It's going to be a long day! Hopefully it gets better as it goes. I had this post about 1/2 way done when it disappeared, all but the first sentence! Oh well, now if I can just remember what I had written!

My body rebelled over the week-end and I felt horrible for a few hours, headache a stomach issues. I think it was just telling me that enough is enough and to quit pushing! My blood pressure has been up again and then I realized that I had stopped drinking water and was back to coffee and diet coke. It was the highest yesterday morning and when I checked it again because my cheeks were tingling, it was perfectly normal! 

The home health nurse came Sunday afternoon to evaluate Bill and since there are no orders for nursing or shots or IVs, he won't come back unless something changes.

Bill did well for most of the week. He was up and dressed in the mornings earlier than usual and his appetite has returned. He had gotten down to 147 at the hospital and was up to 152 on Sunday, and it was not fluid. He was eating everything in sight. A lot of it was empty calories, but he was eating! He had started eating well at the hospital when he started feeling better and it continued through the first part of the week.

Tuesday he was re-evaluated for physical therapy and was approved for 4 more weeks. Even though the exercises seem simple enough, Tammy and I can both tell when he gets tired.

Wednesday we followed up with our regular dr. and Amy said that his white count was high again, 22. It was 16 when he was discharged and 12 when he was admitted, so we were going the wrong way. Connie was going to check with the Infectious Disease dr. to see what he suggested. He has also been complaining that one of his ears was stopped up so both were checked and completely blocked with wax. So both were washed out and we got some antibiotic drops. One still fills up when he sits up but the other seems fine. The one that still bothers him gave Amy trouble getting the water to get past the wax. We went out to eat for lunch after the appointment and it was the first time out since my birthday. We went to a favorite little restaurant and he ordered his usual philly cheese steak sandwich and ate every bit of it, and they are pretty big.

Thursday he didn't feel as well and had no appetite. I called the office and Connie was out until Tuesday I think and no one knew if she had called Dr Threlkeld or not. So, yesterday morning I called and talked to Janet one of the nurse practitioners. She said she would look over his record and talk to Dr. Threlkeld and get back to us. Tammy came for therapy and said that Bill looked better and she worked him pretty hard for 45 minutes. Not only did they do his sitting exercises, she walked him some, but his O2 dropped to the mid 80s, which isn't good. Janet called back and said Dr. Threlkeld had given 2 options, go back to Memphis ER for a chest xray, or get one locally and have the report sent to them. So, we went back to the dr. office and got that and bloodwork done. We had to see the dr. we don't like and he just said, because his white count was 22 that he needed to go to the hospital again. Bill pretty much refused to do that and the rest of the day just went to hell (sorry Mom). Bill acted like there was nothing wrong and couldn't understand why I was in such a bad mood and that I better be out of it by the time supper was finished cooking! I finally went to the gas station, mainly to have a good cry.

He said he is tired of drs. and hospitals (I know this and I am too) yet he also says he wants to feel better so he can do things, but he doesn't want to do what it will take to get to that place. We finally came to a compromise, and if he dies over the week-end it will be because of my decision, but so be it. I told him that we would wait through the week-end. The weather is crappy anyway due to the remnants of Gordon and a front moving through so we are getting heavy rain all week-end. We are getting bloodwork done again Monday morning and if his white count is still high, we will go to Memphis, no questions or complaining. He agreed to that.

When I told Emily the decision, she set him up for a repeat CBC for Monday morning so that we can see what his white count is. We then started talking about his results from to day and his ears. His white count Wednesday was actually 25, not 22, so it has gone down. We think it is from the ear drops, which are cipro based. His right ear is still bothering him so we are going to get it looked at Tuesday if we are not in Memphis. She and I are now thinking that that he has a severe sinus infection and it is showing itself in other ways now that his ears are clear. I have some amoxicillin and started giving him some of it last night. I'm only going to give him 1 a day instead of 2 since he's also got the ear drops. If his white count is coming down, we'll stay home, but if it is 22 or more off to Memphis we will go.

He's doing a lot of coughing this morning again. It started about 4:30. It sounds like it's all bronchial located and not deep into his lungs, and very wet sounding. I'll see if he wants some cough, although it will make him sleep...we have the good kind!

Ryan is coming over today to do some work for us. He was going to trim the hedges and clean the gutters but it's still raining. He may be able to do the gutters, but not the hedges. Wouldn't be a good idea with electric trimmers in the rain. But I also need a piece of furniture moved and where I want to put it, it will have to be lifted so I told him to bring muscle. He's bringing Kayden to help him, and probably Kiyann too so that he can spend some time with them. His situation is not good, not only in the job department but other ways, so he's needing to get away. I think he and Em are going to spend a little brother/sister time together while he's here by himself.

So, that's our week. And to top everything off, we have a sick cat! She's got what every human in the area has...a cold or sinus infection or allergies. The kitten got his first shots this week, too. They still aren't really getting along, although it's a little better. 

Oh, our neighbors moved out last week-end and left their animals here for several days. They finally came and got the adult dog, but left the puppy. At least he's loose. I see him every afternoon waiting for them. Yesterday it was early enough that I called Animal Control, although I just had to leave a message. I took him some smoked sausage to eat, but he was gone when I got back outside. He's a cute little pit mix. I think I'm also going to call the landlord. If the inside looks anything like the trashed outside (broken window) and the backyard is a mess from the animals, he won't be happy.

OK, now I'm done. I'll let you know what happens Monday!