Diary of a Brain Tumor Patient's Wife

Mar. 21, 1999


Renette Davis

Paul had a good evening yesterday. Philip & Karen were here for dinner, and after they left, Paul asked me to read to him from the Bible. I read some Psalms and then Paul's brother Ray & and his wife Sue came. Before we went to bed, I read some email messages that friends and family had sent telling Paul that they love him, etc.

He slept fairly well last night. Ray & Sue took turns sitting by him in the comfy chair and talked with him when he got restless, so I got a real good night's sleep.

When he woke up this morning, his speech was real slurred. He wouldn't take his medicine, although I did manage to give him the essential ones in some applesauce a little later. He slept again for awhile, and then we fixed waffles for breakfast, which he ate well.

Ray & Sue transferred him to the comfy chair, where he dozed awhile, and talked awhile. We couldn't understand a lot of it, but some seemed to be about death. He didn't eat lunch and when he seemed to have some pain, he wouldn't let me give him any pain medication. The duragesic patch was due to be changed, but he wouldn't let me do that either.

Later they transferred him back to bed, and while he was sleeping soundly, I put the new duragesic patch on. I haven't gotten the old one off yet. I was afraid that might wake him up. Later in the afternoon he had a piece of cherry pie that a friend had made, and he took his medicine then. He also ate a good supper.

Mom went to the Park Forest Singers concert this afternoon. They were doing the Faure Requiem, which she really likes, so I had asked a couple in our church who usually go to their concerts if they would take her along. It turned out that the concert had been dedicated to Paul. I didn't know they were doing that, and was really glad Mom could be there.

Printed very prominently in the program was "Today's concert is dedicated to Paul Davis, whose love of music has sustained him and nourished his soul." I thought that was wonderful and read it to Paul several times.

Paul's hands and feet are kind of cold and clammy this evening. He doesn't have the purplish blotchy skin like he had the other night, though.

Continue to: Mar. 22, 1999

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Created: June 13, 1999
Last updated: July 21, 2010