Don't know the old thread, but those are available through places like sears or through medical and health supply places. But even when using them, you should still use disposable plastic lined bed pads underneath the person anyway as they will typically leak more fluid than a bed pad will tolerate.

All kinds of disposable and reusable bed pads available here or places like it...

Here is a link that might be useful: disposable bed pads

Sending this down. I finally found some online to order I think might work.

Chris

WOW what is the chance after all this time we both posted at the same time. Thanks AnnieDeighnaugh I was looking for the washable ones as I have heard the disposable ones slip around. Then read a person could use that rubbery shelf liner between backing and sheet and it would help.

I did buy two chair seat liners and six for the bed. Until he heals from his whipple surgery and his new internal plumbing gets sorted out he is liable to have accidents. It can not be helped . At least he is still with us.
\ Thanks again Chris

I didn't know what it was so just looked up Whipple procedure. That's quite an ordeal. I hope he is better soon.

Thanks Martia, The pathology said the pancreatic tumor removed, adenocarcinoma, had clean margins and no cancer cells found in the lymph nodes and the lesions on his liver were just that lesions not the cancer spread so right now we are hoping he will be with us a few more years. Unfortunately the pancreatic cancer he has can return some where else. It is very aggressive. Trying to stay positive and hope for a long life for Joe. The two surgeons that operated on him are top notch. One of them even made the surgery better so Joe was blessed to fall into these two guys hands. And they are also really nice guys. Dr Traverso is one of his surgeons and the other Dr Barton.

Hopefully he will get to try some liquids tomorrow. Surgery was the 14th. He has had nothing to eat since then but TPN IV.

Here is a link that might be useful: Surgery

shades of Idaho, I'm so sorry you're having to go through this, but Thank God for such good surgeons.

My DH has prostate cancer that he had operation for about 15 years ago, then it metastasized to his bones and is considered to be Stage 4 cancer, but due to great doctors, along with new medicines they have come out with, he has beat the odds so far. It sure made me rethink my priorities and we have a pretty good quality of life, just grateful for each day we have.

Hang in there, and keep the faith!
ogrose

Chris, I just read this thread. Sending strong thoughts for both of you and for thankfulness for his surgeons.

Thank you all, I was pretty worried today and called his doctor. Figured the nurse would call me back but doctor did. He said Joe is fine and they are more worried about his lungs=breathing than the surgery part of it. He needs to move more but is resisting. He is exhausted from them constantly doing things to him. He said he thinks his new stomach is finally starting to wake up and his nose hose. NG tube came out today. Hoping tomorrow he might get a tiny bit of water.

I think when I talked to him tonight they let him be a little more today and spread his treatments out. I think it helped he sounded much better.

The plan is to go see him tomorrow. It is 100 miles each way. I can not drive down there every day. :^(( Can not stay down there because of the animals and the $$$. So we kind of bite it on both ends.

So to keep this on topic. Lets talk storage needed in small houses. LOL Rather then start a new post.

Before Joe got sick we had already contracted for vinyl floors to be put in in two bedrooms and two closets and the hall. We kept putting it off because Joe was sick right down to the point we could no longer put it off. So last week while Joe was in the hospital. I emptied the master bedroom and closet for the flooring on Wednesday.

And of course I never plan well I decided to paint when I realized how much easier it would be while the room was empty. And so I hit up the left over paint because to go buy paint was an 80 mile round trip.

I got out my trusty stainless canning kettle and started mixing all the white paint I had on hand and all the left over light green I had on hand and came up with a rather nice soft green. I did not want to put the dog hair catching dust ruffle back on the bed so I had to do some thing with the vintage flat top suitcases I store things in under the bed. So I painted them white and YES I had to buy another gallon of white paint. LOL Seed for the next spur of the moment paint job. I painted the tops and sides of the suitcases white but left the bottoms unpainted . I did not want them sticking to the floor. i think it turned out rather nice.

I miss having Joe here so much but it was perfect timing to have him well cared for while I was able to spend a week doing the room over. And for an old fat lady I think I did a pretty good job clearing the room and then putting it all back together all by myself.

Next project will be installing the base board and as insane as it sounds I am going to use 4 inch white tiles. I already have white tiles in all the window sills. I am much more comfortable working with tile than I am with wood. It will be different but great and I might even have to add a little bit of bling.

Here is a link that might be useful: New bedroom.

I love that color. Your dh will be so glad this is done and he doesn't have to hassle with it when he gets home. When will that be? I hope all goes well and he has a long life too. There is someone on the quilting forum whose husband has or had prostrate cancer that they were controlling with an extreme diet.

Now about your room. It's funny that you posted that yesterday, because just yesterday I came across this photo and I love the vintage suitcases used for under bed storage.

Blessings to both of you....sounds scary as heck! It certainly makes it hard to be that far from where he is. I am thankful he has such good doctors.

Prayers going up!

Oh Marti I love the photo. It almost looks like there might be wheels on those suitcases. So far cleaning around my under bed suitcase has been easy. So very happy we did the vinyl. I am using tile as base boards. The black in the lower left corner is one of our dogs guarding her food bowl. I have the hallway done so far. Tiles from Habitat.

Joe is finally home. 24 days later. He is weak as can be which is to be expected. He is doing really well with rehab and starting to eat which will help his weakness. Keeping a journal of his foods and calories fats and any reactions keeps me busy. Not to mention the cooking of the foods and yard work.

Life is good though. We are still kind of camping out in the living room recliner for Joe and couch for me. Kind of settling into the next new routine. Dreaming up then preparing foods Joe thinks he can eat. Then figuring out how to prepare them in tiny amounts. A half of swiss cheese sandwich totally fills Joe up. It is a challenge to get the most calories in the smallest amounts of bulk with the least fat.Dreading the next leg of more chemo and radiation. But it must be done.

Thanks Phoggy. We are going to get through this leg of the situation. So grateful to have Joe home and doing better every day.

Chris

shades - I'm just getting back online and don't see any updates on Joe.here. How is it going there?

I'm adding organically grown (in OR) non GMO kale in powdered form and salba seed (also in powder form) .to my foods. They should add much needed good plant based nutrients to my diet. The kale powder should arrive this week along with more bean burger mix. I have some salba seed bread to put the burgers on. I've had the plain burgers on salba bread before and really like them.

I'm going to attempt to make my own salba bread in the near future.

the kale and salba can be put in all kinds of food - smoothies, soup, burgers, meatloaf - even in things like cookies.

hi Steph,

Joe is doing pretty well. We are crossing mile stones daily. Friday he drove to town for the first time. He went into the bank and one store and he had a HUGE Chinese lunch. Then drive home. AND before we left he plowed out the snow in the driveway. So he had a very long day It has been a long hard struggle for him to get his strength back.Today he took a shower all on his own for the first time. for safety reasons I had to help him into and out of the shower but he is now strong enough to do it. Woo hoo.

We are finally done with physical therapy and the in home health nursing. His first CAT scan and blood work in December show Joe has No Active Cancer or NED No evidence of disease. This is music to my ears. He was too ill to do the follow up chemo and radiation in the time frame it would do the most good for him. The oncologist felt it would do Joe more harm than good. He was still recovering from the pneumonia. He still shows some lung involvement with that four months later. He is off his supplemental oxygen. We have to go to his lung doctor on the 20th.

He has also gained back 15 pounds of the 20 he lost. Eating normally. All is looking pretty good for now.
thanks for asking. Chris

Chris, your vinyl looks just like my Marmoleum. I was glad to hear more progress at your house. My friend is doing much better now, too. -from frozen Iowa

That's great news Chris. I bet he is happy to have life getting back to normal too.

Yes it is GREAT to get back to a little bit of normal. Been a long year. Hoping for many more.

Chris

Chris, it is such good news about Joe's health and that he is gaining weight even in this cold weather! Regaining his independence has got to be a relief for him.

Love your floor and tile baseboards. I prefer the tile. It is better for when you mop, easier to clean, harder to dent with a vacuum or other thing sliding down the hall, and looks neat and clean.