How Richard is Doing

Well, he's not well.

One of the strong chemo-drugs that can cause scarring of the walls of the bladder is definitely taking it's toll now.

Richard is at the lodge, as I previously mentioned on Monday. He started to feel a bladder infection (the first ever in his life) on Sunday night and there was blood in his urine on Monday. Again, as I already documented, they (the doctors/nurses) were not too worried in that this seems par for the course due to the strong chemo drug.

Richard anticipated more than just his Mon/Thurs appointment, packed his bags, and booked himself at the lodge.

To clarify, Richard is at the lodge by choice. Many people have asked me this week how long he 'has to stay' there. He doesn't have to stay there at all. He could come home, but that would mean driving upwards of 1.25-2 hours each way during traffic during the weekdays. It's just too much gas/$, and it takes too much out of him. They are often long days, being hooked up to fluids for sometimes, 4 hours or more! Then to have the energy to drive home....
It's just too much for him. And, it's not easy for me to drive him back and forth from home because we have the kids to think about. The hospital's a pretty boring place for 6 hours a day with two little boys.

The lodge is a great place for him to be able to rest, undisturbed. He has the truck with him if he needs to go anywhere. Plus, there's a supermarket in walking distance and many other shops.

And...
He's away from our germs. I'm still trying to get rid of this cold. We sure don't want him to get it!

He's just zoning out and trying to 'get through this' horribly painful time. It seems consistently painful and although, yes, they've given him stuff for it, it doesn't seem to be doing much for the pain. I think he said it's mostly for nighttime.

I asked if it was worse than when he had the hemorrhoids from the chemo in 2009. He said that it was way worse. I remember that he was near tears then, so I can't imagine how much it hurts right now for him.

He was going to be coming home to get some of his stuff on Sunday, but he's not now. He doesn't want me to bring anything out either, since it's not anything of dire emergency, and he's just not in a state to visit.

Well, that's about all I have to say about that.
He's not doing so well. He's in a lot of pain. He doesn't know (nor do they) how long it will last. He has to wait for the bladder walls to heal, I guess.

We miss him. A lot.