I’m late letting you know what Doug has been dealing with but being with Doug at the hospital takes me away from my computer. Here is an update from Friday, December 21:
I arrived at the hospital in time to have prayer and kiss Doug before his “procedure”. Doug was told late the night before (after I had already left for the eveninig) that because he was not responding to the antibiotics, they needed to pass a bronchoscope down into his lungs to take samples to culture.
The camera goes through the nose, down into the esophagus into the lungs. It is done by a lung specialist in X-ray. At least that is how I understood/understand it. Doug feels nothing as his passage ways are numbed and then he is put “under” like when you have a colonoscopy so that day you don’t remember it even happened. (To be frank some of this passes right over my head so you medical people please forgive.) But I have had a colonoscopy so that part is VERY clear to me!!! I was to wait in his room so the surgeon could speak to me after it was over.
It took about an hour from when the nurse took Doug from the room to when he came back. The procedure was to have taken only half of that time as I understood it from the nurse. I was told Doug wouldn't know what had happened most of Friday. I was to watch him to be sure he didn't try to get up alone, etc. etc.
We won’t know the final results of the cultures of the samples they took from his lungs until Monday, Christmas Eve. If the finding is, as they suspect now it will be nothing more serious than pneumonia it will be a wonderful Christmas present. (Pneumonia is serious enough.) Meanwhile they treat him with inhalation therapy and serious antibiotics through his IV. He has been fever-free for the last 48 hours so that is encouraging.
Saturday the pulmonary specialist who stopped on rounds in the afternoon told Doug the Saturday morning x-ray looked better than the original so some response is occurring. Preliminary report is that they found no tumor, no tuberculosis and the cultures will give them a more clear understanding.
I’ve asked if it is contagious and he said that if it were the lab would probably have called by now! It is more common with immune compromised cancer patients.
Doug is on oxygen. I think he’d want me to tell you to not take your lungs or ability to walk and breathe at the same time for granted. I have taken mine forgranted I'm confessing up until now watching my husband’s struggle.
The gifts under your Christmas tree are nothing by comparison to the gift of life. Give thanks right now for your two lungs and your ability to breathe without even thinking about it.
~Carole
