I returned last evening from Tucson. Had a good visit with Mom/G-ma and Dad/G-Pa. Their home is on the market and they have had a few showings but not much action overall.
Dad's/G-Pa's second cardioversion was successful so, cardiac-wise, he is doing better. He is off the warfarin (Coumadin - an anticoagulant) and remains on other meds to control his hypertension.
I accompanied them to the urologist last week. Nice guy in a group that practices out of 4 locations in Tucson. He was very patient and was not trying to influence him in any particular direction. Dad/G-pa does have a mass on his prostate - not unusual in guys his age - and optional to biopsy or not. Dad/G-pa decided to go along with the biopsy which will at least give him some info to make a next decision. The biopsy is scheduled for next Tuesday (Nov 9) in the urologist's office. Dad/G-Pa has had a foley catheter (indwelling catheter in the bladder) off and on for the past several weeks. He tried self-catheterization for a while but that was difficult. According to the urologist, the prostate doesn't appear to be the culprit in the urinary frequency, urgency and inability to void - rather, he suspects overactive/incompetent bladder. The urologist will probably recommend a laser or microwave treatment to reduce any prostate tissue blocking the urethra, but this might or might not improve the voiding. Dad/G-Pa may need to self-cath permanently or to have an indwelling suprapubic catheter (through the abdomen above the pubis directly into the bladder). Lots of people who for various reasons cannot void normally have such catheters. More on that later. One step at a time now.
Dad/G-Pa has lost some weight, not surprisingly, and he has very little appetite. So, eating greater quantities is not really an option. I recommended that he use whole milk in his cereal, brown sugar or maple syrup instead of stevia, and supplements of pudding that we made with double-strength milk (i.e. adding dry milk powder to whole milk to double the protein value). We also got him some Breyer's ice cream which he happily ate each evening after dinner.
His spirits seem to be better. He is not happy with the present situation but is talking about gaining strength and looking forward to feeling better.
Mom/G-ma has a lot on her plate right now. She looks well and says she feels well, but she is working very hard managing all of Dad/G-Pa's health issues along with her own. But in her usual fashion, she has everything organized and is keeping meals, laundry, medications, appointments, etc. on track.
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