Redux Redux

So, it wasn't the morphine.

Randy (whom my sister-in-law refers to as "the sainted...") is back after a family medical crisis of her own. It was her replacement who diagnosed the morphine allergy. Nothing that treated this rash as an allergy had any effect. Not stopping the presumed cause. Not anti-itch cremes. Not Claritin.

Randy took her own look Thursday and rediagnosed it as a yeast infection. Apparently it's common enough after taking high-dose antibiotics for extended periods. All the good bugs get killed off along with the nasty ones, and the ever-opportunistic yeastie beasties come out to play. And boy were they playing up a storm! Whole big patches of skin were solid red instead of covered with distinct bumps.

New meds were called in, and I was told to hit the pharmacy on my way home to pick them up. No problem. Meanwhile the only relief on the home front was Lanacane. Lots of it. Tubes and tubes (do we own stock yet?) of it. I asked Paul to pick some up since he had the day off and was to be out and about running errands. The remains of an old tube of Nystatin were dug out and used. Clothes were changed.

We'd just ordered him some fleece, loose winter garments for comfort and warmth. They had arrived that morning, and he liked them. At least, until the itching took over again, and the soft fleece started stabbing him everywhere! So folks on the home front were digging through the wardrobe looking for things he could stand to have next to his skin. There were mixed results.

When I stopped at the pharmacy, they had no clue what I was after. Nobody had called anything in. I called Randy. She'd been promised results, but somebody at the doctor's office dropped a ball. Now they were closed. I had to settle for picking up a tube of an OTC remedy for yeast invasions for the night.

It was going to be another one with little sleep for two of us.

When I got home, I discovered that Paul, usually reliable, had forgotten to pick up his grandfather more Lanacane. We were now out, and it was the only thing that numbed him enough to allow some sleep. I sent him out to the local WalMart for 2 tubes. He came home with three - and we're again out after this morning.

Yesterday morning the doctor's office called, saying they'd called his pharmacy to order both a pill and a powder to treat his yeast infection. The pill, 2x daily, treats it from within. You can't take it along with the antibiotic that caused the yeast opportunity in the first place, but he was through taking that now. The powder treats it externally. Used as a powder, it helps dry the skin. Otherwise it can be mixed with the Lanacane for a double-attacking skin treatment. There's still so much pain that we're using it that way for now.

The new hospital bed arrived and got set up last night. We're hopeful that getting away from his lift chair - finally! - will offer him new positions and do some good for the skin. At 1 AM I had to persuade him not to give it up and head for the living room. I told him it would give me an hour's worth of work for all the things that needed doing for the transfer. It's only a small exaggeration. I really wasn't in the mood for much but a little dose of creme, adjusting blankets, and heading back to bed. And bless his heart, avoiding causing inconvenience to others is a powerful motivator for my dad.

This morning I had to give him a very careful washing of his back, in order to remove the built up layers of cremes. It hurt despite my care, but we both understood the need. Without it, the new medicine had no chance of reaching actual skin and doing any good. Then yet another new soft knit shirt on it - more pain - and he's been managing to sleep most of the morning. It gave me a chance to stuff envelopes and address X-mas cards. Not enough time to make the Saturday pick-up, however.

Time for me to shower and go shopping: Lanacane, groceries, X-mas stuff...

As for the morphine, well, we can re-order more next year. So far his breathing is good enough that he doesn't need it.

I do still wonder about those rats and spiders though.