In My Mind’s Zen Garden

This morning I was surprised to find the patient lying awake in his bed, and smiling. Then, he rose by himself and was able to walk to the bathroom, and was able to walk back to bed. This was a dramatic change from last night.

My wife and I had to wake up twice in the middle of the night to help the patient get to the bathroom. He was the weakest I’d ever seen him, and we practically had to carry him and he kept grabbing on to handles and things instinctively for support. We had to constantly tell him to let go as we could carry him.

Despite the lack of sleep, I felt pretty good this morning. The patient looked good too. And I gave him his morning meds with a cup of warm milk and he also wanted a cup of water. We watched the McCain speech together on CNN. In his previous location he didn’t have a TV or music player of any kind. But the patient loves to watch CNN and other News channels to keep abreast of all the latest news and developments on the presidential election campaign. Most of all, he enjoys when someone else watches with him. So, typically I’ll watch with him until he falls asleep.

And once again, as chipper and awake as he looked a little while ago, he soon fell asleep. And right now he sleeps more than he is awake throughout the course of the day. I guess for a terminally ill cancer patient, he needs as much rest and sleep as possible. Many times it’s very peaceful here in my home. And I have some very soothing music going on, and some aroma therapy oils permeating the air. When I practice piano I try to play very soothing, soft music if the patient is asleep. Again, it doesn’t seem to wake him, but I believe that at a subliminal, subconscious level perhaps it is good.