Tuesday, July 28, 2015
The Game Has Changed
As you may already know my dad has dementia and since October of last year has been living in a Memory Care Facility when it became difficult to care for him in his own home and actually dangerous since he had begun to wander at night.
Last Wednesday evening I found myself in the ER with my dad who was complaining of shoulder pain. Well, actually it was more like this:
Me: "Dad does your shoulder hurt?"
Dad: "I don't know where she went."
Then a grimace, reach for his shoulder and exclamation of "Oh Shit".
I call that complaining of shoulder pain. His shoulder was also beginning to show signs of swelling. It did not appear to be a dislocation and because he can't remember anything there was no point in asking if he had fallen. So off to the ER we went for an X-ray and evaluation.
The result was a diagnosis of a cancer lesion that had eaten through most of the left clavicle and created a "pathological fracture". The cancer lesion could also be seen to have moved up into the soft tissue. This lesion is probably a secondary cancer. In other words he has a probably primary cancer which has metastasized from some other location. Did I want to Order tests to find out what kind of cancer this was? No I didn't. I didn't feel there was any reason to order a lot of extremely invasive tests, think needle into the bone to get a biopsy, which were not going to provide any information that would change the care plan.
My dad is 90.
Profoundly deaf
Has severe dementia
Went from continent to generally urinary incontinent in a week and a half
Has a waistline that went from 38 to unable to close or zip his pants in a week and half.
Cannot communicate his needs for food, water, or level of pain.
It was time for Hospice. We were discharged with a prescription for liquid hydrocodone and an ambulance ride back to the facility. Technically called a "gurney transport".
Thursday by 9:30 pm he was admitted to Hospice.
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