No Morphine for Tim

We think we have discovered the source of Tim's confusion. On Saturday, they switched his pain meds to ocycontin. This makes Tim really loopy. He can't remember his room number or how to get around the floor. In fact, he can't remember a lot of things. They've taken him off the oxycontin. Unfortunately, it can take over a day for the last of it to leave his system. So I'm stuck with Loopy Tim for awhile.

Tomorrow is reinfusion day. Tim's blood counts are still pretty good, so he feels okay today. That will start to change in a few days as the chemo and radiation takes effect and his blood counts nosedive. Then we start to worry about infection and mouth sores and a whole host of other issues.

I'm finally learning my way around the system here. It's been a little tricky figuring out the best way to learn what I want to know. Hopefully, things will get better from here as far as that goes.

Holy Name Cathedral is just down the street from the hospital. For you out-of-towners, that's the Cardinal's church in Chicago. I haven't been down there, but they have a legion of volunteers that visit the hospital. The hospital chaplain has put us on the visitation list for the Ministers of Care from Holy Name. They have brought us communion for the last two days. They have a very long list, so they're really in and out with the communion. (It's speed communion.) Mary Deeley did a much nicer service when she brought us communion at Evanston. :) I'm not really into communion every day, but it's kinda nice to have a non-medical visitor. In fact, we let the hospital chaplain Jeannie and the hospital social worker visit just to have company. Actually, the social worker has been very helpful with suggestions on how to handle Loopy Tim.

I brought the boys down to visit Tim yesterday. They were really more interested in playing internet games on the big screen tv than visiting with Daddy. But they got to see the hospital and Tim got to see them. Visiting on school days isn't terribly practical with homework and scouts and all. My mom and brother drove down to pick them up. My brother helped my mom navigate her way here. Just because the GPS gives you a particular set of directions doesn't mean they're good directions. Particularly in the city. And then there's getting from the parking garage to the correct hospital building (it's a big hospital.) And then there's finding Tim's room in the hospital (also a challenge and defintely not one the GPS can help with.)

Well, I guess that's enough for now. Keep sending good thoughts our way. We appreciate it.