I can do this...

One step closer

Crutches and motor home steps, what next?  I was so overawed by this performance I forgot to take a photo but today Trish with the dedicated help of the physio team at Wagga Base took on the 5 steep stairs into the motor home and won.  She was tucked out after climbing in and out twice but it can only get easier.

Wagga Rehab another week

Sorry I haven't been a good correspondent of late but my PC crashed and I have been recovering LOGIDs, PWs and contact details etc mostly from memory or trial and error…

Last Tuesday Trish, Brad and some of his friends and myself went out for the evening to Brad's TAFE presentation night.  We put Trish and her chair in a maxi taxi.  It was a good night out but very exhausting for her, but worth the effort.

She has progressed to crutches and this week is working on stairs.  She looks like being released next week if she does well.  Then we will consider what is next in her treatment, visiting the Riverina Cancer Care Centre.

Wagga Rehab Meeting with Dr Jane Hill (my notes)

Current Status

Lesion in the lung

Enlargement of the adrenal gland and lymph node

Tumour in the bones of several ribs

Exhibiting a classic example of lung cancer that is now metastatic (spreading)

Shortness of breath after physical exertion

Wound from vertebrae operation still weeping and very slow to heal

Walking pretty well but knees give way occasional

Pain on the side of rib cage could be a pinched-nerve or bone cancer in a rib.  A further CT will be used to diagnose.  If it proves to be a tumour on a rib causing the pain radiotherapy could be used to relieve that in those specific areas.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a hole-of-body treatment.  The chemo drugs are give once every three weeks and it takes most of the day to take the treatment, spending the time in the cancer centre outpatients area.  Usually four to six cycles of the three-week treatment, overall three to five months.

30% of cases respond to chemotherapy. After two months check to see if the tumour has reduced in size by using the CT scan.  After 4~6 months the chemo, if it is working, will have done all it can.  If the cancer has shrunk and stays stable it has done all it can.  Sometimes the treatment needs to be stopped because of the side affects.  It is uncommon to get rid of all the cancerous cells.

In between each treatment life goes on pretty much as normal.

One of the side affects is loss of hair, but it will grow back.  It makes you tired and nauseous but there are good drugs to combat this. The drugs also cause some aches and muscle pain for three or four days after treatments, upping pain kills could be helpful at these times.  The drugs can cause tingling in the fingers and toes having an affect on the nerves and this can be a reason to stop treatment as it can take time for the nervous system to recover.

Continuing with the current pain relief medications currently being administered would be recommended.

The biggest risk with chemo treatment is that it lowers you immune system and makes you susceptible to infection for a week or two after each treatment.  As a precaution you must constantly check your body temperature each day.  If at anytime you are feeling particularly lousy you should check your temperature.  Any rise in body temperature must be treated as serious and you must go to hospital immediately. 

Rehab Thursday

Rehab ward 11 Wagga

Trish is getting around with her walker and doing physio daily.  She is progressing well and could be out in a week or two.

Wagga Rehab Visiting hours and numbers

Weekends here are quiet as well but they do give the inmates homework so Trish is doing her scheduled physio.

The contact number for the ward is 02 6938 6385 then ask for Patricia Madden.  The numbers I gave before are not correct, I'm not sure why.

Visiting hours are very strict: 10am to 12:30pm and 3pm to 5:30pm and 6:30pm to 8pm.  Meals are 12:30pm and 5:30pm and you are not permitted to be in attendance at these times.

Wagga Rehab ward 11

Trish has been shifted into the Rehabilitation Ward, ward 11, the phone numbers for patients are 02 6938 6570 or 02 6938 6633 or 02 6938 6656.  The staff here are focused on getting people back on their feet and back out into the community, that's what we needed!  The patients all have their own physio nurse and walker and being in bed during the day is frowned upon, except for an afternoon nap.

Wagga

Trish has settled in here and is receiving far more attention from the medical and physio staff.  A good move even if the hospital is old and tatty and food not so nice.  The staff attitude make up for it by far.

Now back in Wagga base hospital

Now we get stuck into the physiotherapy and get back on our feet.  Hospital number 02 69386666

Trish still in Sydney just waiting, should transfer tomorrow...

Still in Sydney

Trish is in Sydney and I'm now in Wagga, she was supposed to go yesterday, so I started driving about 10am.  No news her end so we wait for transport to sort it out, probably Monday now.

Looks like we are off to Wagga tomorrow

Wagga soon.

Wagga needs a bed here so a swap has been agreed to.  Should happen soon.  In the meantime they will be upping Trish's physio sessions and she will be working out in the hospital gym as from tomorrow morning.

No News of Wagga yet