Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Last Night's Sleep
6 hr 2 min
6 hr 2 min
Today's Forecast
Today: Cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon. Wind becoming northeast 20 km/h this afternoon. High 25°C. Humidex 34°C. UV index 5 or moderate.
Tonight: Cloudy. 30 percent chance of showers early this evening with risk of a thunderstorm. Low 16°C.
Air Quality: 3 - Low Risk
Air Quality: 3 - Low Risk
Today's Journal
We've had a weird day. I got up at 5:00 a.m.. I didn't want to get up that early but the alarm on Dennis's oxygen machine down in the living room went off so I came downstairs to look at it. I turned the machine off and then turned it back on and it seemed to be working.
Then I went upstairs and woke up Dennis and had him check his blood oxygen level and make sure that he was getting air out of the tube. He was fine.
But then 5 minutes later the alarm went off again and it continued to go off all morning long. Every 5 to 7 minutes I had to walk across the room to flick the switch off and on on the machine to get the alarm to turn off.
I called the company at 6:00 in the morning even though they didn't open till 9:00 and I left a message. They called back around 9:15 and said they would send a guy out to switch the machine at Noon.
At 11:00 I had to drive Dennis over to Life Labs to get blood work done and push him in with the wheelchair, because he can no longer walk from the parking lot to the appointment and back to the car.
When we got home we got a call from our palliative care nurse who said she was coming over at 12:30. When she got here the guy from the oxygen company was still here. He said the compressor on the machine was shot so he just swapped it out for a different machine.
And then the driver from the home health store arrived to pick up the Rollator/Walker because Dennis can no longer use it. I probably already told you but I bought a travel wheelchair for him last week. He doesn't need it in the house but I need it to take him to appointments.
I feel like I'm just constantly juggling hot potatoes. 🥵
When the palliative care nurse was here she explained about having a palliative care drug kit on hand, and the procedure that we need to follow if Dennis has a major medical incident at home, like hemorrhaging, or lung collapse, or severe pain.
We have to call the palliative care nurse (her or the office) who will contact the palliative EMS team. They will come to the house and administer the doctor prescribed drugs that we will have on hand here in the home. They are aware of the DNR order.
The palliative drug kit would contain medications that an EMT would provide for pain relief or, some powerful anti-anxiety medication. She mentioned a few things. Mainly to relieve suffering. Apparently EMTs can only provide doctor prescribed medications. So they kind of pre-prescribe some drugs, but not end of life stuff.
She also recommended buying dark coloured towels, because when lung cancer patients do start to hemorrhage the sight of all the blood on light coloured towels freaks everybody out, especially the patient. 🫣
Some of these conversations are just too real.
Today's Daily Affirmations
* I am pleased with the outcomes coming into my life.
* I open myself up to new perspectives about life.
* I am connected with the divine energy source.
* My inner world is a beautiful place to live.
* I understand my emotions on a deep level.
* I am confident in my strength.
* I enjoy inner freedom.
* I choose to navigate this phase of my life with clarity and balance.
Today's Exercise
9:21 am - "Outdoor Walk" @park w/Tickles
12 minutes /838 steps / 0.55 km
12 minutes /838 steps / 0.55 km
Today's Total Steps:
6888
