Quick Review - Aug 10th

No major updates for Beth today.  I just realized I haven’t done a very good job keeping people updated on some of the things that were giving Beth problems over the last few days/weeks. Example - I mentioned on Saturday that she woke up in the middle of the night in a panic because she couldn’t breathe, however I haven’t mentioned her breathing since.  Here’s a quick update on a few things that were mentioned in previous posts:

Breathing -  She is doing a little better with her breathing but it is still giving her problems at times.  It is most troublesome when she is laying flat. When she is sitting upright in the bed it seems that her breathing is a little better, however she can’t be in that position for very long before she starts to get uncomfortable.  

Appetite - Her appetite has been better as of late. Still not great but better. In the morning she usually has a Herbalife Nutritional Shake.  A good sign is that every once in awhile she gets some pretty strong cravings during the day. The other day she asked her if someone could bring her some Curly fries from Arby's. She still tries to eat as healthy as she can but when she has a craving for junk food she gets it.  She has earned it. This is all on top of the 44 oz Fountain Soda from Circle K that her friend Heather has been bringing her everyday for the last 4 months.

Weight - I mentioned a few weeks ago that Beth lost 6 pounds in between doctor's visits.  I was getting concerned that she was losing too much weight.  Her last visit showed her weight had stayed the same and I would guess her weight has been stable since then.

Stomach Pain - The cancer in her liver has caused her abdomen to swell and pushes on her lungs (which could also be a cause for the trouble breathing as mentioned above).  Her pain had been a little better but over the last few days but has been giving her problems recently.  Her liver feels like a rock sitting just beneath her skin.

Weak Legs - Seems to be better now that she is not taking the pain meds around the clock.  Her falls may have been more of a result of being too drowsy from the medications more than her legs not being strong enough to support her. Hard to tell.

Nausea - Still comes and goes but so much better than it was.  A few weeks ago she was vomiting most of the day.