December 28th, 2010 9:13 PM

Friends,

It was quite a busy day today. Lots of visits from doctors and case workers, most importantly the visit from the hospice representative (Nancy).

In the simplest terms possible, this is the tenative plan:

In the hospital setting, they are only able to help Nick so much as far as pain is concerned because of restrictions on how much medicine they can give him. Nancy reccommended that he be admitted to in-patient hospice temporarily in order to get him on a more effective pain-management regiment. While he is there, they will be able to instruct me on what, when, and how to administer the medication he will need. We are hoping to get him transferred within the next couple of days. He will be able to finish his radiation treatments while in the hospice facility.

Once they have the pain under control, and once I'm comfortable enough with administering the medicine, Nick will be able to hopefully come home for in-home hospice care. The hospice facility is right up the street from Mayo, so we were able to tour it this evening. For what it is, its a very nice, comfortable, and peaceful environment.

Thank you for the wonderful visits, and for respecting requests on visitation lengths and times! It's so helpful with the busy schedule of coordinating stuff with doctors, and trying to keep Nick as comfortable as possible. Tomorrow, Nick will have his second radiation treatment and additional tests in the morning, so visiting would probably be best after 1:00 PM.

I hope to have more exact dates on transitions from hospital to hospice tomorrow, and I will definitely be sure to keep you all posted.

Your constant encouragement through phone calls, texts, emails, and notes carries us through the day and lifts our spirits, so thank you.

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
2 Chronicles 16:9

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21


Blessed Be Your Name,
The Badidas