Diary of a Brain Tumor Patient's Wife

Jan. 25, 1999


Renette Davis

Paul had a real good day yesterday. He ate a good breakfast and took his decadron in the morning. He decided he wanted to go to church, so I went early for choir practice and he came later with his sister and her husband. After church he ate a good lunch and again took his decadron.

We had a really nice visit with Paul's sister and her husband. Paul seemed more alert than usual and was able to do things that he hasn't been able to do lately. It was especially good to see him like that after he had been so agitated last Thursday and so unresponsive while he was in the hospital on Friday.

After they left, we had a little rest, and then some friends who used to go to our church and who we haven't seen since summer, came over. We used to sing quartets with them at church - she's a soprano and he's a bass. She also plays the piano very well. She played a few songs in a book that she had brought, and then we got out some of the music we used to sing with them and tried a couple of our old favorites. Paul remembered quite a bit and was able to sing along.

After they left we had another little rest, and then Paul had a good supper and again took his decadron. He had a couple of rough spots in the afternoon. He spent quite a bit of time looking for something, but he couldn't remember what he was looking for so it was kind of difficult. At one point, before I realized what he was doing, he went out to the shed in the backyard (through the snow without his shoes & socks on). After that, I turned on the alarms that I had bought on Saturday, which will go off if someone opens the door.

Paul got pretty upset a couple of times during the day because he couldn't say what he wanted to say. I'm usually able to calm him down when that happens by saying something like "That's frustrating, isn't it" and giving him a hug.

In the evening, I asked him if he wanted to look at some of our old pictures with me, and he said "Yes", so we went through half a dozen or so albums. At one point, he seemed to be falling asleep, so I suggested we stop and rest for awhile. But half an hour later, he asked me bring some more to look at.

Today is not quite as good. He wouldn't eat or take his medicine this morning. He's resting now.

Continue to: Jan. 27, 1999

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Created: June 7, 1999
Last updated: July 20, 2010