Where do I begin?

As I post, we are attempting to get Cathy admitted to the hospital [Delnor]. Here for almost 2.5 hours and she's just beginning to get labs in the ER. Cathy has been in significant discomfort and distress with inability to breathe, coughing and abdominal and chest pain due the cancer on her liver. Evenings of late have been very difficult as she tries to get to sleep but finally this morning [to the relief of many, especially me] thru consultation with Dr. Bayer, he thought it best to admit her. Now let me back up.

Monday 9/28 Cathy made her way back to LaGrange Oncology [in Geneva @ Delnor] to have her platelet levels checked and review the PET scan results from Saturday. After taking Dexamethasone [steroid] to help restore her platelets, they actually FELL from 70 on Friday to 58 on Monday. As a result, Dr. Bayer took bone marrow from her hip - OUCH! The full body PET scan showed no advance of the cancer to anywhere else in her body, praise God.

Tuesday saw Cathy at Central DuPage Hospital to get the mediport installed. Between the sedation, pain medication and oxygen, Cathy reports she felt GREAT. But from Tuesday night til now, all of her distress got worse.

Based upon Cathy's weakness and my observation of her Tuesday night and Wednesday morning I called her from my office to inform her I was calling Dr. Bayer to see if they could observe her or admit her to the hospital after chemo on Thursday. Although Cathy told me "NO", against her wishes I called. The nurse said chemo is really only on an outpatient basis [as we knew from her earlier chemo] and informed me she had no chemo scheduled! An appointment was scheduled for 2:00 but Cathy declined when I informed her of it. She called the Drs. office, cancelled the appointment, took a Tylenol and enjoyed a brief sunbath which seemed to help. Evidently Dr. Bayer is awaiting the results of the bone marrow test and will not give her chemo until her platelets are increased ... they scheduled an infusion of some super dooper platelet producing drug for today, 10/1 at 11:00.

Cathy looked no better [worse?] this morning when I left for work but I figured she'd see the Dr. @ 11:00 and they could go from there. Instead, based upon Cathy's own discomfort and Leanne Maerten's urging, Cathy called Dr. Bayer and they decided she should be admitted.

That's the good, bad & ugly [mostly bad & ugly] of our situation. Cathy has now had some pain meds delivered and is resting a bit more comfortably now. More to come as we get more care but for now, please continue to plead to the Lord that we'll get some answers, action and healing.