Wally Photos

I've posted the photos of Wally that I used in the slideshow over at my Flickr site: click here to get to it. Please feel free to add comments if you recognize faces, remember events, or simply need to correct errors: I welcome your feedback!

Update

I could not think of how to title this so I just said "update". . .not very catchy, but it is what it is. Right now I am sitting in our hotel room, listening to my husband sleeping. As I type this I can see the flag that was resting on Wally's coffin yesterday during the ceremony. It reminds me how honored I was to have known him and been able to take care of him.

Ralph and I took his mom and step father to the train station and then drove around the Boston area. We ending up taking a guided tour of the USS Constituion, something Ralph fondly remembers doing on several occasions with his dad. When we were almost done with the tour, we noticed a WWII vet pull out a flag and hand it to a sailor who flew it over the ship. They then removed it and folded it into a triangle. Both Ralph and I thought the same thing. . .would'nt it be nice to have Wally's flag flown there too? The ships commander said that he would be honored to fly the flag that was on Wally's coffin. So tomorrow before we get to the airport and drop off our rental car, we will take Wally's flag and have it flown on the USS Constituion. Ralph has already made arrangements for it to be flown on the USS Russell for one full day. When they send it back from the Russell, it will come with a certificate.

I will share more later, including video, about Wally's funeral here. It was very touching!

Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 7pm we will have a memorial service for Wally at New Life Community Church in Belton (16111 Vicie). All are welcome to attend in his honor. Thank you so much for your support during this difficult time.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Today is travel day. Dawn and I will be flying out to Boston, Chuck & Mom will be taking the train, and my brother Bill and his wife will be driving. Hopefully, we'll all get there safe and sound.

Today was a really busy day. So much stuff to do: ordering things for the funeral, making travel arrangements, returning the hospice equipment, getting things notarized, prepping for childcare, shuffling resources around, collating photos, scanning photos, packing suitcases, AGH! It's 3AM and I'm exhausted. Hopefully, I can catch a few hours sleep before we have to get going again in the morning. *sigh*

The only good thing about being so busy is that it's a distraction. I suspect I'll be able to breakdown once there's no more stuff to do...

Two More Recent Photos

Here are two more recent photos of Wally. The one on the top is him at his brother Robert's funeral in 1999, and the one on the bottom is him at a Navy event in 2004.

My thoughts on Wally's last days. . .

I have not had the time or the heart to write this post because that would mean that I will have to admit to myself that Wally is really gone. It has been a really packed last month. And it was only a month. One month ago, on August 14 Wally fell. That was the beginning of the end. Things moved very fast. It was good that he did not suffer, but it has left those of us still here in a state of disbelief. Wally was never a man to sit by and let life pass. . .he was always activly involved in it! Seeing him decline was not easy. He was a man who hated to be waited on so I know the last month must have been really hard for him. As a matter of fact, each time something was taken away from Wally, be it the ability to walk around the grocery store and not use the electric scooter, or in the end, the ability to walk at all, he handled it all with grace and strength. I thought he would fight it and yell at us for treating him like an invalid or something, but he just quietly accepted the help that was offered because he knew that he needed it. It tore my heart up to see him reduced to having to use a wheelchair if he wanted to take more then 4 or 5 steps.

While he was in the hospital we all knew if he was having a good day because he would flirt with the nurses and the doctors (2 of his doctors were sweet women- both of them pregnant. . .but that did not stop the flirting!)! Wally did lots of winking the last few weeks of his life. . .just like he did for the first 84 years I imagine! The nurses took great care of him and grew very fond of him. . . was hard not to.

Wally was very happy to be home and the first day and a half home I thought we had made the wrong decision in calling hospice care in. He really perked up being in his familiar surroundings and I thought he was going to surprise everyone and get better. Thursday morning around 10:30 when he woke up he asked me to make him a piece of toast and an over easy egg. I did and he ate it ALL along with a glass of milk. Wally told the hospice nurse when she came that I should be a PCT because of all I was doing to take care of him. I had to ask her what a PCT was! (Patient Care Tech, by the way!) Then he slept for awhile after that. When he woke up he wanted me to clean the dust off the wall and showed me exactly how he wanted it done! I finally did it the way he wanted and he was satisfied. I suppose from his vantage point he could see the dust better. . .lol. Then he had some visitors. Our neighbor, Bonnie, came over and was sitting by his bed. Maeghan was also in the room with us. He asked me to get out a box of chocolate he had and pass it around. He even ate one. Wally wanted to know if I was going to the store, I told him not right now . Then he told me to make sure to bring him his wallet the next time I went to the store. I want you to get something special with it he winked. I'll need more chocolate to pass around he said. He has told be a few weeks earlier that he always took chocolates back to the nurses at the hospital after he had been there in the past. I knew he was asking me to help him fulfill that wish. After a good visit I went upstairs to make dinner and Wally rested.

When I came down to bring him his food I tried to help him get comfortable in the bed but he could not find a position he liked. He was getting frustrated in not being able to do what he wanted. After several minutes he suddenly stopped and tried to throw back his covers. Then he really surprised me by trying to swing is legs out of bed. It had been sometime since he had gotten up, so I was worried. As a matter of fact at the hospital he had a blue star on the door of his room. The nurses told me that meant that he was a fall risk. I tried as best I could to help him and keep him from falling. I called Ralph for "back-up". He sat in his chair and just looked exhausted from doing all of that. By this time Bonnie and our other neighbor Karen had arrived. Wally was still kind of restless, but seemed much happier to be sitting in his favorite chair. Bonnie fed him his dinner since the tray would not fit on the chair. He gave her more then a few of his "looks" to let her know who was boss! He ended up eating a couple of bites of salmon, a tator tot and a couple of bites of home grown tomotoes. He ate several bites of the homemade cheesecake that Bonnie had brought over then was done.

We could all tell that he was exhausted but he did not seem ready to get back in bed. It became apparent to us that it was not that he was not ready, but he was not able to get back in bed on his own. So I gently helped him up and back into bed. Wally rapidly declined from that point.

Friday morning the hospice nurse came and she told me she did not think Wally would make it to see Monday. I informed Bill that he should come now if he wanted to say goodbye. Wally was put on a 6 hour watch, which meant that a nurse would come every six hours to check on him. In between that I took care of him, giving him his medicine and trying to keep him comfortable. Later that afternoon we switched from having pain meds every 3 hours to once an hour. Karen sat with him while I ran to the grocery store. A few hours later, at about 12:45 AM, Friday morning, Bonnie stayed with him while I took a shower. This refresed me so that I could stay up the rest of the night with him.

One of the hospice nurses, Bob, came at 2:15 to check on him. His vitals had not changed much from earlier. Bob was extremly surprised because just the day before he had sat with Wally and talked about their collections and now he was pretty much asleep the whole time. He left awhile later. When it was time for Wally's 4:45 dose of meds, I noticed that he had fluid in his mouth. this indicated that his lungs were full so I called the hospice nurse. They said they would be out soon. When the nurse arrived at around 6:15 am she put Wally on what they call "continuous care". Continuous care means they think he could die at any moment and they will stay with you to facilitate keeping him comfortable. At 6:40, I woke Ralph up and he came down and sat with his dad too. Our neighbor Bonnie also came back. Soon our pastor came as well. At this point we were all praying that Wally could hold out until Bill arrived. We kept vigil for several hours then Ralph and our pastor went to pick Bill up from the airport. You know the rest from Ralph's post. Our wonderful friends and neighbors have come in and helped us with meals and housekeeping that had been left undone as we cared for Wally. We will all miss him very much. I bought some Whitmans samplers on his behalf and will visit the hospital tomorrow and fulfill one of his last wishes.

Great Photo

My wife and brother discovered this awesome photo of Wally as sailor, while going through some of his things. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Funeral Arrangements

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Britton-Summers Funeral Home of Westborough, Massachusetts. Tonight, Wally's body will be transported from Kansas City to Boston. It will arrive tomorrow morning, when they will pick him up and prepare him for burial.

The viewing is Wednesday evening, September 19th, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The funeral service is scheduled for Thursday morning, September 20th, at 10:00 a.m. It will be held at the Pine Grove Cemetery, in their Veteran's Grove.

I'll post more details as soon as they become available. Thank you all for your support and love.

Update: We have decided to stay at the Red Roof Inn in Southboro. If you need hotel accommodations, I recommend that you join us there, so that we can be together.

He's Gone

At 11:15 a.m. US-CDT, Wally passed away peacefully and painlessly, surrounded by family and friends.

On Thursday, Wally rallied: he was sitting up and chatting with us, and he even ate some food. He seemed to be in excellent spirits: he even insisted on getting out of bed, to sit in his favorite chair -- which he did, much to everyone's surprise. He sat there for a long time, trying to stay out of the bed as long as possible. It was delightful to spend some with "the old man" again.

But by Friday morning, he had lapsed into unconsciousness. He remained unconscious until he passed away today. He always has someone with him, someone at his bedside. We've been talking to him, praying with him, reading to him. Karen and Bonnie, two of our closest neighbors/friends, have been here, and they read Scripture verses to him.

At 6:40 a.m. this morning, Dawn woke me to tell me that the hospice nurse indicated that his lungs were filled with fluid, so it wouldn't be long before he passed. My brother had already made arrangements to fly out today, and we scheduled to come in at 10:00 a.m. So I hoped that Dad would linger long enough for Bill to arrive. At 9:10 a.m., I went to the airport to pick him up. We got back from the airport at about 10:45 a.m.

Bill went in to see Dad, and he spent some time talking to him. At about 11:05, he said to me, "Get three shotglasses." I knew exactly what he meant. I fetched the glasses, and the bottle of The Glenlivet, Wally's favorite single malt scotch whisky. I poured three shots, and gave one to Bill. I dipped a plastic spoon into the second one, just to get it wet, and then put two or three drops on Wally's tongue. I wanted his last taste to be of his favorite spirit. Then I lifted the third glass, and we toasted Wally, with tears in our eyes.

Wally breathed a few more times, each time more shallowly and with greater pauses between each breath. At 11:11, he breathed his last. I checked his pulse: three beats, pause, two beats, pause... a flicker, then nothing. I waited a full minute: nothing. At 11:13, I asked the hospice nurse to come in. She checked him, and called it official at 11:15 a.m. US-CDT.

Wally had waited for his sons to arrive. He waited to enjoy one last sip with them. And then he shoved off, to the endless sea.

He will be missed.

The Sailor's Poems

I never thought of my Dad as a man of many words. To me, his actions loom larger in my memory. I experience Wally as a man of action, always doing something, building something, fixing something, making something. My memories of Dad are of his model ships, planes, and trains; or of his decorative woodwork and crafts at the VFW Post; or of the player piano he converted into a wet bar; or of him on a ladder scraping, caulking, painting; or of his many wonderful, kooky gardens filled with flowers and kitsch. To me, Wally is always very tangible, a man of hands.

But that does him a minor disservice. Wally also loved words: he loved to read, he loved to sing, and apparently -- this is new to me -- he loved to write, too. While going through his documents, in preparation for the inevitable, my wife came across a few letters Dad wrote to loved ones. Among them, three poems he wrote to his wife, Tess, back in 1951, while he was serving in the Navy in Korea.

They reveal a new facet of Wally that I hadn't seen before, and perhaps you haven't seen, either. So I thought I would share them with you, here.

Happy Anniversary, My Dear

Once a year my darling
There comes a certain day
That we can really truly say
is ours in our own way.
The day that we were married
that's the one day that I mean
There's been so many pleasant thoughts
in the years gone inbetween.

I thank you for each little day
every minute of each hour
These years I've spent with you my dear
were like the bloom in every flower
Sweet with fragrance, rich with beauty
a rose meant just for me
A rose above all others
That's what God meant you to be.

Although this day may find us
many miles apart
It can never, never change
the thoughts within my heart.
My memories of you my dear,
are a blessing meant for me
And every day away from you
Is agony to me.

I Think of You
by W.K. Thomas Jr. GMM1 USNR

I wish My Darling, that I could see
Your lovely face in front of me
To brush away all the tears
That I have caused you through the years

To feel again your finger tips
Or once again your tender lips
To hold you in my arms once more
And stroll lover's lane, as we had before

To watch the moon beams shine in your hair
To know that you will always care
To watch the stars within the skies
And see them twinkle in your eyes

To give you always, all my heart
And know My Darling we'll never part
To Pray to God in heaven above
That He may always Bless our love

To kiss you at the break of day
To tuck you in, when night comes our way
To hope that I may always be
Waiting on you constantly

But someday in the future
in a year or maybe two
We'll spend that day together
As God meant for us to do
To look back at the years gone by
to those as yet to come
And see two people living, working,
acting as but one

So when our day arrives my dear
be happy, smiling too
Because you'll know that some where
I'll be smiling just for you
Showering you with roses
saying "Happy Anniversary, My Dear."
And hoping that I've helped to bring
a small amount of cheer

written Mar. 3, 1951 of Korea
by W.K. Thomas Jr. GMM1

The Dreams Within My Heart

As I sit here and dream
of you and of our boy
I can't believe the day's so close
that soon will bring us joy
To be -- to be so thankful that,
I'll Thank Our Lord above
That he may see me home again
with those I do so love.

To be able to look into the past,
and a hill so high
And see two people sitting
watching stars up in the sky
Listening to soft music
as it comes drifting on the air
Sitting there dreaming,
without a worry, without a care

To know my search for you my dear
throughout this great wide land
Had ended there upon that hill
as I asked you for your hand
And heard you murmur sweetly, softly,
darling, I do care
Then you were in my arms, and,
my head laid against your hair.

I knew I'd found someone that I,
could say was mine alone
Adorable and beautiful,
sweet with fragrance of your own
One who I knew was everything
a man would ever need
To go through life with side by side,
without out the slightest

So as I sit here dreaming of the girl who waits for me
I cannot help but wonder what the future's going to be
My wife, my son and I, "The Dreams Within My Heart."
Lets hope and pray that all my future dreams are spent
together not apart.

April 15, 1951 by W.K. Thomas Jr.
Of Korea

These three poems © Copyrighted 1951 by Wallace K. Thomas, Jr. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Evening update

Well, Wally is on a 6 hour watch. The nurse will be back at 2 am to check on his status again. He has only opened his eyes a few times today. We give him pain meds every hour to help with the pain. Lots of people coming and going helping out. Tonight a couple of our neighbors will be taking turns sitting up with Wally. We are doing everything we can to make him comfortable. Bill will fly in at 10 am tomorrow morning. Butch is unable to travel because of his health. The kids had off school today, so the house has been a buzz. They have all come down at various times to give Grandpa the "thumbs up". Plans are in the works for a funeral in Mass and a memorial here in Missouri. Wally wanted to be buried next to his brother in Mass.

Friday, September 14

No update yesterday, just too busy.

The night we came home from the hospital the hospice RN arrived at 11:45. He was here for awhile and Wally woke up and talked to him a bit about his collectables around his room. Then he asked to talk to Ralph so I got Ralph out of bed. Wally asked for a fruit cup so I got him one of his mandarin orange fruit cups and put it in a bowl for him. He ate the whole bowl then drank the juice it came in! That is the most he has eaten in weeks. He then said he wanted to get out of bed and sit at his desk and watch tv. Ralph, the RN and I just looked at each other. He had not gotten out of bed in over a week. We convinced him to stay in bed until the next day when he was rested but he realized himself that his legs were too weak for him to get up.


The Hospice nurse thinks it could be any day now. Wally is sleeping all of the time today and barely opens his eyes and does not seem to understand much. He is restless and we are giving him medicine to hopefully calm him as well as alleviate his pain. Yesterday he had a good early part of the day, but declined rapidly last night. HE was joking and laughing with myself and Karen and Bonnie, friends and neighbors of ours. He was even offering Bonnie some candy from a Whitmans sampler he had stashed in his room with his other food stuff. There seems to be no air moving in his right lung and his breathing is labored. Wally seems to be unable to get comfortable. The only response I got from his since last night was a squeeze of my hand as he looked at me when I was helping the hospice aide bathe him.

There are things I need to be prepping and calling about for his passing, such as funeral home and all of that stuff, but I am not focused on that "housekeeping" stuff right now, I am focused on trying to get him comfortable.

wally is home

Wally is home now in his own bed. . .well almost. . .he is in a hospital bed, but he is in his own bedroom. This afternoon we changed Wally into his pj's and got him ready to for his ambulance ride from Menorah Medical Center to our home. He was in very good spirits doing LOTS of flirting with all of the nurses! He even gave the nurse who removed his IV some comical stares as she tried to remove his IV with out hurting his arm. . .she was not sucessful, but made her laugh in the process! The pan seared Tilapia, mashed potatoes, and green beans were what Wally had for lunch today. . .and he LOVED IT! He actually ate about 3 or 4 bites of each item, even his strawberry shortcake. They may have been small bites, but that is the most he has eaten in weeks.

Wally was very amused at all of the fuss over him this afternoon! He was very happy to find out that the ambulance driver was from Mass! He made some jokes about how bad the Yankees are. All and all today was a very good day for Wally. He is happy to be home and very happy to be without the IV. . .even though it was painful getting it off!

Our church is still providing us with meals each day for dinner. They are very very helpful. Now that I am at home I need to get going on going over his bills. That has had to take a back seat to keeping him comfortable.

It is now 10:45pm and I am waiting for the hospice care nurse to deliver pain medicine and do some care instruction for me. She is going to be here around 11:30 pm. so much for going to bed "early". . .lol. Not that that would have happened anyway.

Hospice spoke about doing someing for Wally as a "last" wish type thing. We were thinking about doing some type of special bday party. . .any ideas out there people? Please comment or email me or Ralph. proverbs31momto5@yahoo.com

Wally is going home today.

We are in the process of figuring out all of the particulars for Wally's release from the hospital. He will be traveling home via ambulance since he cant sit up with out much much pain. Hospice will be coming to talk to me today about caring for him at home in his final days.

The doctors have told me to let everyone know if they want to see Wally, now is the time. We have noticed he is getting confused when reading notes, which is his main way of getting information from others. He is still in very good spirits. Yesterday when one of his nurses, Tracy was trying ot get him to eat some more food, she held up his Ensure for him to drink instead of the water he had...he tapped the Ensure with his cup in a toast and started laughing!

A new air mattress will be delivered today. It is supposed to help prevent Wally from getting bed sores. Things are moving fast, but we are doing all we can to keep Wally comfortable and happy in his final days.

I will write more as I have time and as more information becomes available. Keep praying for Wally's comfort.

Tuesday September 11

This day is one to remember people like Wally who have served our country in the military and other ways. Say a prayer for those you know and those you don't, a lot of which are still in harms way.

Wally ate a whole bowl of Corn Flakes for breakfast and a few sips of yogurt (it is easier for him to sip it). That is great considering he has not eaten much for several weeks. His doctor said that is normal and not to worry too much. She also said that would not keep him from going home. She said that hospice could not give him a nutritional IV, and normally does not do and IV with fluids either. He seems less agitated today too. His radiation today is at 12:15 pm. If all goes well he can go home tomorrow after his radiation is completed. She is looking into how much an ambulance would cost for him to travel home in, since he is so uncomfortable sitting and too weak to walk more then a few feet.

You can tell when he is feeling well because he flirts with the women nurses and doctors! Lots of winks getting passed around! Wally likes the ladies!

Wallys hospital bed is being delivered today. So when he comes home he will have a more comfortable bed that can be adjusted when he wants to sit us. Mostly Wally is doing well with his loss of his independance over the course of the past year. The past month has seen the most change in his being able to do things for himself. There are times when he gets angry and frustrated, but mostly he just accepts help when needed. He is still not good about ASKING for help, but that is just the way he is, never wanting to be a bother to anyone!

Please continue to send cards and notes. He likes knowing you are all thinking about him!

Update from Dawn

Wally had a restless weekend. It is getting harder sometimes to keep him comfortable. Sometimes he is comfortable and sleeps or watches tv, but most of the time he seems very restless and in pain. But of course Wally wants to make sure everyone else is comfortable! When the dr. asked him if he was in pain he said, a "wee bit". When she left the room he was moaning and gripping the bed so hard I thought he was gonna break it! On our way to radiation, more later.

Back from radiation. Ralph called and said they were ready to deliver a hospital bed for Wally. Now he is trying to find help in moving Wally's regular bed out of the way to make room for the hospital bed. Right now Wally is resting quietly. He has had a rough morning. When I got here he was doing a breathing treatment and when that was done I noticed that he had oxygen. Sometime last night he had to get oxygen. He does not like it. They told him that he would need to get an x-ray and they wanted to take him in a wheelchair. I asked if they could take him in the bed instead and also he wanted to know why they did not do it in the room like last time. So I asked them. They said that they would need a doctors order to do it in the room with the portable xray machine.

I ordered him breakfast. . .after much coaxing! He wanted to wait until xray was done. I told him we could go ahead and order it because it takes about 40 minutes to arrive. So we ordered it and he took some pain meds. But then he waited for the wheelchair to take him to xray. He kept trying to get out of bed for it. When his food arrived he refused to eat it because he was waiting to go to xray. I had to go get the nurse to tell him to eat now and not wait. He still did not want to eat. He finally did eat about 3 bites of eggs and a few sips of chocolate milk.

He was very restless and when one of the doctors came in, he told her he was only in a wee bit of pain. Then he was moaning and writhing in pain after she left and when asked he said his pain was 8 or 9! We had to go through all the things to get the meds- ie scan his tag, get the med, log it in the computer, etc etc. That took a long time and while we were waiting he was miserable. He finally go his IV meds just before they arrived to do his portable chest xray.

Then they called to say he was to go to radiation. He was scheduled to go at 4:15, but I guess when you are at the hospital they can take him whenever they have an opening. They said that he moved around a lot today and seemed uncomfortable. Right now he is getting hooked back up to his iv and oxegen and his leg wraps. Not sure what they are called, but they massage his legs since he is not walking.

Second Treatment

Wally had his second radiation treatment on Friday afternoon. It was very quick -- only about 20 minutes or so. Wally seems to be taking them well. The doctor has ordered 3 more treatments. The next one will be on Monday. If we can get the rest done on Tuesday and Wednesday, Wally might be sent home after that. Wally has mentioned that he wants to go home a couple of times now -- he isn't happy in the hospital. But it's better that he gets good treatment there.

On Friday evening, Dawn and I went to dinner with the Flanagans, our neighbors. After dinner, they came to visit with Wally: he was pleased to see them. Karen, a former nurse, talked to Wally for quite awhile.

Yesterday (Saturday), we took the kids to visit Grandpa Wally. They brought him cards and balloons, and gave him hugs and kisses. He was glad to see them. Wally asked my daughter Maeghan if she saw the kitten under the sink -- the cat that isn't there. She shook her head and shrugged, to indicate that she did not see the cat. Ironically, one of the kids brought him a card with a picture of a kitten on it, so now there is a cat in the room (but it isn't under the sink). Dawn taped the cards to the closet door at the foot of Wally's bed, so he can see them. We didn't stay very long -- kids and hospitals just don't mix. The kids got restless and noisy after about a half-hour, so I took them to the movies, while Dawn stayed with Wally.

Later that evening, some former neighbors of ours (the Acostas) came by to visit with Wally. They used to live across the street from us, and used to visit with Wally often. He really likes them, too, so he was happy to see them, too.

First Treatment

Wally had the radiation simulation, and his first radiation treatment, this morning. They plan to do at least four more treatments, doubling them up over the course of the next several days (for a total of 10). They will do 2 more tomorrow, but they have not yet decided whether or not to do the next set on Saturday, or wait until Monday.

He did very well: having adequate rest and pain management, as well as forgoing the 25 minute car ride, seems to have helped significantly. He was back in his room just after lunchtime. He even felt well enough to walk to the bathroom (with a little assistance).

However, later in the afternoon, it became apparent that this was too much exertion for him, as he became increasingly tired and restless. He was unable to walk to the bathroom for a second trip, but was able to use a portable bedside commode, instead. Another hour or so after that, he had some additional pain break through in his left shoulder, so we had to ask for more medication. The doctor increased his regimen to every 2 hours (instead of every 4 hours).

But I am a little concerned about the pain medication they are giving him. On Tuesday, when he was on the self-administered morphine, he claimed to have seen a cat in the room. Obviously, they don't allow cats in the hospital, so there wasn't a cat in the room. So they took away the PCA machine: no more morphine, no more cat.

Unfortunately, the cat is back today. Even though Wally did need the additional medication for the break-through pain, it appears it brought back the cat. It's a completely different medicine, and is administered by a nurse, so it's not exactly the same situation. But he claims he sees a kitten on the counter -- I wonder if it's the same cat as on Tuesday?

He had a bit of dinner: he ordered a hamburger and french fries. He ate quite a few french fries, but he did not touch the hamburger. He also sipped some whole milk and nibbled a bit of chocolate pudding.

I am concerned about his lack of appetite. He has lost so much weight, he's a wisp of his former self (which wasn't that much to start with). Both the doctors and the nurses have assured me that this is not unusual with cancer patients: apparently, the cancer releases a protein that suppresses appetite (!?). They are not worried about it yet, but are monitoring the situation, just in case. He is on IV fluids, so he is staying well hydrated.

Biopsy Results

After a full day in the hospital, with a more comfortable bed, an IV full of fluids and pain killers, Wally is feeling much better than he has since he was at Research Belton Hospital. He is sitting up, alert, interacting with people, smiling, laughing, joking, etc. It's good to see "the old Wally" back in action.

He had another sonogram of his kidneys tonight, because they want more information about the cysts they saw there earlier. Also, Dawn spoke with a social worker about home health care, and possible options for hospice.

Finally, another radiation oncologist came by (an associate of Wally's original radiation doctor), to deliver the results of the biopsy. The mass appears to be consistent with lung cancer, that has spread to his spine. This confirms the preliminary diagnoses, and makes it "official". The next step is to see another oncologist, who will discuss our options for treatment (besides/in addition to radiation).

Now that Wally has the pain under control, they will do the radiation simulation tomorrow morning, and may start his first radiation treatment on the same day. We'll also be talking to the new oncologist tomorrow, about chemotherapy and other options.

Wally was not perturbed by this news: in fact, he seemed to be resigned to it. He's not in bad spirits, but he's not happy about it, either -- which is to be expected. As usual, Wally is taking all this stoically, just as he has faced other challenges in his life. It's good to know that Wally is Wally, through and through...

Radiation Simulation

After the long drive to the cancer treatment center, Wally was in too much pain to lay still for the radiation simulation. They could not do it. The radiation oncologist was dismayed by this: if he cannot lay still for the simulation, he may not be able to lay still for the treatments, either. Quite a conundrum.

We explained to the doctor that the commute was the primary cause of Wally's pain, that sitting up hurts, and tha the bumpy ride makes it worse. He is only comfortable laying on his right side.

We asked how long and how many treatments Wally would need. He said that a course of 10 treatments, 1 per day, was standard for this kind of situation. We told him that this was unacceptable: there is no way that Wally could tolerate 20 trips to and from treatment. The doctor said that they could compress that to 2 treatments per day, over 5 days, instead.

While a better solution, it still meant 10 painful trips for Wally. I asked if he could be admitted to the hospital for a week, instead, to get the treatments. The radiation oncologist said no, he cannot admit Wally, because the radiation treatments are considered "outpatient".

But he did suggest that we see if Wally could be admitted for "pain management". He could see just how miserable Wally was, and we had told him about how miserable he was at home, too. The prescription pain-killers given to Wally are simply inadequate. We told him how much better Wally was doing at Research Belton, where they were able to give him intravenous pain medications (and fluids), instead. The doctor agreed that we would be justified to admit him under those conditions, and that he would call the ER doctor right away.

We wheeled Wally down to the ER, where they ran some additional tests. They concurred that the hospital could do a better job of pain management, so they admitted him. They also said that this was pending further testing, and the results of the biopsy -- without that, we still don't have an "official" diagnosis of cancer.

So now Wally is resting comfortably in Room 404 at Menorah Medical Center, which is the home of the cancer treatment center, too. Now we're just waiting for the biopsy results...