Thursday, September 30, 2010

Another month over.
Today started out poorly. John said he was not feeling well at all. There never seems to be any reason why one day is better than another - it just is. Since I had had to get up to him several times in the night, I was also tired and still feeling the effects of a cold.
However, John seemed to pick up as the day went on. I went out for the first time in several days to do some shopping and he was well enough for me to be away for the full 90 minutes.
Margie dropped in for supper and we ate it out on the balcony enjoying the lovely fall weather. John joined us and he was able to sit and visit with us until Margie left at 8pm.
Please do pray that he will sleep better at nights.
The sleeping pills he takes produce what the doctor calls "vivid dreams" In effect they are so real that John is sometimes confused as to whether what he dreamed was real or not. That was the cause of some of his unrest last night.
Also please pray I will get rid of this cold very soon. I need full energy to deal with each day.
Not sure what kind of a day to call this.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Yesterday and today have been a little better for John. The meds worked as they should. However, my cold is still bad so I have been staying away from him as much as possible. I am feeling a little better tonight and hope I feel a lot better by tomorrow.
Please pray for healing for both of us.
Let's make it one thumbs up today.

Monday September 27, 2010

John had a rough day today. The meds were simply not holding until the next dose. Several time I had to skip the feeding (which can conflict with the meds) and also give him extra meds in place of the feeding.
He said that this evening he had been the worse he had ever been. At least that is how he felt. I have just put him to bed and I am praying he will go to sleep quickly.
I have also had a hard day as I have come down with a head cold with sniffles, dry cough, sore throat and sore glands and ears. I am taking quantities of vitamin C!! But it means I am trying to stay as far away from John as possible, except for time of giving him his meds or feeding him. That's difficult when he is having a bad day. I need to get some of those masks to wear, I guess. I am much more concerned about him catching it than me having it as I know I will feel better in a day or two. But he does not have the same resources to fight bugs.
So two (or maybe three) thumbs down today.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Praise the Lord John finally slept for most of last night. Since he hardly slept at all the night before, and I only got 3 hours, this was a blessed relief.
The last few days have not been too bad, but the nights have been difficult. Friday night he had to have extra meds twice during the night - something that does not usually happen.
Friday was our last visit to the speech therapist. One of the little jokes that John had going with Nahal was that we all wore the same colour each week.
This is the last picture of us - Margie (who usually went with me to help with John, parking, driving etc), me, Nahal and John.
Nahal is Canadian born but her parents are from Iran and she is a non-practicing Zoroastrian.
She became very fond of John and has promised to come and visit us on her own time.

Prayer requests:

That John will sleep through the night!!

That he will continue to work on his voice exercises daily

One thumbs up today.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

If John were writing this blog he would tell you that this is his 72 and a half birthday today. He always said  his birthday should be celebrated every half year at least - but preferably monthly on the 23rd. So happy half birthday John!
He had a fairly good day today. But tonight he suddenly crashed. Since he hardly slept at all last night perhaps he is just overtired. Anyway he headed for bed earlier than usual and I will just give him his 11pm meds while he (hopefully) sleeps. That is one benefit of tube feeding. He seldom wakes when I give him the 8am meds.
I have been thinking for the last few days how thankful I am to have very good health and thus am able to look after John.
I never heard back from the nurse on John's meds - surprise!
Anyway, not much else to report.

Please keep praying for him to sleep through the night. It is important for both of us.

One thumbs up for the day and one thumbs down for the night.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

We had a very quiet day today. Although the last few days have not been too good, today went fairly well. John had one time that he was asking me for more meds right after I had given him his feeding ( so giving meds will not work as the protein nullifies the effectiveness of the meds) - however, he did not go into a bad attack as I feared he would and made it through to the next time for meds OK.
He is sleeping less at nights again - the sleeping pills seem to put him to sleep but only for an hour or two and then he wakes up and does not go back to sleep for hours. At home he sleeps on his side which makes the coughing and spitting up easier.
Yesterday he went to the massage therapist and did OK - although lying down on either his stomach or his back presents problems with the choking and coughing up the phlegm.
Friday is the last day for the speech therapist. We will miss the visits with her - but not the long drive there and back. The sessions have definitely helped his voice and we will have to be vigilant in keeping up with the daily exercises.

Please continue to pray for the meds to work and for the side effects to be limited.
Please pray that he will sleep through the night

A one thumbs up day.

Monday, Septmber 20, 2010
The  last few days have not been good for John - the meds are not working well - he has had a great deal of congestion and spends a good deal of his time coughing up phlegm.
I talked to the neurologist's nurse today but she had no suggestions that would help John in any way. She said she would leave the doctor a note. My experience in the past has been that means I will not hear from her again unless I call and then she will have nothing to report. Apparently the doctor only gets back to her when he has something new to suggest - which isn't often.
John's nights seem to be especially bad again- bedtime is the worst as it takes time for the meds and sleeping pills to take effect and in the meantime he lays there with the muscles contracting and relaxing and the saliva flowing out of his mouth onto a towel that is on his pillow. He says it is getting worse.
He finally goes to sleep (usually) but only for an hour or two and then he wakes up for several more hours. However, at that point he feels good - even his mouth is not as bad - so he wants to be up at that point. hat That means I have to get up too and while he gets back to sleep about 3 or 4 am - I sometimes have woken up by then and find it very hard to go back to sleep. So it makes for some very short nights for me. So now he is trying to entertain himself in bed and not get up but that does not work well for him at all.
Please pray for the meds to begin to work well again and for the neurologist to find something to help with the problems in the mouth. Pray that he will sleep through the entire night and that I will somehow be able to get the sleep that I need to stay healthy.

One thumbs down.