Things They Don't Prepare You For.

Since I updated last, we have had so much happen. My hero was beginning to have great pain in his groin area and fevers. We went on a trip to have a scan done to tell us the locations of the cancer and if it was still active. When we got there, we discovered the cancer part of the scan had been banned by the FDA saying they were pinpointing the cancer cells too soon? Anyway, the gist of his modified scan said that there were toxins in his body that needed to be expelled. We thought well after the chemo that was probably true. The day after we got back, I worked and the hero stayed home and slept. On Sunday, I went to church because he could not wakup to get ready to go. His temperature was 100. When I got back home, I checked him again and it was 102. Our home teacher came by to administer sacrament to him and found him not in his right mind. He was confused. I gave him Tylenol and the temp came down to 99. He decided not to go to the ER, but to go to work instead. It took him until 11 am to his bookkeeper in some challenges she had. That night he told me that his buttocks were hurting. This was not a new declaration( I thought)...Paradigms can get one into trouble. On Tuesday, we went back to work. He became very feverish. I gave his Tylenol and the fever went down to 99.9. We were trying to decide if it was from the trip. This evening he said "look at my buttocks and tell me if they are swollen"...I did and yes the right buttock was twice the size of the other, red and feverish. I said we will go to the ER in the morning. When he got up, the swelling had moved all over his lower parts and was fire engine red. We headed straight to the ER. When we arrived, his temperature was 103.6. They ushered him right in. One look at the area and the seasoned ER surgeon said major infection probably that came from cancer tissue dying and building into an abscess. Two hours later he was in surgery. I waited for the simple procedure to end... only to see that in 40 min he was in recovery...I waited for a doctor...none came...looked up again to see ICU...this was not the plan the doctor had described in the ER. I met the nurses transferring him at the door. They were upset that I had not talked to a doctor yet. He was experiencing high blood pressure and tachycardia so they planned to keep him in surgical ICU over night to make sure he stayed stable. I went home with Emily and spent the night there, after visiting with a very woozy hero. The next day he was moved to a surgical recovery floor. ( The nurses and aides have been really wonderful and sweet people.) Friday morning, the surgeons decided that more debrieding of necrotic tissue was needed. Saturday for the first time I got to see the length and width and depth of the wound was...Oh geez, that was painful just to look at. My heart goes out to him as he endures the dressing changes. We have now been in here over a week, and today, Saturday, they told him they are sending him home on Sunday....Oh my I have to do the dressing changes, watching the indwelling catheter, meds, and oh my. It helps being a nurse, but looking into that wound is scary. Today will be transition to going home. Our son and daughter and their families are coming up today...will have to send them home with some money to assist in preparing the room for a sterile set up.
Sigh...Prayers are my source of comfort in this.