Just Keeping Up

Here is a picture of me as I sit with the computer and enter new information into this blog... with Cricket at my side. It's hard to tell Cricket's head end from her tail end in this shot because she is so dark. Nancy's "Home Health Aid" calls her the "rocket" because Cricket has so much energy that she darts from place to place with amazing speed. Cricket is about 5 lb now and all puppy. We have to wear her out before placing her on Nancy's bed or she will jump like a kangaroo all over Nancy. We all love her though. Her antics bring great joy to Nancy's otherwise often uneventful days.

I think we may have come close to the point where Nancy isn't battling dehydration in addition to the cancer. The IV fluids have been increased gradually until Nancy seems less thirsty and her blood pressure and heart rate suggest that her hydration is better.

As Nancy is becoming weaker with the passing time, I have inquired about adding a daytime Nurse's Aid to cover my absence from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the weekdays. It has been great having friends and family members staying with Nancy while I am working, but with Nancy becoming less able to stand and move about, I don't want to ask friends and family to feel anxious or uncomfortable in caring for her. If we get all the arrangements made today or tomorrow, that Aid will start on Monday. Funny, but the first caveat offered by our Hospice social worker, who is arranging this extra help, was to let me know that personalities being what they are, I shouldn't be embarrassed to let the agency know if Nancy and the Aid don't get along. Apparently, it often takes a couple of tries to get a good match. Oh, what fun!

I will not be going to work today since our friend, Diane Tilton, who was going to stay with Nancy today had an unexpected family illness to attend to. However, before leaving work on any given day, I make sure that I will have things to work on at home, should this sort of thing happen. Besides, I could use a little extra daylight time to prepare the house for our 5 house guests that will be here for the weekend... I still haven't tackled that big tree limb that fell in our windstorm on Tuesday. Nancy's Dad, her brother Dick and his wife Sharon along with our niece, Becky and nephew, Andy will arrive on Saturday. Fortunately, I am all caught up on laundry with plenty of clean bedding and towels for everyone. It is good that Nancy has this family event to look forward to this weekend.