JUST THE FACTS MA'AM
(JUST THE FACTS)
WELCOME TO:
LIVING WITH A TERMINAL ILLNESS
From the Viewpoint of a Caregiver
This is my husband, Jerry. He is living with a terminal illness. I am his caregiver. As a former Registered Nurse, I worked in Homecare and Hospice.
He teases me that I am his favorite wife! Actually, I am his ‘onliest’ wife. He was a 50 year old bachelor when we married. War can do that to a soldier - he was injured in VietNam. We believe God ‘cut us from the same cloth’ as the old saying goes.
He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer April 1, 2020. That of course was April fool’s day but his yellow coloring was no joke. The day before I thought his coloring was off so we went outside where there was full sunlight. I thought ‘no’ I don’t see it out here. I thought I had made a mistake. But the next morning I knew his yellow coloring was definitely there. It was a warning sign . . a bad warning sign.
He did not argue with me about going to the E. R. where the nurse told me on the phone (it was ‘Covid big time’ and I was not allowed inside) that she could see his yellow color too. The hospital made a referral to an Oncologist, a professional in a nearby town. After listening to a description of our scenario and potential diagnosis, he recommended Jerry go to OSU, specifically, The James. He was treated there when the cancer came back in his lungs. But just one chemo treatment took all his strength. He was hospitalized in a nearby town because OSU had a 4 day wait for a bed. I even asked if that included The James but the E. R. Doctor stated he didn’t know.
A different Oncologist was at his bedside with others trying to figure out what happened. He offered Jerry his services which could provide the same chemo as OSU. The bad weather affected his decision. He said yes and thank you. He just had the first chemo this past Monday (for his lungs) and is scheduled to go back to the facility for IV fluids tomorrow and Friday. He had been previously dehydrated in spite of drinking a lot of fluids. The new Oncologist stated that was caused by the chemo and lowered the dose.
He is unable today to take very much liquid nor food and is again in a weakened state but not severe enough to be hospitalized. Hopefully he will make it through the rest of today until his appointment tomorrow mid morning for IV hydration.
I will end today's post with a story of his bravery. Prior to this condo, we lived in the 2 story home his father and grandfather built. It now belongs to Jerry’s nephew.
One night I woke up to Jerry talking about a commotion going on next door. He was calling the police. Next door used to be a business long ago that his grandfather ran. Now it sold trailers (as in to be pulled behind a pick-up truck). I got up to see what was going on. Jerry was standing on the back porch thresh hold with the solid steel door open. He was dressed in his underwear only, barefoot with nothing in his hand but a flashlight. Two men were trying to steal trailers. He was yelling at them to stop. Don’t you know, they did! They left but the police actually caught up with them. He later testified in court when he was fully dressed. Ha!
Later in our church I testified about that night. After the service was over, 2 of our favorite men came up to Jerry and just stood there without talking . . no questions . . just looking at him. Jerry said “Hanes”.
Guess you had to be a man to understand that ‘conversation’.