Update 5:15 pm 12-23-08

It just seemed easier to write to a blog then it did to bombard everyone's e-mail.

Since the last post.....first NO FOOD for the boy!

His roommate is not able to eat anything and he keeps using the Nurse's call button to try and have someone feed him. Mr. 7019 B is really Mark...so, out of respect I will most certainly call him by name.

Mark has Huntington's Disease along with the beginning stages of Alzheimer's. He has gotten progressively worse over the last 30 days according to his wife. They are not able to allow him to have any food or drink because his muscles will not allow him to swallow and he will put the fluid or food directly in to his lungs. Since Roger has been where Mark is....not able to swallow--having to teach himself to keep food and liquid in the right place and out of his lungs, he was able to spend some time with Mark's wife and tell her all about the feeding tube that they want to put in him.

He has pushed the nurse call button no less than 10 times in the last 2 minutes and they have to call in here to make sure he is ok. They have gotten to the point that they just say "Mark do you need help?" He really can't answer them as his speech is so taken over by the disease that he is not able to form words.

They have him cuffed to the bed and strapped down to keep him from getting up and from ripping the catheter out. They had to put that in last night because he wanted to get up every 5 minutes to use the restroom.

NO--this IS NOT ROGER--it is his roommate Mark!!!!

OK, time to get up-the respiratory dude is here to give Roger a breathing treatment.

I started this at 5:15--it is now 5:46 and I have spent the last 1/2 hour talking to Mark. He has tried to tell the Nurse that I am going to McDonald's for him since they won't feed him anything...I told him that I am not eating in here out of sympathy for both of them--he said, "Doesn't look like you've missed any meals--I'm shrinking away to nothing here!"

OK-note to me---NOTHING for him:-))))) Just kidding. We talked about his family and his work and his kids and his dog (that's a surprise, huh?)

I told him I would be bringing Sweet! (Roger's dog) in with me tomorrow and he could spend some time with her. She is a Therapy Dog and is coming with me whether they like it or not! It will be good for both Roger and Mark!

So--Roger is STILL HUNGRY!

And, to make it worse...the RN just came in and said that the surgery is a no go for tonight because they are still working on the CT scan results and the breathing test results for all of the Doctor's to review.

A really great thing is that the Thoracic Surgeon does NOT want to remove the lower lobe of the lung unless there is no other option in any way! He will be in the OR tomorrow when they operate so that in the event they can't get the little varmit out of the lung that he can take over.

God really works in amazing ways---ya never know the reason for anything! You just have to trust!

So far, Roger has been able to help his roommate and his wife with some advice to deal with the decisions they have to make regarding how to proceed with Mark's care, I have lost my debit card at the gas station, gotten home and put a stop on it and then ended up finding it face down back at the gas station at midnight, the dogs have not killed one another with no one home, the girls are having a blast with their Dad and his wife and her kids........

No surgery this evening...no food for the boy....no happiness with the whole food situation in all of room 7019:-( I can eat! I suppose it would be rude to bring a pizza in here! So I will just starve along with these 2 houligans!

One thing I noticed when talking to Mark is that his brain is pretty cognitive. His speech is impacted to the point that you can barely understand him withotu paying close attention to each breath he takes and his muscle control is none...he showed what little muscles he has over his tooter when I was talking to him....I said, Better out than in!

I am going to stay here until they kick me out! Aunt Charlotte is taking care of the 4 legged gang and the roads are really bad right now.

Merry Christmas to everyone...hug your loved ones!

I would rather be here sitting next to Roger under any condition than I would to be without him!

More later!

Rog and Lisa