Dad (Gail Wicks) had a busy day today as he had an MRI on his head in the morning and one on his back in the afternoon. In between times he was visited by three different teams of physicians: the neurologists, the oncologists, and the infectious disease specialist. He has a rotation of certified nursing assistants that sit with him all of the time when we can’t be there including nights. He has also had a group of outstanding and gentle nurses.
He went most of the day today without pain medicine. They eliminated the narcotics in an effort to help clear his head. His back did very well without the high powered drugs as he rested comfortably most of the day. His short term memory is still absent as he can’t remember where he is, how he got here, or what day it is. He is in good spirits as he is able to joke with the doctors when he gets the wrong answers and happily accepts correction. He knows he is confused but doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. He had good phone conversations with both Nancy and Cynthia (my sisters). He only messed up if they asked questions about recent history or future plans. Michelle (my wife) and Katy (our 9 year old) came up for a visit. He recognized them both by name and was glad to see them. After a short nap he didn’t remember them being there. After they left and another nap he asked where they had gone.
The MRI done on his head showed that he has a small tumor (or possibly as cyst) in the center of his brain. The neurologists believe that this is an incidental finding unrelated to his other symptoms. For now they don’t believe that anything needs to be done but it is possible that the tumor is the reason for occasional blurred and double vision that he has complained about for months. The results of the MRI on his back have not been reported yet.
The oncologists confirmed that he does indeed have pneumonia. The infectious disease specialist recommended a second antibiotic to combat it. Dad’s fever was down today. The high yesterday was 102. Today it was 99. He remained on Oxygen and his levels were good all day. The physicians are in agreement that the most likely cause of the memory loss has something to do with the pneumonia.
We are thankful to God that he was more alert today and had less pain. We continue to covet your prayers.
David
