Thursday, June 24, 2004
New blood test results, today...
...from yesterday's blood draw. This test, Blood Test Draw Date 6/23/04 is the first of her monthly, standing order blood draws. It looks as though, in most cases, we'll get the results the following day: "pt to get copy", as per the prescription her PCP wrote.
Her hemoglobin has recovered nicely. She definitely needed more iron than she was prescribed. I'm curious to see the results of the Iron & TIBC/Ferritin test Dr. Coury drew on 6/8/04. In yesterday's draw everything else is remaining about the same. Her RDW continues to rise. I wonder if this is normal this far out after a blood transfusion.
I purchased two medical books today, Mosby's Manual of Diagnositc and Laboratory Tests, a book with detailed descriptions of lab and diagnostic tests and Mosby's Diagnostic and Laborary Test Reference Sixth Edition (the url leads to a description of the Seventh Edition; apparently these are updated frequently), an alphabetical reference manual. There are many of these books on the market. I went for the ones that made the most sense to me and my situation. I quickly looked for books about anemia but, in the limited time, couldn't find any. I'll need to do some more research on that on the internet. I'm hoping that using these books will help me remember all the information I pick up, here and there, about the results of her tests.
As I mentioned in Mom's Daily Tests and Meds, we began what I hope I will be able to dub, "Our Active Phase" today. Although I know some of her lethargy is a result of remaining anemic but I believe some of it is habit. Last night I decided to address this part of it in a strong tone. "Mom," I told her, "I know you're tired, I know you're not feeling good. But it doesn't take much movement to prevent bowel accidents."
Her eyelids flew open. She looked at me in surprise.
"Yeah, Mom. What I'm saying is, the three accidents in the last 36 hours could have been avoided. Your body's getting back in that, "Okay, she isn't getting up so we'll do what we need to do while she's down," mode. That can be prevented and we're going to prevent it. I don't mind cleaning up bowel accidents that can't be avoided, but bowel accidents due to lack of movement can still be avoided in your case."
"Well," she sputtered, "in that case, I can clean them up! You don't have to!"
"Mom, the truth is, you can help but you can't clean yourself anymore. You can't always tell, anymore, where you need to be cleaned. You can't reach all the places that need to be cleaned. For you safety I can't let you clean up unattended, even though you'd like me to."
It's not uncommon for me to use the tactic of confronting her with the unpleasant truth even though I know she won't consciously remember the actual confrontation. Somewhere, though, her vast unconscious will record what I'm telling her and she'll act on it. A few years ago when I realized this is how her brain works now, I started talking out loud directly to her subconscious. I will say to her almost every night as she settles into bed, "I'm addressing your subconscious now. Keep the oxygen cannula in. You need it." It works, every night I say it. When I've said it a lot on sequential nights it works on the nights I forget.
It may seem cruel to hit her straight on like this with a very unpleasant circumstance that needs to change and can only change with her cooperation. I find, though, that if, in some way, I manage to get the unvarnished message across and into her subconscious the change needed happens much more quickly and almost painlessly.
I'm feeling better. I guess I was waiting "hard" on the results of the blood draw. Although I was hoping for better on the other indicators, I'm pleased with her hemoglobin, along with the other indicators, and what it shows. If we're careful and the acupuncture helps she may not need another transfusion for a long time.
Her hemoglobin has recovered nicely. She definitely needed more iron than she was prescribed. I'm curious to see the results of the Iron & TIBC/Ferritin test Dr. Coury drew on 6/8/04. In yesterday's draw everything else is remaining about the same. Her RDW continues to rise. I wonder if this is normal this far out after a blood transfusion.
I purchased two medical books today, Mosby's Manual of Diagnositc and Laboratory Tests, a book with detailed descriptions of lab and diagnostic tests and Mosby's Diagnostic and Laborary Test Reference Sixth Edition (the url leads to a description of the Seventh Edition; apparently these are updated frequently), an alphabetical reference manual. There are many of these books on the market. I went for the ones that made the most sense to me and my situation. I quickly looked for books about anemia but, in the limited time, couldn't find any. I'll need to do some more research on that on the internet. I'm hoping that using these books will help me remember all the information I pick up, here and there, about the results of her tests.
As I mentioned in Mom's Daily Tests and Meds, we began what I hope I will be able to dub, "Our Active Phase" today. Although I know some of her lethargy is a result of remaining anemic but I believe some of it is habit. Last night I decided to address this part of it in a strong tone. "Mom," I told her, "I know you're tired, I know you're not feeling good. But it doesn't take much movement to prevent bowel accidents."
Her eyelids flew open. She looked at me in surprise.
"Yeah, Mom. What I'm saying is, the three accidents in the last 36 hours could have been avoided. Your body's getting back in that, "Okay, she isn't getting up so we'll do what we need to do while she's down," mode. That can be prevented and we're going to prevent it. I don't mind cleaning up bowel accidents that can't be avoided, but bowel accidents due to lack of movement can still be avoided in your case."
"Well," she sputtered, "in that case, I can clean them up! You don't have to!"
"Mom, the truth is, you can help but you can't clean yourself anymore. You can't always tell, anymore, where you need to be cleaned. You can't reach all the places that need to be cleaned. For you safety I can't let you clean up unattended, even though you'd like me to."
It's not uncommon for me to use the tactic of confronting her with the unpleasant truth even though I know she won't consciously remember the actual confrontation. Somewhere, though, her vast unconscious will record what I'm telling her and she'll act on it. A few years ago when I realized this is how her brain works now, I started talking out loud directly to her subconscious. I will say to her almost every night as she settles into bed, "I'm addressing your subconscious now. Keep the oxygen cannula in. You need it." It works, every night I say it. When I've said it a lot on sequential nights it works on the nights I forget.
It may seem cruel to hit her straight on like this with a very unpleasant circumstance that needs to change and can only change with her cooperation. I find, though, that if, in some way, I manage to get the unvarnished message across and into her subconscious the change needed happens much more quickly and almost painlessly.
I'm feeling better. I guess I was waiting "hard" on the results of the blood draw. Although I was hoping for better on the other indicators, I'm pleased with her hemoglobin, along with the other indicators, and what it shows. If we're careful and the acupuncture helps she may not need another transfusion for a long time.
