Intermediate ICU

It's Friday night and here I sit in what the hospital refers to as an intermediate ICU. Wednesday night Mike took a turn for the worse and the nursing staff in the cancer hospital were no longer able to care for him and their other patients. Let me tell you how this was the right decision. He has been on the border of switching care for quite awhile because his oxygen saturation levels have steadily been getting worse and worse. The nurses in the cancer hospital were just giving him a little extra attention because they like him so much but on Wednesday he started hallucinating. This has definitely been the hardest part of everything we have been through so far because at least until now I still had my husband in sound mind. I definitely feel lonely now even as I sit beside him. He became somewhat of a danger to himself. He is very disoriented and is constantly pulling at the tubes that are draining the urine from his body and removes the oxygen mask/nose piece as quickly as you put it on him. He tries to climb out of the bed and announces that he is going home. I could write an entire book about the hallucinations he has been having but I will spare you all the painful details.

The big question right now is why is he so confused. The cancer in his body is definitely starting to have an impact on liver function. This is not only evident in the blood not clotting properly but now in the hallucinations. There is a good chance that he is experiencing the very beginning of liver failure. Not only is his liver unable to process the pain medications he was taking but a symptom of liver disease is often hallucinations. It happens to drunk people with sclerosis of the liver all the time so we're told.

So now you all are wondering what all this means. Right now the only treatment Mike is receiving is palliative. They are trying to make him comfortable, but are unsure if they can make his confusion end. I spoke with the doctor today and are they still trying to figure a few things out to help them take care of him. The bottom line is his body is failing him and the only thing we can do is watch and try to treat each symptom as it appears. They believe a good window for life is days and if we are lucky a few weeks.

The support my family has received during this dark time in life is immense and every thought prayer, text, email, blog comment, phone call and sweet card has been received and appreciated. I will continue to update the blog when there is anything to update.