4/29/2010

There has been no change in Pam's condition for a couple of days. She looks comfortable and in no pain. She seems to hear us when we speak to her and I even noticed a slight acknowledgment of our presence by a toe twitch. She has round the clock care by concerned nurses and frequent visits from our family.

May God bless you all for your prayers and support.

4/28/10

There has been no change in Pam's condition for more than a day. She looks to be comfortable and certainly has the full attention of the Hospice nurses. We all agree that Pam is a strong woman. At this point in time, however, there is little, if any, hope that she will wake up.

We thank you all for your prayers, cards, and calls.

4/27/10 Pam's condition rapidly deteriorated during the day yesterday. The Hospice nurse indicated this was part of of the natural process of Pam's system shutting down. Pam looked comfortable and relaxed and she responded to the family with a slight smile or glow. Pam definitely knows where she is going.

This morning brought no further noticeable decline in her condition. In fact, she looked more comfortable than she did yesterday. Maybe the fact that our dog Sadie was on the bed with her was more comforting than the pain relievers.

Hospice has been a real blessing and responsive to Pam's needs. We will monitor Pam's condition and update this blog regularly.

4/25/10 Pam is now in Hospice critical care and will be receiving around the clock nursing starting tonight. I thought the nursing coverage would be for 12 hours, which is all I requested, but I learned that once a patient is assigned to critical care, 24-hour coverage is offered. Beverly will still be able to tuck Pam in at night and be here to get her up in the morning as she has done for a couple of weeks. It's a blessing that Hospice is here to help the entire family and not just the patient.

Pam has become very weak and I felt additional assistance , particularly at night, is necessary for her comfort and safety. It so happens that Pam and I know the nighttime nurse and Pam thought that was wonderful, even though we had nothing to do with this assignment. I know she will be in good hands.

God is watching over us through the continuous support and prayers of our friends.

4/24/2010 Pam has two aides from 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Our daughter Bev, who works from 11:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M., comes in the evening to get Pam ready for the night and stops in the morning for a couple of hours to get Pam ready for the day. Pam sleeps much of the time, but is alert when awake. The medication affects her speech and causes her to slur her words.

Pam has been comforted by the support of all our friends. She knows God is talking to her through your cards, calls and prayers. Pam is not afraid of dying and has expressed this to all our family, pastors, her business partners and nearly every one else who has visited. Pam is strong in her faith and truly an inspiration those who know her.

4/19/2010 Pam is resting comfortably after a weekend of activity. Her sister extended her visit until yesterday. Son David spent two days with us. All our family members in Florida stopped in to see Pam. The pain management seems to work, although some of the medications make her very sleepy. She has had little energy and limited mobility but she has had an active mind and good recollections with the family.

Hospice has been very accommodating and responded to our medical needs. We continue to bless all of you for your continuous support and prayers. May God bless you!

4/14/2010 On Monday, Pam visited her oncologist who basically stated that all that can be done medically has been done. There is no chemo or surgery or radiation protocol that has been effective for Pam's cancer. Her oncologist said she needs to be in hospice to control her pain and make her comfortable. We agreed and Pam was admitted to hospice on Tuesday. Pam now has an aide 4 hours per day. She spent many hours with the social worker and nurse from the hospice group and the nurse from the home health agency who assigned the aide. The whole plan is to make Pam comfortable, ease the nearly constant abdominal pain, and stabilize her weight. Her pain medication has been changed and it seems to be working. Her pain level on a scale of 1 to 10 has come down from a 7 to a 4. She has rested much of the day and we look forward to a comfortable night.

Pam's sister has been with us this week and extended her stay until Sunday. Our daughter Beverly will be here to see that Pam is set for the night before she heads to her nursing home job at 11:00 p.m. Everyone involved with this home care has been efficient and responsive to Pam's needs. We thank God for guiding us to this decision and feel comfort in the unfailing support and prayers from our friends and family. May God bless you all!