Biggest news of past 2 weeks- our new addition | yosoyrosa's Blog

Its been very quiet past couple of weeks, we didn't have an appointment for the 30-day follow up, even though we'd contacted the coordinator several times.  After being told she cannot personally book appointments, she gave us the various doctor names and direct contact numbers of those who can.  At that point my husband started calling pretty much everyone, and then emailing our doctor directly that we were concerned during the transition of his patience we had fallen through the cracks.  Indeed we had.

This is when I urge everyone again to confirm "I own my health, and that includes my ongoing care, treatment and options".   

The doctor called back and apologized profusely, giving my hubby a run-down of the schedule: Multi-Phase CT on the monday before christmas, and an appointment on the 13th of January with the surgeon.  At that time they'll know if he'll just be having the gallbladder removed, or if they will also need to include the radiofrequency tumor attack.  We were back on track with a plan in hand.

I was asked what did I want for christmas, but instead of being noble and saying "you to be healthy" or even request a promise like "you to commit to eating healthy" I took a different path - "I want a puppy".  It didn't catch him by surprise, what did surprise me though was that he agreed!   Nothing big, it has to be in the house, but not a little yapper that looks like a rat.  Weiner dog?  Basset?  Nope - Beagle.

Ah, but this is not just because puppies are cute.  Dogs provide unconditional love and companionship during those bad days, something I just can't do when I'm at work and he's at home.  But was this a good decision?  Puppy slept in his bed in our bedroom, and I got up during the night for love & potty, I did breakfast & dinner feeding followed by potty, we had a routine, and it was pretty successful.  But when hubby had him for 4 days this week of puppy potty training, he was at wit's end.  Everything was a drama since he'd not taken any lactulose for ammonia, so had started shaking and was unable to perform basic calculations.  The two of them would go for a walk outside, and as soon as they came back in our warm house the pup would find a place to squat or poop.  Grump grump grump was what I heard when I walked in the door from work.

Last night I walked in with the crate and the announcement, I've got puppy care for the next 3 days.  My husband had an announcement of his own: the University hospital called.  They scheduled a pre-transplant work-up appointment, something that apparently lasts all day on Jan 7.  I quickly looked at my calendar, looking at every other tuesday and the appointment schedule.  Monday the 22nd, CT scan, and I'm estmating the tumor board to be on the 23rd, two weeks later is the 6th but his workup won't be complete by then.  Two weeks after that the 13th is the laprascopic procedure.  If I'm right, knowing I could easily be wrong, by the afternoon of the 13th we would have everything needed for a MELD score. 

Today we're back to hubby laying on the couch repeating "Oh, God" followed by "I'm sick".  I'm not sure if its the Nexavar half dose, the lactulose, or his poor diet while I'm gone that's brought him back to this condition.  Puppy is sleeping in the crate (30 min training sessions) and I'm praying for patience in surviving the weekend with them both.