Just seconds ago I was thinking “What a glorious wonderful day…” when the thought crossed my mind “Hang on a minute…. It is a glorious day because Hospice have agreed to evaluate my sick child????”
Hello!!! How sick is that that our lives has degenerated into a hellhole where Hospice is good news!!
This morning Christa, an internationally acclaimed pain expert, came to evaluate Vic at home. She spent a lot of time with Danie and me to build up a case history on Vic. Christa works for Janssen Pharmaceutical Company as a “Medical Scientific Liaison: Pain”… Part of her responsibilities is to liaise and advise the Pain Clinic and Hospice as an expert!
It was as if a floodgate opened. I rambled on about Vic’s (health) background, history, symptoms, operations, treatment and decisions. I showed X-Rays and photo’s of Vic abdomen at different stages of Vic’s 10 year journey. She was shocked to hear that Vic spends 95% of her life in bed. That she is too tired to even read.
Christa told me that Prof Froehlich had phoned her the previous day and told her that “Mrs Bruce’s mom is in trouble…” https://tersiaburger.com/2012/09/12/pain-clinic-11-9
I should have cried earlier. I have been fighting for months to achieve this! Then when I give up my fear, exhaustion, stress and defeat obviously showed… Maybe it is the new doctor who has not been desensitized to the suffering of the patients… Maybe there is a God of Mercy after all.
After chatting to us and taking copious notes, we got into Vic’s pain medication regime. I told her about this wonder drug, Jurnista. She just smiled and told me that Janssen’s manufacture Jurnista! I am amazed that she consults for the Pain Clinic and Hospice and they don’t have the budget to supply Jurnista!
I eventually took her to meet Vic. (Shame poor soul got such a fright when I woke her). She examined Vic briefly, spoke some and made wonderful sympathetic sounds. I introduced her to Jared who was in bed as he was in too much pain to go to school.
She explained to Jared that she was here to evaluate his mom and would be making a recommendation that Vic be accepted into the Hospice program. She also told him we, as a family, needed to have some counselling. The psychiatrist would come to our home…. Jared told her that his pastor’s wife was coming to see him in the afternoon…. I smiled. I know the boys so well. They automatically put up barriers when they hear the word “counselling”…. (It was really the truth – Mrs Pastor did visit. First visit in 4 years from Vic’s church…)
Christa wished Vic well, hugged me and said “Vicky clearly qualifies for palliative care. I will talk to the Hospice Palliative Care doctor and recommend that they accept Vicky into the program. I will phone you this afternoon”
At 5 pm this afternoon Christa phoned to confirm that the Hospice doctor will evaluate Vic on Monday morning at 7 am! I read somewhere that terminally ill people often feel that upon entering the Hospice program they go from “dying from….” to “living with….” It is my heartfelt prayer that this will be the case with Vic.
Tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock my beautiful Jared will go for his CT scan. At 12 O clock we will see the surgeon.
I have stopped thinking and researching Lymphoma. My heart has stopped beating. It is pounding.
Vic's Final Journey 