The Good Fight

Mark's symptoms have worsened in the past few days and it was obvious that the pneumonia was causing problems again. He went for a regularly scheduled x-ray Monday, but by the time he got to his regularly scheduled oncologist appointment at 6:15 pm Tuesday, it was clear to him that he was going to end up in the hospital. They think the tumor in the airway has grown back and is impeding the recovery from pneumonia. His breathing was more labored than ever before, he had a temp again and felt generally lousy so between that and the results of the previous day's x-ray, Dr. Aviles sent him directly to the Falmouth Hospital ER. The waiting room was a madhouse but he was put in a cubicle quickly. It was decided early on that he would be sent to Boston, however, it was four hours before they had tests completed, etc. and the ambulance arrived to transport him. Unfortunately for Mark, he was not going to be directly admitted to Deaconess but would have to go through their ER before being admitted...surely another few hours waiting! I slipped him a pain pill before he took off in hopes that he would get some sleep on the way. He was feeling so poorly though that he was more than willing to go and said he didn't want to come home until they were able to rememdy this cycle of the tumor blocking the airway and contributing to pneumonia. He also really needs to start back on some chemo treatments because there are several small tumors in the lung but Dr. Aviles has been putting that off in hopes of remedying the pneumonia first.
It is heartbreaking that Mark won't be able to attend the 30th anniversary for the business being held at Heritage Museums and Gardens Wednesday from 4-7. Afterall, it is a celebration of what we started out of our little rented ranch house in 1977. It was started at a time of desperation when Mark lost his job two months after we relocated to the Cape so he could work for a homecare provider who ended up in jail for fraud. I have been working on a book about our beginnings and the first few chapters will be distributed at the party. It's called OUR FIRSTBORN WAS A BUSINESS.
We intend to keep the celebration upbeat despite Mark's absence and we will have a get well poster for attendees to sign and send messages to him in the hospital. I will go to Boston after the party and will visit him and stay at a hotel next to the hospital until he is able to return home. As sad as I am that he can't attend, I know that he is where he needs to be to feel better. I was distraught before he went to the hospital this evening but actually feel better now that I have accepted he can not attend the party and he is being well taken care of.
I will try to update everyone by the end of the weekend but it is now expected that he will be operated on in the next few days to reopen the airway to the right lung again and that will help remedy the pneumonia. This is his fourth hospitalization since June 15.