Diary of a Brain Tumor Patient's Wife

Mar. 2, 1999


Renette Davis

Paul had a pretty good weekend. On Friday afternoon we took him for a ride in the wheel chair on the Old Plank Trail since it was nice and sunny. Paul always enjoys getting out on the trail. Then Friday night we watched a Star Trek movie, which Paul also seemed to enjoy.

On Saturday, my Mom asked me to cut her hair. When Paul heard that, he went down to the utility room and got the stool that we always use when we cut his hair. He carried it up the stairs, which made me pretty nervous, but he did fine.

We worked a puzzle Saturday afternoon and he was able to do part of the border and then put the last 4 pieces in. By the way, if anyone has any 100-piece puzzles laying around, we could use some. We've about exhausted the supply around here. Paul still enjoys working on puzzles, but the 500-piece ones are too hard now.

He fell again Saturday afternoon, but was able to get up ok. On Sunday we went to church. I suggested that we use the wheelchair, and Paul didn't object at all. We had lots of help getting in and out of the church, and Paul seemed very comfortable with it. We went out to the parlor during the sermon so Paul could lay down on one of the comfy couches there, and then went back in when we heard the hymn after the sermon.

Paul's brother Raydean came up Sunday afternoon, and Philip and Karen came over in the evening. We had a great visit. Philip and Karen worked a puzzle by Paul, and I think he really liked that. They stayed quite a while - in fact, I had to chase everyone out at 10:00 when Paul got tired.

Yesterday morning Ray and Paul went for a ride in Ray's convertible. They even put the top down for the last block. In the afternoon, they went for a little walk, and then for a little ride on the quadracycle. It was a beautiful sunny day, and Paul really enjoyed getting out.

Last night when he was getting into bed, he grimaced and said ouch. I asked him what hurt and he said his chest. That's the first time he's ever indicated chest pain. It seemed to stop once he was laying down, so I gave him some oxygen and he went right to sleep. The Hospice nurse is coming this morning, so I'm going to ask her about that.

He slept well during the night, but doesn't seem to be doing very well this morning. He had a very hard time getting up the stairs. Yesterday I had Ray help me move the cabinet which was in the corner of the living room with the safe on it to the kitchen so I could put the portable commode in that corner by the bed. I bought one of those screens that you put photos on (which was defective so I got it at a greatly reduced price) and draped a sheet over it. It makes a nice portable "wall" in front of the commode. Paul doesn't seem to be ready to use it yet, and as long as he's able to go up and down stairs, I think the exercise is probably good for him. I don't think it's going to be much longer, however, until he's not able to get up and down the stairs.

He didn't want to take a shower this morning, but did let me wash him off good. He had a harder time than usual getting his clothes on, and didn't seem to mind when I helped him. When he came back down to the living room, he headed right for the comfy chair. He took his temperature, which he does frequently, but he put the wrong end of the thermometer in his mouth. After we got that fixed (his temperature has been running about 97.5 lately) he went to sleep immediately.

Continue to: Mar. 3, 1999

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Created: June 12, 1999
Last updated: July 21, 2010