More Waiting

The last few days have been frustrating.
 Dr M's nurse practitioner Kate did call us on Tuesday. She said to hold both the daratumumab and dexamethasone for two weeks before Doug's ear surgery and two weeks after. Both those drugs can slow the healing process. She said the order for a repeat CT scan of the sinuses had been changed to a full body PET/CT scan. Good decision! We are waiting for that to be scheduled.

 She said someone would call us Wednesday (Kate's day off) to say what the change to Doug's treatment will be. Evidently the Monday conference didn't happen. Here is where it got frustrating. No call on Wednesday. No call on Thursday, and no answer to an email to the nurse navigator. Nothing. So Doug texted Dr. Jeff Matous himself early this morning. (Yes, he gave us his cell number years ago.) Himself answered that text within five minutes - he said he would get with his team to discuss it later today.
So we are waiting again, this time pretty confident we get a phone call today. I hope!  We realize that his practice has gotten huge over the last 11 years. Not only is diagnosis earlier, but people with myeloma are living longer, so the patient load increases. However, there is no excuse for not returning a patient's email to the nurse navigator. She did email us this morning, probably after a word from the doc - here is the wording:
Hi Doug, 

I have not been able to sit down with Jeff to discuss. He was out of the office Wednesday and is now on inpatient service. I hope to catch him today to review your flowsheet with all your lab results. I will update you as soon as I make contact. 

Doug emailed her back to say we appreciate her response. So we wait. 

Yesterday Doug got his dara infusion that was already scheduled. He had lost another pound, down to 147. He's been trying but doesn't have much appetite. 
His infusion nurse who is wonderful and caring told him "Right now your job is eating. If you want to live, you eat!" She really laid it on the line. She told him he had to eat every two hours - high protein and healthy fats. Eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts, peanut butter etc. Ice cream in moderation because of the sugar. She mentioned avocados which he won't eat. I'm thankful she was so blunt - it's what Doug needed to hear. He has to motivate himself; I can't do it for him. I can offer the food but I can't nag him into eating it or plead with him. I've tried. 
So far today he is doing much better!

Our wonderful neighbor is doing a small project on the house for us, unasked. We are blessed. 

Last night I read from a good devotional by Susie Larson:
May you slow down long enough tomorrow to enjoy the sacredness of the present moment. May God give you plenty of sacred pauses to reflect on His intimate and powerful love for you. May you enjoy lots of face-to-face encounters with those you love. May you receive the gifts He so lovingly wants to give. And tonight, may you enjoy deep, refreshing sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.