg. of Dilaudid every 4 hours.

Saturday, Sam and Ann Greco, friends across the years visited. Ann and I visited and also listened to some of the same old tales. (Bob and Sam were high school friends, have maintained contact through the years, and haven't forgotten one thing that happened to them eons ago!) In the afternoon, Bob's sister, Ginny, arrived knowing that she might get "snowed in" with us. The winter weather that had been making its way across the midwest turned southward. We didn't get much in our area of the state, but it certainly gave the weather commentators something to look forward to.

This morning, we headed to Hattiesburg so that Bob could get measured for a "custom back brace". As someone has written, so often MM patients must endure "experiments". What works for one MM patient may not work for another - so much of the time, it seems to be trial and error, or trial and fail.

What a great experience at Hanger Brace. Bob was measured and fitted by such a nice young man. It's too early to tell if this experiment will work, but today has been bearable. He commented that if it got no worse than this, he could stand the pain. Of course, he has accumulated 24 mg. of steroids in his body since Friday, and he still has the Dilaudid - so the back brace gets no credit just yet!

Will the back brace work? Will the time come when he tries the back brace without the pain meds? Will he ever be able to get off the pain meds? Questions, questions, questions!!!