Vic Home Again From Morristown Hospital

Vic had to be admitted to Morristown Hospital last Thursday, June 11th, as he was not digesting his food and was getting sick everytime his stomach was empty. He's lost over 40 lbs since the surgery. He was not getting any nutrition and as the oncologist explained, since the cancer has spread to his liver, any nutrition he was getting, it was being absorbed by the cancer. His oncologist arranged with a nutrition doctor for Vic to be given TPN (or liquid nutrition) for 12 hours a night. A surgeon had to implant another port and that was done Thursday night. We were at the hospital from 7 am and somehow the hospital screwed up the doctor's orders and he wasn't given a room until after 11 am. A receptionist in the new heart center in Morristown was extremely helpful in trying to get Vic into a room and make him more comfortable (by this time, he was getting sicker by the minute). After his oncologist came in and discovered his orders weren't being followed, everything moved along very quickly as far as the port being installed and getting his liquid nutrition. The doctor also ordered that he be seen by a diabetes doctor (his sugar levels are very high) and a stomach doctor. He was sent for a Cat Scan on Friday of his abdomen and it was found that he has a large amount of fluid building up in an area between his liver and his stomach. We also found out that the cancer is spreading very quickly into the liver and into the rest of his colon. His oncologist would like to start chemo again in two weeks, if he's responding to the TPN. The fluid was removed by a radiology doctor during another Cat Scan and over 2 liters of fluid was taken out! He said his belly went down immediately.

Victor came home from the hospital Tuesday night, June 16, and the doctors made arrangements for him to receive the TPN at home. I had to learn (with Tracey being my backup) to infuse the TPN bags with his insulin and vitamins, prepare his port, hook up his IV nutrition bags for the night, and unhook them after the 12 hours. I'm learning my new trade very quickly. The TPN bags are delivered to the house once a week (they have to be refrigerated, so I have to make room for these 7 very large bags of fluid in my refrigerator) along with all the supplies, needles, gloves, insulin, saline, etc. The nurse comes twice a week to take his vitals and blood samples and to change his port needle. He has been feeling a little better since the start of this nutrition but he can still only eat small amounts at a time and drink very little.