Overnight

The night nurse just completed midnight vital signs. Henry began complaining to her that he wanted me to do his temperature, as he typically does. The rattling in his chest gave way to coughing and he began spitting blood. The nurse looked into his mouth and Henry's gums have begun to bleed. He continued coughing and spitting for about 5 minutes. She will check his blood again near 3am, looking for the need for additional platelets which were transfused earlier today as well. We changed his bed sheets as he's been sleeping without a diaper because of a chemotherapy induced rash from contact with it.

The doctors warned us yesterday that his mucositis is going to continue worsening for a few more days. We may need to increase his pain medicine in order for him to tolerate it. We've already done so nightly for the last three evenings now before bed.

As he calmed down he said, "I don't feel very good." I helped him push his pain pump a time or two. He seems to be resting more comfortably now, quietly breathing.

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Early Morning
The rest of Henry's evening went without major incident. He coughed a little more and had more to spit, but in between he slept reasonably well. He did have one more acute bout of pain this morning. Usually Henry has a single complaint but today he said that most everything hurt which prompted me to request that his morphine be increased.

We've acclimated to much of what we have to do in the hospital but the effects of this chemotherapy, while we understand are temporary, are difficult to watch.