Cautiously Optimistic

After a conversation with a nurse friend of ours yesterday about various pain-management methods, I called hospice this morning to inquire about an IV drip. Turns out they have a pump about the size of a big calculator that can be used for such a purpose. Angelique decided that is the way she wants to go, so the staff at hospice hopped to it and put something together for her today.

They came over about four this afternoon and hooked the thing up through the port that she’s had installed in her chest for about the last year and a half. They decided to use a pain med called “dilauded”. It’s supposed to be extremely stronger than morphine. She has a constant delivery, as well as an “on demand” button that she can hit every 15 minutes to deliver an extra hit when it is needed.

It’s about 8:30 pm now, and she says she’s very comfortable. She’s been awake a good part of the day, she took a bath and ate dinner earlier. She must carry this pump around with her (it fits in a bag about the size of a medium-sized purse). It operates on batteries, or a/c plug.

I guess we’ll see over the next day or so if this is finally the right protocol to control her pain.

Thanks for caring. Stay tuned…