Cathie, LOML

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Rennie/Royal
My heart goes out to both of you... my wife is such an integral part of my life, I don't know what would happen if she were diagnosed with anything terminal. She has some health problems, part of which she had when we married 17 years ago, but nothing as frightening as you guys described. I got a little teary eyed reading both threads.
I'll offer up prayers for both of you and your loves.
 
Royall,

I can identify with what you're going through right now. It seems cliche' to say 'keep your chin up' or something else of the same nature, but in essence this is what you need to do. You need to be strong enough for two people right now. If you need others to help you keep up your strength, you know you can come here.
 
Thanks again for the support. Monday, when the legal representative came out from Hospice, he asked me if I needed any support. I told him of all the support I was getting here with the Family. He was amazed when I told him of all the responses and outpouring of help and good wishes. He said he’d never heard of such a wonderful group on the web. You don’t know how much this has all meant to me. Just hope I’m able to pay it forward one day. Our nurse also had come out and talked Cathie into accepting a hospital bed. It will be furnished by Hospice, and should make it easier for Cathie to get up and down. It will also be easier for her to sit up with out as much pain in her back. Just have to figure out how to rearrange the bedroom for both the queen bed and the new bed. I teased the nurse about sending out a queen sized hospital bed. Sorry, not got!

Yesterday, I drove over to Kailua/Kona, on the other side of the island to pick up Cathie’s middle daughter. Took her to lunch and drove back the long way to the Hilo side. We had a good talk and a real good cry. Prepped her for some of the changes she would see in her mother and cried some more.

Rennie, we both have a rough row to hoe, but with this wonderful group we’re a member of, it will make it a little bit easier. Let us both be strong and keep our chin up. Our wives are depending on us now.
 
...Our nurse also had come out and talked Cathie into accepting a hospital bed. It will be furnished by Hospice, and should make it easier for Cathie to get up and down. It will also be easier for her to sit up with out as much pain in her back. Just have to figure out how to rearrange the bedroom for both the queen bed and the new bed....
We got a prescription for a bed and we're holding on to it. The increased pain meds have things under control for now - that and we have a sleep number bed and making it really soft has also helped a great deal.

Yesterday, I drove over to Kailua/Kona, on the other side of the island to pick up Cathie’s middle daughter. Took her to lunch and drove back the long way to the Hilo side. We had a good talk and a real good cry. Prepped her for some of the changes she would see in her mother and cried some more.
Our daughter spent the week here - better than any medicine. It's great that you have family near enough to visit at any time.
 
We got a prescription for a bed and we're holding on to it. The increased pain meds have things under control for now - that and we have a sleep number bed and making it really soft has also helped a great deal.

Our daughter spent the week here - better than any medicine. It's great that you have family near enough to visit at any time.

My oops! I forgot to say in my post that I picked her up at the airport there. She couldn't get a direct flight into Hilo from LAX. She didn't realize how big the BIG island really is.:D
 
I don't have much to add except that I hope things go as best as they can for the both of you.

Royall, make sure to take care of yourself too - you mentioned not much support network out there - maybe at some point a daytrip out to Tony's or having him out to your place would help keep your own stuff together.
 
I don't have much to add except that I hope things go as best as they can for the both of you.

Royall, make sure to take care of yourself too - you mentioned not much support network out there - maybe at some point a daytrip out to Tony's or having him out to your place would help keep your own stuff together.

I'd be nice to see Tony. Trouble is he's on another island. About 40 minutes by jet.:( We talk on the phone often and would like to meet some day.
 
I dont know what information might be discussed, but my wife is going with my sisterinlaw Friday morning to the live morning show on Fox network, Mike and Juliet, Friday morning, its breast cancer survivors in the audience, my wifes sister had a double masectomy couple years back due to cancer.
I dont know the format of the show, just wanted to mention it.
 
Thanks again for the support. Monday, when the legal representative came out from Hospice, he asked me if I needed any support. I told him of all the support I was getting here with the Family. He was amazed when I told him of all the responses and outpouring of help and good wishes. He said he’d never heard of such a wonderful group on the web. You don’t know how much this has all meant to me. Just hope I’m able to pay it forward one day. Our nurse also had come out and talked Cathie into accepting a hospital bed. It will be furnished by Hospice, and should make it easier for Cathie to get up and down. It will also be easier for her to sit up with out as much pain in her back. Just have to figure out how to rearrange the bedroom for both the queen bed and the new bed. I teased the nurse about sending out a queen sized hospital bed. Sorry, not got!

Yesterday, I drove over to Kailua/Kona, on the other side of the island to pick up Cathie’s middle daughter. Took her to lunch and drove back the long way to the Hilo side. We had a good talk and a real good cry. Prepped her for some of the changes she would see in her mother and cried some more.

Rennie, we both have a rough row to hoe, but with this wonderful group we’re a member of, it will make it a little bit easier. Let us both be strong and keep our chin up. Our wives are depending on us now.

With all due respect, Royal...I hope you don't have to. But we all know you'll be there for us if the need arises. Continued prayers. Jim.
 
ort. Monday, when the legal representative came out from Hospice, he asked me if I needed any support. I told him of all the support I was getting here with the Family.

Royall,

Yes it is nice to get a nice friendship from this place - BUT - what you are going through is bigger that what you can get from this place.

YES - we, (if I can be so bold as to think "I" might be a part of that we) can offer support, but it is extremely limited.

None of us can go and "BE" with you at 3:00 am in the hospice and cry with you. You will need that.

Don't turn away the support that the hospice can offer to you.

That is not to say that anyone here is going to turn away from you - but - as you pointed out - you "are" kinda isolated out there.

You DO need a tender hand - you do need someone to confide in - you do need someone - like a real person - close enough to actually be with you.
 
Thanks Leo. Down the road I may have to adjust my thinking. :rolleyes: Right now I've been doing pretty good. Cathie's middle daughter is here until Monday and we've talked and had a few good cries and that helped a bit. :eek:


Royall,

Yes it is nice to get a nice friendship from this place - BUT - what you are going through is bigger that what you can get from this place.

YES - we, (if I can be so bold as to think "I" might be a part of that we) can offer support, but it is extremely limited.

None of us can go and "BE" with you at 3:00 am in the hospice and cry with you. You will need that.

Don't turn away the support that the hospice can offer to you.

That is not to say that anyone here is going to turn away from you - but - as you pointed out - you "are" kinda isolated out there.

You DO need a tender hand - you do need someone to confide in - you do need someone - like a real person - close enough to actually be with you.
 
Sorry to hear the latest Rennie. Cathie asked me this afternoon how your wife was doing but I didn't know as I didn't have the computer on until a bit ago. She's in bed already so I'll tell in the morning. Her hospital bed will be here tomorrow. Cathie didn't want to get it but the nurse said it would help with pain management when sitting up in bed. The pillows just don't cut it.

Glad to hear Linda's spirits are still up. I think that is half the battle.

Keep us posted,

Royall
Thanks Royall,

Not surprisingly, Linda has been asking about Cathie as well. Pain management is the primary reason for me going out today to arrange for the bed as well. It's great that your daughter has been able to spend some time with the both of you. Did I read earlier that this is your step daughter? just curious as my step daughter (though I never refer to her as anything but 'my daughter') has been here all week with us as well. It's done wonders for Linda to have her close by as she currently lives in Denver. I hope having your daughter near has been a boost to Cathie.
 
Good morning Rennie, Gina is Cathie's daughter. She is almost 40 and we're on first name basis as she was way out of the nest when I came along.

Pain management is so important. The nurse came by for a visit yesterday. She got after Cathie a little because she is trying to cope with the pain rather than take the morphine drops. She is only take .5 cc and it takes 5 cc's to make a teaspoon. She told Cathie it is easier to control pain if you keep it down to about 2-3 on a 10 scale rather than wait until the pain gets so high that you have to take larger doses to get it to come down. She was trying to cope at 4-5. Last night she started letting me give her more and she is feeling a little better and slept easier. Still had a lot of "pit stops" during the night though. :D

I'm going to ask the guys that deliver the hospital bed to day what they do with the old beds. I don't remember if it was on FW or somewhere else that an old bed was used as an adjustable highth work bench. Never ask, you never know!


Thanks Royall,

Not surprisingly, Linda has been asking about Cathie as well. Pain management is the primary reason for me going out today to arrange for the bed as well. It's great that your daughter has been able to spend some time with the both of you. Did I read earlier that this is your step daughter? just curious as my step daughter (though I never refer to her as anything but 'my daughter') has been here all week with us as well. It's done wonders for Linda to have her close by as she currently lives in Denver. I hope having your daughter near has been a boost to Cathie.
 
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