The After Effects

Today was one of our toughest yet. We got the kids off to school today and took the little ones with us to the doctor. We thought we only needed lab work done and we would be out the door in five minutes. That is how dumb we are about cancer. The lab work really did only take five minutes but then the doctor wanted to see Trent and check out his biopsy site. It is getting infected and they decided to take out the stitches. They took out two tiny ones while he was still in the hospital to relieve a little pressure but it didn't quite do the trick. The other five stitches were HUGE! I referred to them earlier as being as thick as shark line. Sadly, that is not an understatement. They were having some trouble and I could see this was getting more involved than we had planned for. Pretty soon they were talking about morphine through the port and it all went downhill from there.

I took the kids outside and called a friend who came as fast as she could to take the kids for me--thanks a million times Michelle! I was so unprepared I didn't even have a diaper for Jonathan.

By the time I got back inside they had accessed Trent's port again for fluids because he almost passed out during the whole stitches ordeal. So, an hour and however many cc's later I thought we were good to go. But then I saw the wound...what follows is not for the faint of heart.

The incision had splayed wide open after the stitches were removed. It was draining infection and necrotic tissue-dead cancer. Of course they are not prepared to treat such wounds at a cancer center so I had to run to Walgreens to get more ABD pads and tape. These things I usually have with us but not when I think we are going to be "in and out"! So while I was gone they pumped him full of a bunch more fluids until he was coherent enough to go. He was feeling much better by then and even did a little jig for the nurses to prove it.

When we got home I started to tackle the list of things I intended to do today. Not so good. Trent was not doing so great anymore. I would just get him settled and then I would slip out to conquer the list. Let's just say it took over four hours to clean out the burb. We don't keep messy cars, I just got interrupted every five seconds by either Trent or the kids. By dinner time I was frazzled. Then Trent announced he was having chest pain. Are you kidding me?!

I quickly called the nurse who suggested it was esophageal and not cardiac. Because of all the drugs and nausea his GI tract is acting up. That made sense. So I was off to the store for Zantac and a bunch of juice. Trent can't take the meds with water and I need to get calories in him somehow.

By the time I came back Zach was feeling bad because I didn't have time to decorate for and throw a going away party for him. Zach is not a demanding kid so it broke my heart that I couldn't do that for him. He has made some good friends and just wants to have a last hurrah with them. I can certainly understand that but I just can't have a bunch of boys here to compromise Trent's immune system. Zach is so good natured. He didn't even say anything except that he understood. Then he quietly slipped out to the driveway to have a good cry. Oh how my heart broke!

All the stress of the day and the heartache for the kids caught up with me and I was losing it. Then dad called and caught the brunt of it. I was feeling better but so overwhelmed. And all of a sudden the relief society pres and the bishop's wife showed up to play with the kids for a minute, clean their rooms, and swoop out with all of my laundry. I am beginning to understand why it is called the "relief society"! Before they left the bishop was called to give us both blessings. He is an amazing man. Bishop Hahne told all the kids some funny stories of his childhood then gave us blessings. The feeling in the house instantly changed. He bore his testimony to the kids and left. It was so nice to just sit and absorb the spirit. So we topped it all off with a little ice cream and sent everyone to bed. In the end we salvaged the day. Even though cancer may have kicked our tails today our testimonies were strengthened and our hearts softened.