After 5 weeks and 1 day, Dad is finally at home!
We had to push a bit to get him discharged before the holiday weekend but we felt that it was much better to get him home then to have him just sit around until Tuesday, just because of the long weekend. (By the way, Tuesday is Mom and Dad's 36th anniversary, which is ironic since he spent 36 days in the hospital! What a extra special anniversary this will be!)
Of course, the hospital and physicians were recommending that he go into a rehab facility for awhile, which would have been good for him, but he didn't want to. I can't say as though I blame him, and he will mentally do much better being at home.
Getting him out of the hospital was a bit of a challenge due to some insurance complications. They sent him home with a bit of oxygen and had to change suppliers at the last minute. He didn't actually leave the hospital until almost 6pm, after waiting all day. This of course, wasn't ideal, but at least he was able to leave. He was nervous that something was going to happen at the last minute to make them keep him, which was a fear of mine too, being a holiday weekend.
Dad did pretty well for the hour ride home and it took about 15 minutes to get him into the house. We have a few steps in the front and a few steps in the garage and although the garage way is a bit longer for him, I felt it was the best way, since there is a handrail. He took two little breaks from the car the to steps and then was able to power his way into the house.
Shortly after he arrived home, the home health nurse came by for a quick assessment and the oxygen supplier brought all of his home oxygen equipment and tanks. After all of that, we gave him his medications and IV antibiotics and settled him in bed and let him sleep for a few hours. We had to wake him up twice during the night for his IV antibiotics, but he said he was still able to sleep better than in the hospital.
He has been very weak and very depressed. The weakness will take some work and time, and physical therapy will be coming by the house in the next few days to start a plan. As far as the depression, we can already see a slight improvement. Being somewhere familiar is a huge comfort, I am sure, and we are just glad to have him home.
I expect that the next few days will be pretty lazy days. He has a lot of sleep to catch up on and I think he deserves a few lazy days. After that, I am signing him up for Jazzercise! Or maybe I will bring him out into the living room and put Richard Simmons or one of those other very annoying and very hyper exercise TV shows on for him.
We have a lot of appointments to set up and still a lot of plans to make for him, but saving at least 2 hours a day driving to and from the hospital and having him all set up in his little mock nursing home room in what used to be Delainey's playroom is nice. Delainey even enjoyed just sitting with her Papa on his bed for about an hour this morning.
And, another big change in the house....we no longer have Delainey on the baby monitor. With her snoring and apnea episodes, we never really felt comfortable not having her on a monitor. Now that she is 3 months out from surgery, and we can no longer hear a peep from her silent and restful breathing, we have put the monitor to better uses. It's in Papa's room and mom and I each have a handset to hear him with! It worked great last night so he could call if he needed anything! It was either that, or I was going to give him Delainey's bike horn, which probably would have lead to a lot of middle of the night barking from Sheba!
Oh, and speaking of Sheba....she is so adorable. She just sits at the door of Papa's room and gives him a concerned little look. Every time we go in there for anything, she is right by our side just making sure everything is all right. She barked for about the first hour he was home, but mostly because of all the strangers in the house while we had her locked outside. After that, she settled right down and went into concerned mode. What a great little dog she is!
Oh, and I guess I will mention my crappy knee, as well. Don't ask me what I did, but I hurt it somehow on Monday night. I think it was pushing up to climb into the truck, but I am not completely sure. I don't remember it hurting then, but it sure hurt when I got out of the truck. I thought that it would go away and be better by Tuesday, but I was wrong. I headed to the ER, with the help of a great friend to be my Delainey wrangler! They did xrays and said there was fluid in my knee and wanted me to see an ortho specialist. On Wednesday morning, I saw the ortho doc and his initial impression was that he thought it was a really bad lupus flare. I didn't completely buy that, but he wanted to get an MRI just in case, so I went with it. I have never had a lupus flare suddenly affect only one joint, though I am sure it is possible, it just isn't something I have experienced in all these years. I had the MRI that afternoon and got the results back on Friday. Being the impatient person that I am, I requested a copy myself before the doc had a chance to call me. Then when they finally called me, I slept through the message. The message said everything was "fine" but that the doctor wanted a second opinion on the films, so they were going to have an additional radiologist read them and get back to me on Tuesday. "Fine" but wants a second opinion? Interesting! According to the copy I got, I have a ganglion cyst on my ACL (ligament that stabilizes the knee) and my medial meniscus (cartilage that sits on the inside of the knee joint) is torn. Doesn't sound fine to me, but what do I know. I will just wait to see what they say on Tuesday. Ironically, the MRI also showed metal in both the front and back of my knee, which the MRI said was consistent with previous surgery, however I shouldn't have any metal, as far as I know. My last surgery was pretty minor and basically involved scraping off a bunch of calcium deposits. Why metal would be left behind for that, I am not so sure. Again, we will have to wait and see what information Tuesday brings.
For now, we are all home, safe and sound and hoping for some good progress in the next few days. Continued thanks to all of the amazing people in our lives! We would not have made it through all of this chaos without all of you, and hopefully soon we can get the proper thanks out where they are deserved! Love you all!!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Day 19 - Part 2
Well, we just went back and visited dad again. They have removed the breathing tube and although that is more comfortable, he is in a lot of pain. He is very rational and understanding though....I told him that he was going to have a lot of pain today and he said "yep, and tomorrow, too".
They have been able to wean one of the meds to keep his blood pressure up but have needed to increase the other one a bit to compensate.
He does have 3 chest tubes in his side that all exit thru one place.
We learned that he had 2 units of blood during surgery and mom seemed a little weirded out by that ;)
He will just be needing lots of rest today, of course, and hopefully tomorrow will bring a good day for him.
He seems very tolerant of this situation and I really believe it is because he knows he is a few steps from home now.
Dad's sister has come back to town to be here for the surgery, but she is staying at a hotel near the hospital, to be closer. Today Aunt Cheryl and Aunt Debbie both drove in from eastern Indiana to be here with us, and what a relief that has been!
I am sure that we will all sleep well tonight knowing that dad continues to be in good hands and that he is a few steps closer to coming home.
Thank you all again for everything, and please know....proper thanks will come later!
They have been able to wean one of the meds to keep his blood pressure up but have needed to increase the other one a bit to compensate.
He does have 3 chest tubes in his side that all exit thru one place.
We learned that he had 2 units of blood during surgery and mom seemed a little weirded out by that ;)
He will just be needing lots of rest today, of course, and hopefully tomorrow will bring a good day for him.
He seems very tolerant of this situation and I really believe it is because he knows he is a few steps from home now.
Dad's sister has come back to town to be here for the surgery, but she is staying at a hotel near the hospital, to be closer. Today Aunt Cheryl and Aunt Debbie both drove in from eastern Indiana to be here with us, and what a relief that has been!
I am sure that we will all sleep well tonight knowing that dad continues to be in good hands and that he is a few steps closer to coming home.
Thank you all again for everything, and please know....proper thanks will come later!
Dad - Day 19 (I think!) - Part 1
Today was surgery number 2 for dad....and hopefully the last!
Surgery was scheduled for 7:30 this morning and lasted about 2 hours. It took them about an hour to get him settled to a point where we could take a peek and we only were able to see him for just a second.
The surgeon says that it went well, but that dad was a mess and full of purulent gunk! They were able to go in and do surgery without removing any portion of the lung, but just open up the abcess and clean it out. The surgeon said that he left the area open in the lung and that it will just heal together over time. His exact words were that dad was a mess in there.
Since we were only there for a second, I am not sure the number of the drains and what not, but I saw at least 2 chest tubes and the surgeon mentioned that he has a few other drains as well. He has an a-line again and another big central line in addition to his PICC line. He is back on the breathing machine and they didn't give us a clear answer on how long they expected him to be intubated. Obviously, the sooner they extubate, the better, but over the past few days he has started to get septic and now that they have opened things up, the doctor said that he is sure that he is going to get very septic tonight. He is back on the heavy medication to keep his blood pressure up and I did see that they had given him a blood transfusion. I will get more details later, but that is what I could see at a quick glance.
I did tell him that we were going to step out and to get some rest and although his eyes are closed, he nodded "yes".
The nurses ask for about 2 hours to get him settled and allow him to recover and then we will be able to go back in and see him and ask some questions.
I will keep you all updated as we learn more! Keep the prayers coming!
Surgery was scheduled for 7:30 this morning and lasted about 2 hours. It took them about an hour to get him settled to a point where we could take a peek and we only were able to see him for just a second.
The surgeon says that it went well, but that dad was a mess and full of purulent gunk! They were able to go in and do surgery without removing any portion of the lung, but just open up the abcess and clean it out. The surgeon said that he left the area open in the lung and that it will just heal together over time. His exact words were that dad was a mess in there.
Since we were only there for a second, I am not sure the number of the drains and what not, but I saw at least 2 chest tubes and the surgeon mentioned that he has a few other drains as well. He has an a-line again and another big central line in addition to his PICC line. He is back on the breathing machine and they didn't give us a clear answer on how long they expected him to be intubated. Obviously, the sooner they extubate, the better, but over the past few days he has started to get septic and now that they have opened things up, the doctor said that he is sure that he is going to get very septic tonight. He is back on the heavy medication to keep his blood pressure up and I did see that they had given him a blood transfusion. I will get more details later, but that is what I could see at a quick glance.
I did tell him that we were going to step out and to get some rest and although his eyes are closed, he nodded "yes".
The nurses ask for about 2 hours to get him settled and allow him to recover and then we will be able to go back in and see him and ask some questions.
I will keep you all updated as we learn more! Keep the prayers coming!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Dad - Day 15
I cannot believe that we are more than two weeks into this ordeal!
Dad has been out of CVCC (cardiac icu) for a few days now and finally can see the light of the outside world. I think it will take a few days, but I am sure it will make a difference in his moods. Yesterday was a bit of a rough day. Dad was feeling well enough to be grumpy, so mom didn't visit long. Auntie stayed all day with him but mom stayed away, and with me back at work, I didn't see him yesterday.
Apparently he had a fall yesterday...just trying to be Mr. Independent...and a chair had slipped out from underneath him. Because of this, when mom went to visit this morning they had a bed alarm on, which he doesn't like. Mom said that he had called the nurse for some help, and after 15 minutes no one had come to help him, so he looked at mom and said watch this.....he lifted his butt up off of the bed and the bed alarm went off.....3 people ran in the room and no surprise.....Dad has found a way to manipulate the system. What a nut.
Mom says that he was feeling better today because they have finally given him a plan. Supposedly surgery will be Tuesday morning and the doctors told him that from today, he will probably be looking at 10 to 12 more days. He can see the light at the end of the tunnel, finally, and although things will still be tough, he is feeling better about it.
I have worked the past two days, and will be at work again tonight. I joke that I had to go back to work so I could get some rest, but of course, that isn't completely true. I am trying to sleep during the day, as usual, but it is hard to stay asleep.
Auntie is still here and will be heading back to California tomorrow. I will be sad to see her go and hope she can come back soon for a real visit. Obviously, I haven't been able to show her around at all, so one of these days I would like to!
Aunt Carol will be coming back from Virginia on Sunday. She plans to stay at a hotel by the hospital so that she can be close to dad. She will be staying a whole week. I am relieved that she will be back and hopefully this visit will be a little less stressful than the last one! I know that dad will be relieved to have her back, too!
As long as all is well, I plan on updating every few days instead of daily...so now news is good news!
Now.....off to work I go!
Dad has been out of CVCC (cardiac icu) for a few days now and finally can see the light of the outside world. I think it will take a few days, but I am sure it will make a difference in his moods. Yesterday was a bit of a rough day. Dad was feeling well enough to be grumpy, so mom didn't visit long. Auntie stayed all day with him but mom stayed away, and with me back at work, I didn't see him yesterday.
Apparently he had a fall yesterday...just trying to be Mr. Independent...and a chair had slipped out from underneath him. Because of this, when mom went to visit this morning they had a bed alarm on, which he doesn't like. Mom said that he had called the nurse for some help, and after 15 minutes no one had come to help him, so he looked at mom and said watch this.....he lifted his butt up off of the bed and the bed alarm went off.....3 people ran in the room and no surprise.....Dad has found a way to manipulate the system. What a nut.
Mom says that he was feeling better today because they have finally given him a plan. Supposedly surgery will be Tuesday morning and the doctors told him that from today, he will probably be looking at 10 to 12 more days. He can see the light at the end of the tunnel, finally, and although things will still be tough, he is feeling better about it.
I have worked the past two days, and will be at work again tonight. I joke that I had to go back to work so I could get some rest, but of course, that isn't completely true. I am trying to sleep during the day, as usual, but it is hard to stay asleep.
Auntie is still here and will be heading back to California tomorrow. I will be sad to see her go and hope she can come back soon for a real visit. Obviously, I haven't been able to show her around at all, so one of these days I would like to!
Aunt Carol will be coming back from Virginia on Sunday. She plans to stay at a hotel by the hospital so that she can be close to dad. She will be staying a whole week. I am relieved that she will be back and hopefully this visit will be a little less stressful than the last one! I know that dad will be relieved to have her back, too!
As long as all is well, I plan on updating every few days instead of daily...so now news is good news!
Now.....off to work I go!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Dad - Day 13
Well, I first must apologize for taking a few days off....things are fine, but to tell you the truth, I really was just too tired to type!!!
Let me catch you all up to speed.....
I left the hospital on Sunday morning, about 11ish, after spending the whole night there. Mom stayed with him that whole day and then spent the night, since he just seemed like he needed a little extra TLC. On Sunday they decided to remove his chest tube, since it really wasn't in place anymore. He did ok through the night and was doing fine even when mom left.
I basically slept off and on all day Sunday and Sunday night, trying to catch up on way overdue sleep. My plan was to head into the hospital late morning/early afternoon on Monday, after mom got home. When Mom left, my Aunt Debbie ended up going to the hospital, so I decided to catch up on all of my bills and papers that have been piling up. She called at about 1 and said that they had gotten the results of his CAT scan from that morning and had decided that he needed another chest tube. I was so relieved that she was there!!! Dad was very agreeable and said he was fine with it as long as they sedated him. I spoke with the NP on the phone and headed to the hospital.
By the time I got there, the chest tube was in, and in a more comfortable spot that the previous one, and dad was sitting up eating. Aunt Debbie headed home and I visited with Dad. He again asked why he just couldn't go home and I broke the news to him that the doctor said it would probably be another week or two before surgery. I also explained that he couldn't come home until the chest tube could stay out for a few days and also that he could walk. So far, he has only been able to transfer from the bed to the chair and is very week. I also tried to make him realize that he is an hour away from our house and that if, God forbid, something go wrong, he would have to go to a smaller hospital that won't be able to manage his needs as well. He seemed to understand, but is discouraged. I also told him that if I saw any opportunity, I would bring him home, and honestly, I would. He just has to be stable and be able to walk....we have done the IV antibiotic thing before at home, and I will do it again in a heart beat.
Mom started working from home again on Monday, so after she left in the morning, she wasn't able to come back. I also left a little early, about 7, to try to get things done around the house and get Delainey ready for her Tuesday morning dance class. Delainey has been doing very well, but she is feeling the stress and I am trying to give her as much of her normalcy back as I can. Auntie is still here from California, and has been so helpful just hanging out and playing with her.....she definitely needs the attention!
Tuesday, Mom headed to the hospital very early so she could spend a few hours with him before having to start work. She is working on California hours, so she has to be back home by 11 to start work. I took Delainey to dance and then Auntie, Delainey and I grabbed a quick lunch. We also grabbed a few things that dad had requested....some things to pass the time. We got home and I got my stuff together to head to the hospital. On my way, I took a different road, thinking it would be faster and got a speeding ticket! UGH! First ever!!! The cop asked where I was headed and I said to the hospital. He asked if there was an emergency and I said that my dad was in ICU and was pretty sick but that there was no actual emergency and he gave me a ticket. Ok.....yes I was speeding, though I didn't know that at the time....really I thought the speed limit was higher, but oh well, I suppose I deserved the ticket....just wish the guy had more compassion!!!!!
When I finally got on the freeway, I got a call from a friend who needed some help, so I changed direction and headed back that way. Although I wanted to go see dad, sometimes the schedule needs to be adjusted a bit, and honestly, I know that my friends are there for me when I need them and I like to be there for them, too! I went and picked my friend up and we both headed to visit dad for a bit.
Dad is a bit sad, but I think a lot of that has to do with the room he is in. They call it "the cave" and he is all the way back in a corner with now window or anything to look at. The hospital is so busy that this was the only room. After 10 days of being in this room, I am sure anyone would be sad. Well, mom had already told me before I saw him, but apparently his new chest tube had pulled out during the night. The doctors decided to wait and see how he does, and so far he was doing good. He was off his oxygen and has been eating great. He just needs to get his strength up! I think he enjoyed having a new visitor too, because he seemed much more lively when he was chatting with my friend...just talking about Nascar and guy stuff. I think it was good for him to have someone to talk to besides us, because we tend to have more serious discussions. We didn't stay long, because we had to take care of some things for my friend, but dad was very understanding. They were also waiting for a room for dad, and were finally going to transfer him....after 2 cancelled transfer orders! At about 11 last night, they called and said that they moved him, so I am glad. I think a few days in a new room will do a lot for him!
Mom is there now, before working, and she took Auntie with her. Delainey will be going to school today, so Auntie will spend the day with dad and I will try to go up before I head to work. I am going to try to head back to work tonight and want to try to work as much as I can, so that I can be home with him when he gets home. My work says they are not expecting to see me, but I am planning to be there! Mom says that dad is doing ok, but still a bit sad. She also said one of my friends was there visiting after she had worked her shift at the hospital...thank you Brenda for checking on dad!!
After yesterday, I actually felt a little better. I think dealing with someone else's emergency situation was kind of like a mental break from our situation. It was still a bit stressful and everything, but seeing a fresh face and taking a break from the walls of the hospital was a nice change.....wish it wasn't under the circumstances that it was, but none the less, it was nice to focus on something different!
Well, I must go do laundry and run a few errands and try to catch a nap before work. The next few days will only be short updates since I will be getting them second hand. I don't think I will make it to the hospital with working and everything! Thank you for your continued prayers and support! And sorry for taking a few days off!!!
Let me catch you all up to speed.....
I left the hospital on Sunday morning, about 11ish, after spending the whole night there. Mom stayed with him that whole day and then spent the night, since he just seemed like he needed a little extra TLC. On Sunday they decided to remove his chest tube, since it really wasn't in place anymore. He did ok through the night and was doing fine even when mom left.
I basically slept off and on all day Sunday and Sunday night, trying to catch up on way overdue sleep. My plan was to head into the hospital late morning/early afternoon on Monday, after mom got home. When Mom left, my Aunt Debbie ended up going to the hospital, so I decided to catch up on all of my bills and papers that have been piling up. She called at about 1 and said that they had gotten the results of his CAT scan from that morning and had decided that he needed another chest tube. I was so relieved that she was there!!! Dad was very agreeable and said he was fine with it as long as they sedated him. I spoke with the NP on the phone and headed to the hospital.
By the time I got there, the chest tube was in, and in a more comfortable spot that the previous one, and dad was sitting up eating. Aunt Debbie headed home and I visited with Dad. He again asked why he just couldn't go home and I broke the news to him that the doctor said it would probably be another week or two before surgery. I also explained that he couldn't come home until the chest tube could stay out for a few days and also that he could walk. So far, he has only been able to transfer from the bed to the chair and is very week. I also tried to make him realize that he is an hour away from our house and that if, God forbid, something go wrong, he would have to go to a smaller hospital that won't be able to manage his needs as well. He seemed to understand, but is discouraged. I also told him that if I saw any opportunity, I would bring him home, and honestly, I would. He just has to be stable and be able to walk....we have done the IV antibiotic thing before at home, and I will do it again in a heart beat.
Mom started working from home again on Monday, so after she left in the morning, she wasn't able to come back. I also left a little early, about 7, to try to get things done around the house and get Delainey ready for her Tuesday morning dance class. Delainey has been doing very well, but she is feeling the stress and I am trying to give her as much of her normalcy back as I can. Auntie is still here from California, and has been so helpful just hanging out and playing with her.....she definitely needs the attention!
Tuesday, Mom headed to the hospital very early so she could spend a few hours with him before having to start work. She is working on California hours, so she has to be back home by 11 to start work. I took Delainey to dance and then Auntie, Delainey and I grabbed a quick lunch. We also grabbed a few things that dad had requested....some things to pass the time. We got home and I got my stuff together to head to the hospital. On my way, I took a different road, thinking it would be faster and got a speeding ticket! UGH! First ever!!! The cop asked where I was headed and I said to the hospital. He asked if there was an emergency and I said that my dad was in ICU and was pretty sick but that there was no actual emergency and he gave me a ticket. Ok.....yes I was speeding, though I didn't know that at the time....really I thought the speed limit was higher, but oh well, I suppose I deserved the ticket....just wish the guy had more compassion!!!!!
When I finally got on the freeway, I got a call from a friend who needed some help, so I changed direction and headed back that way. Although I wanted to go see dad, sometimes the schedule needs to be adjusted a bit, and honestly, I know that my friends are there for me when I need them and I like to be there for them, too! I went and picked my friend up and we both headed to visit dad for a bit.
Dad is a bit sad, but I think a lot of that has to do with the room he is in. They call it "the cave" and he is all the way back in a corner with now window or anything to look at. The hospital is so busy that this was the only room. After 10 days of being in this room, I am sure anyone would be sad. Well, mom had already told me before I saw him, but apparently his new chest tube had pulled out during the night. The doctors decided to wait and see how he does, and so far he was doing good. He was off his oxygen and has been eating great. He just needs to get his strength up! I think he enjoyed having a new visitor too, because he seemed much more lively when he was chatting with my friend...just talking about Nascar and guy stuff. I think it was good for him to have someone to talk to besides us, because we tend to have more serious discussions. We didn't stay long, because we had to take care of some things for my friend, but dad was very understanding. They were also waiting for a room for dad, and were finally going to transfer him....after 2 cancelled transfer orders! At about 11 last night, they called and said that they moved him, so I am glad. I think a few days in a new room will do a lot for him!
Mom is there now, before working, and she took Auntie with her. Delainey will be going to school today, so Auntie will spend the day with dad and I will try to go up before I head to work. I am going to try to head back to work tonight and want to try to work as much as I can, so that I can be home with him when he gets home. My work says they are not expecting to see me, but I am planning to be there! Mom says that dad is doing ok, but still a bit sad. She also said one of my friends was there visiting after she had worked her shift at the hospital...thank you Brenda for checking on dad!!
After yesterday, I actually felt a little better. I think dealing with someone else's emergency situation was kind of like a mental break from our situation. It was still a bit stressful and everything, but seeing a fresh face and taking a break from the walls of the hospital was a nice change.....wish it wasn't under the circumstances that it was, but none the less, it was nice to focus on something different!
Well, I must go do laundry and run a few errands and try to catch a nap before work. The next few days will only be short updates since I will be getting them second hand. I don't think I will make it to the hospital with working and everything! Thank you for your continued prayers and support! And sorry for taking a few days off!!!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Dad - Day 10
I had every intention of posting an update yesterday, but time got away from me, and by the time we got home at 10pm, I crashed.
Yesterday was an ok day for dad. He was completely detached from everything except for his one initial chest tube and was feeling relatively well. In the afternoon, the antibiotics started taking a toll on him and his GI tract and although tired and weak, he was still hanging in there pretty good.
We headed home after change of shift and stopped to have one last dinner with Aunt Carol before she heads home, and as I said, by 10, I was out.
At about 11:30 I got a call from the hospital. Dad was confused and wanted to come home. I tried to talk to him on the phone, but he said that he needed me and wanted me to bring him home. I told him that I couldn't bring him home, but that I would come sit with him.
When I got to the hospital, dad was having a rough time. He was complaining of shoulder blade pain, was short of breath and his bladder was full but he couldn't go. The nurse was trying to do everything she could to take care of him, but dad just felt awful. I asked the nurse to get him something to help with his urination, and she did and then scanned dad's bladder with a ultrasound....his bladder was full. She had to empty his bladder with an in and out catheter, which took care of that problem.
I was really concerned about his pain and breathing but the episodes would ease some with pain medication, so the nurse didn't seem as concerned as I was. What worried me was that he kept putting his arm up above his head like he had been doing before, and in the time that I had left and returned, his chest tube drainage was looking more infectious. After a bit and a few other sets of eyes looking at dad, they agreed to do his morning chest xray a bit early. While they waited, they turned to chest tube back to suction. The xray showed that the tube had pulled back a little and air is probably getting trapped in his chest tissues causing pain. His white blood cell count is also climbing and his blood pressure has dropped again. They gave him some extra fluid to help with the blood pressure and we will have to wait to see if the infectious disease doctor has any new plans for his infection. Since his lung remains inflated, the turned the chest tube back to waterseal.
I did talk to the cardiothoracic surgeon this morning and haven't really discussed that whole situation with dad yet. The plan is still to do surgery on dad's lung to get the abcess out. Unfortunately, the time line that the surgeon gave today was in another week or two, meaning dad would have to stay in the hospital the whole time.
He has been doing so good and although feeling weak, has been very agreeable and kind. His legs just don't seem to be connecting with his brain right now, and although determined, he has not been able to bear weight. His legs just collapse on him. Over the past few days he has been doing his exercises and his hands and legs are getting stronger, but he definitely needs more time. He has been very nice to everyone and has been following directions amazingly well. There is one nurse that is more of a no nonsense type, and he is getting a bit frustrated with her tactics, but still has done remarkably well.
They were initially planning to transfer him out of CVCC, but with his events of the night, they have decided to keep him here. Since I stayed here with him, mom is taking Aunt Carol to the airport this morning, and I have asked Auntie to stay home with Delainey. She spent the whole day here yesterday and I think she needs to stay home and play, and if dad is still feeling this way, she really doesn't need to be here. Mom will head here after the airport and I will try to head home to get some sleep.
Although I don't mind being here if that is what dad wants or needs, I do hope that things calm down with him so that we can all get our rest. Since it sounds like we are in for a long haul, we are going to need rest wherever we can get it.
I hope that all of you mothers have a wonderful mothers day, and those who usually get cards from me....ummmmm, well, that just won't be happening this year....sorry!
I will update as I get more information and please change our address in your address books to the hospital since it sounds like we will be camping out for awhile. I wonder if they would notice if I slipped my laundry into the linen bags? Do you think they would know where to deliver the fluffed and folded clothes? Hmmmmm.....might be worth a try.....either way I won't have to do the laundry....if they do it for me, problem solved, if they don't return them....well, then, problem solved too! We'll see!
Yesterday was an ok day for dad. He was completely detached from everything except for his one initial chest tube and was feeling relatively well. In the afternoon, the antibiotics started taking a toll on him and his GI tract and although tired and weak, he was still hanging in there pretty good.
We headed home after change of shift and stopped to have one last dinner with Aunt Carol before she heads home, and as I said, by 10, I was out.
At about 11:30 I got a call from the hospital. Dad was confused and wanted to come home. I tried to talk to him on the phone, but he said that he needed me and wanted me to bring him home. I told him that I couldn't bring him home, but that I would come sit with him.
When I got to the hospital, dad was having a rough time. He was complaining of shoulder blade pain, was short of breath and his bladder was full but he couldn't go. The nurse was trying to do everything she could to take care of him, but dad just felt awful. I asked the nurse to get him something to help with his urination, and she did and then scanned dad's bladder with a ultrasound....his bladder was full. She had to empty his bladder with an in and out catheter, which took care of that problem.
I was really concerned about his pain and breathing but the episodes would ease some with pain medication, so the nurse didn't seem as concerned as I was. What worried me was that he kept putting his arm up above his head like he had been doing before, and in the time that I had left and returned, his chest tube drainage was looking more infectious. After a bit and a few other sets of eyes looking at dad, they agreed to do his morning chest xray a bit early. While they waited, they turned to chest tube back to suction. The xray showed that the tube had pulled back a little and air is probably getting trapped in his chest tissues causing pain. His white blood cell count is also climbing and his blood pressure has dropped again. They gave him some extra fluid to help with the blood pressure and we will have to wait to see if the infectious disease doctor has any new plans for his infection. Since his lung remains inflated, the turned the chest tube back to waterseal.
I did talk to the cardiothoracic surgeon this morning and haven't really discussed that whole situation with dad yet. The plan is still to do surgery on dad's lung to get the abcess out. Unfortunately, the time line that the surgeon gave today was in another week or two, meaning dad would have to stay in the hospital the whole time.
He has been doing so good and although feeling weak, has been very agreeable and kind. His legs just don't seem to be connecting with his brain right now, and although determined, he has not been able to bear weight. His legs just collapse on him. Over the past few days he has been doing his exercises and his hands and legs are getting stronger, but he definitely needs more time. He has been very nice to everyone and has been following directions amazingly well. There is one nurse that is more of a no nonsense type, and he is getting a bit frustrated with her tactics, but still has done remarkably well.
They were initially planning to transfer him out of CVCC, but with his events of the night, they have decided to keep him here. Since I stayed here with him, mom is taking Aunt Carol to the airport this morning, and I have asked Auntie to stay home with Delainey. She spent the whole day here yesterday and I think she needs to stay home and play, and if dad is still feeling this way, she really doesn't need to be here. Mom will head here after the airport and I will try to head home to get some sleep.
Although I don't mind being here if that is what dad wants or needs, I do hope that things calm down with him so that we can all get our rest. Since it sounds like we are in for a long haul, we are going to need rest wherever we can get it.
I hope that all of you mothers have a wonderful mothers day, and those who usually get cards from me....ummmmm, well, that just won't be happening this year....sorry!
I will update as I get more information and please change our address in your address books to the hospital since it sounds like we will be camping out for awhile. I wonder if they would notice if I slipped my laundry into the linen bags? Do you think they would know where to deliver the fluffed and folded clothes? Hmmmmm.....might be worth a try.....either way I won't have to do the laundry....if they do it for me, problem solved, if they don't return them....well, then, problem solved too! We'll see!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Dad - Day 8
Today, I took a morning break and didn't go into the hospital until the early afternoon. It was hard to do, but I needed to just stare at something other than hospital walls. Instead, I stared at the TV and watched pointless jibberish. It was very nice!!!
Dad is doing pretty good. They took out his 2 surgical chest tubes and a-line today, and just have him on a nasal cannula for oxygen. He is hurting when he coughs, as expected, but is doing pretty good as far as pain. His swelling is going down and he is doing his little stretches and moves to decrease the stiffness he has from laying in bed. He stood up with physical therapy and sat at the side of the bed for a few minutes later in the day. He is no longer on any drips and is down to one maintenance IV.
Unfortunately, his white count jumped today from 12 to 20. The infectious disease doctor saw him and said that we are heading closer and closer to surgery for his lung. They have been trying to buy some time with the heavy duty antibiotics, but it doesn't seem to be responding. They are not all that surprised since there is no blood flow to an abcess, so antibiotics aren't really getting to it either. They are planning to do another CT scan in a day or so to evaluate the abcess and go from there. Of course, they don't want to put dad thru more than he has to, but obviously it has to be resolved somehow. Despite all of this, they were able to "turn down" his chest tube (put to waterseal) and he has tolerated that great. I asked him if his breathing felt better than he was before all of this at home, and he said yes, so that is a good sign. He is on a better regime for his COPD, so I am glad that he is feeling some difference.
We had some tough talks today about what things will be like when this is all said and done, and he seems to be responding well. He knows that this is going to be a long haul and he is willing to do what needs to get done to recover. He says that things seem different to him this time. Although some may not agree with my tactics, I am honest with him. I have told him straight out that he would have died shortly without this surgery and the whole lifeline transport combined with that has made him realize how close he was to serious trouble.
We also had to have some serious discussions about some other things as well. As some of you know, Mom and dad are in the process of buying a home here locally. Things have been on somewhat of a hold due to inspection stuff, which has been a blessing, but deadlines are up this weekend. I asked dad what he wanted to do about it all and he said to just let the house go. Although I know that was hard for him to say, for him to realize that he may not be able to handle things was a big step for him. When I told mom, she wanted to talk to him more about it, so we did. He said that he was worried that he was not going to be able to do the things he wanted to with the house. We both told him that we could hire help to do things if he still really wanted the house, but that if he was worried about not being able to maintain the house, that was a different story. In the end, he said that he is more worried about now, so we decided to go ahead with it with the understand that he will not do ANYTHING and will just focus on recovery. I also threw in the stipulation that he would not be allowed to stay alone for awhile while mom travels. He agreed and said he doesn't want to stay alone, so that was good.....and amazing. He has even agreed that he will need to stay downstairs at my house and didn't even try to talk me out of doing some rearranging before he comes home. Usually he would try to talk me out of things like this and say that he can do it and that he will be just fine. This is all relieving to me, because as you all know....it's much easier to help people who are willing to be helped!
Tomorrow is Aunt Carol's last day here and I know that it will be hard for both her and dad. It has been a huge help to have her here, but we know we she will only be a phone call away. Maybe we can even set her up on Skype, so dad can video chat with her from the hospital!
The support that continues has been amazing and I am so thankful for you all. It is amazing what a familiar face or voice can do to ease your spirits during tough times! Thank you all for everything! Oh and by the way, Happy Nurse's Day/Week....I just realized today that I think I missed that!
Dad is doing pretty good. They took out his 2 surgical chest tubes and a-line today, and just have him on a nasal cannula for oxygen. He is hurting when he coughs, as expected, but is doing pretty good as far as pain. His swelling is going down and he is doing his little stretches and moves to decrease the stiffness he has from laying in bed. He stood up with physical therapy and sat at the side of the bed for a few minutes later in the day. He is no longer on any drips and is down to one maintenance IV.
Unfortunately, his white count jumped today from 12 to 20. The infectious disease doctor saw him and said that we are heading closer and closer to surgery for his lung. They have been trying to buy some time with the heavy duty antibiotics, but it doesn't seem to be responding. They are not all that surprised since there is no blood flow to an abcess, so antibiotics aren't really getting to it either. They are planning to do another CT scan in a day or so to evaluate the abcess and go from there. Of course, they don't want to put dad thru more than he has to, but obviously it has to be resolved somehow. Despite all of this, they were able to "turn down" his chest tube (put to waterseal) and he has tolerated that great. I asked him if his breathing felt better than he was before all of this at home, and he said yes, so that is a good sign. He is on a better regime for his COPD, so I am glad that he is feeling some difference.
We had some tough talks today about what things will be like when this is all said and done, and he seems to be responding well. He knows that this is going to be a long haul and he is willing to do what needs to get done to recover. He says that things seem different to him this time. Although some may not agree with my tactics, I am honest with him. I have told him straight out that he would have died shortly without this surgery and the whole lifeline transport combined with that has made him realize how close he was to serious trouble.
We also had to have some serious discussions about some other things as well. As some of you know, Mom and dad are in the process of buying a home here locally. Things have been on somewhat of a hold due to inspection stuff, which has been a blessing, but deadlines are up this weekend. I asked dad what he wanted to do about it all and he said to just let the house go. Although I know that was hard for him to say, for him to realize that he may not be able to handle things was a big step for him. When I told mom, she wanted to talk to him more about it, so we did. He said that he was worried that he was not going to be able to do the things he wanted to with the house. We both told him that we could hire help to do things if he still really wanted the house, but that if he was worried about not being able to maintain the house, that was a different story. In the end, he said that he is more worried about now, so we decided to go ahead with it with the understand that he will not do ANYTHING and will just focus on recovery. I also threw in the stipulation that he would not be allowed to stay alone for awhile while mom travels. He agreed and said he doesn't want to stay alone, so that was good.....and amazing. He has even agreed that he will need to stay downstairs at my house and didn't even try to talk me out of doing some rearranging before he comes home. Usually he would try to talk me out of things like this and say that he can do it and that he will be just fine. This is all relieving to me, because as you all know....it's much easier to help people who are willing to be helped!
Tomorrow is Aunt Carol's last day here and I know that it will be hard for both her and dad. It has been a huge help to have her here, but we know we she will only be a phone call away. Maybe we can even set her up on Skype, so dad can video chat with her from the hospital!
The support that continues has been amazing and I am so thankful for you all. It is amazing what a familiar face or voice can do to ease your spirits during tough times! Thank you all for everything! Oh and by the way, Happy Nurse's Day/Week....I just realized today that I think I missed that!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Dad - Day 7
Well, here we are a week later!
I never would have guessed last week when dad was admitted that I would be watching him get intubated, life lined to Methodist and have heart surgery! Definitely overwhelming but everything has been also very amazing. Dad has received amazing care both here and at North and has done well with every challenge that he has been presented with.
At this moment, his is still on the breathing machine. They are planning to removed that at some point today, but are waiting for the doctors to come do their rounds. He is still on continuous sedation and pain medication, but has built a bit of a tolerance and is more alert that he was previously. He is still on a small dose of Dopamine, but they are trying to wean that off slowly. The Amiodarone drip for his funky heart rhythm has been turned off without any problems. They also had him on a Nitroglycerin drip, which I forgot to mention, and that is off now, too. He is getting some maintenance IV fluid and antibiotics intermittently. They will remove his Swan Ganz cath today (internal measuring device) and I am hoping also his a-line. He will be left with his 3 chest tubes, central line, PICC line and catheter. Although that still sounds like a lot, it will be a lot less and a lot easier on him.
Mom and I were visiting in his room and I was helping the nurse turn him, and he opened his eyes and was moving about with stimulation. After he had calmed back down for a few minutes, he randomly opened his eyes and squeezed my hand to command. A few minutes later, his sister Carol came in and started talking to him. She asked if he could hear her and he shook his head yes. Mom then started talking more to him and he was also nodding. Mom had mentioned something about surgery and he furrowed his eyebrows. I asked if he remembered anything about needing or having surgery and he nodded no. I briefly told him about the heart surgery and explained that he may also be feeling pain in his leg from the graft site. I also caught him up to speed on his lung. I told him that he would probably forget this again, and that we would keep reminding him. We then told him that we would let him get some rest, and have left him alone for a bit. I will go back in there shortly and may or may not need to do another update later today.
He still looks good, from a nurses perspective, though, it is hard to see him in this state.
If things follow the plan and the information stays the same, I may not put another update, but if anything changes, I will let you all know.
As, always, big thank yous to everyone!
I never would have guessed last week when dad was admitted that I would be watching him get intubated, life lined to Methodist and have heart surgery! Definitely overwhelming but everything has been also very amazing. Dad has received amazing care both here and at North and has done well with every challenge that he has been presented with.
At this moment, his is still on the breathing machine. They are planning to removed that at some point today, but are waiting for the doctors to come do their rounds. He is still on continuous sedation and pain medication, but has built a bit of a tolerance and is more alert that he was previously. He is still on a small dose of Dopamine, but they are trying to wean that off slowly. The Amiodarone drip for his funky heart rhythm has been turned off without any problems. They also had him on a Nitroglycerin drip, which I forgot to mention, and that is off now, too. He is getting some maintenance IV fluid and antibiotics intermittently. They will remove his Swan Ganz cath today (internal measuring device) and I am hoping also his a-line. He will be left with his 3 chest tubes, central line, PICC line and catheter. Although that still sounds like a lot, it will be a lot less and a lot easier on him.
Mom and I were visiting in his room and I was helping the nurse turn him, and he opened his eyes and was moving about with stimulation. After he had calmed back down for a few minutes, he randomly opened his eyes and squeezed my hand to command. A few minutes later, his sister Carol came in and started talking to him. She asked if he could hear her and he shook his head yes. Mom then started talking more to him and he was also nodding. Mom had mentioned something about surgery and he furrowed his eyebrows. I asked if he remembered anything about needing or having surgery and he nodded no. I briefly told him about the heart surgery and explained that he may also be feeling pain in his leg from the graft site. I also caught him up to speed on his lung. I told him that he would probably forget this again, and that we would keep reminding him. We then told him that we would let him get some rest, and have left him alone for a bit. I will go back in there shortly and may or may not need to do another update later today.
He still looks good, from a nurses perspective, though, it is hard to see him in this state.
If things follow the plan and the information stays the same, I may not put another update, but if anything changes, I will let you all know.
As, always, big thank yous to everyone!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Dad - Day 6 - Part 3
Ok....this one is going to be a quickie!
We have just made it home and are going to turn in early after a very long and exhausting day at the hospital.
Not too much new since the last update.
The plan is to extubate dad tomorrow (take him off of the breathing machine). The doctors are all aware of his stubborn nature and strong will, so the pulmonologist (lung doctor) has said that they will probably just turn off the sedation and extubate right away. Often they like to wean the medicine off and watch for a few hours and then pull out the breathing tube. In dad's case, I don't know how well he would handle that. The pulmonologist said that he really thinks that dad will need a lung surgery but doesn't want to just keep him on the breathing machine if we don't have to.
The anesthesiologist also came by to check on dad, which I thought was nice. He also mentioned that during surgery they did an internal ultrasound of his heart. He said they saw that his left ventricle was enlarged, which is common with untreated high blood pressure, like dad's. He also said he had some issues with his mitral valve and that we would need to watch that. He said, obviously, they wouldn't do anything surgical to it at this time and that he may do fine for years with out needing any surgery. I think he just wanted to give us a forewarning. I will ask the surgeon/cardiologist more about that tomorrow, since it isn't something that he discussed with us earlier.
Today was a long, exhausting day, but tomorrow is going to be the real test! We are going to eat our Wheaties for sure!!!
I am sure that I will be in bed before Delainey tonight and am hoping and praying that dad will surprise us with calmness and understanding! We can use all the good vibes we can get!
We love you all and appreciate everything!!!
We have just made it home and are going to turn in early after a very long and exhausting day at the hospital.
Not too much new since the last update.
The plan is to extubate dad tomorrow (take him off of the breathing machine). The doctors are all aware of his stubborn nature and strong will, so the pulmonologist (lung doctor) has said that they will probably just turn off the sedation and extubate right away. Often they like to wean the medicine off and watch for a few hours and then pull out the breathing tube. In dad's case, I don't know how well he would handle that. The pulmonologist said that he really thinks that dad will need a lung surgery but doesn't want to just keep him on the breathing machine if we don't have to.
The anesthesiologist also came by to check on dad, which I thought was nice. He also mentioned that during surgery they did an internal ultrasound of his heart. He said they saw that his left ventricle was enlarged, which is common with untreated high blood pressure, like dad's. He also said he had some issues with his mitral valve and that we would need to watch that. He said, obviously, they wouldn't do anything surgical to it at this time and that he may do fine for years with out needing any surgery. I think he just wanted to give us a forewarning. I will ask the surgeon/cardiologist more about that tomorrow, since it isn't something that he discussed with us earlier.
Today was a long, exhausting day, but tomorrow is going to be the real test! We are going to eat our Wheaties for sure!!!
I am sure that I will be in bed before Delainey tonight and am hoping and praying that dad will surprise us with calmness and understanding! We can use all the good vibes we can get!
We love you all and appreciate everything!!!
Dad - Day 6 - Part 2
Dad is out of surgery and all went well. The surgeon bypassed 3 vessels and removed his left atrial appendage to get rid of the atrial fib that he was in (the funky heart rhythm that started the other night). I was thankful for this because it will cut down on one medication that he will need to take when this is all said and done.
We just were allowed to go back and see him for a few minutes and I am sure everyone else would have a different opinion, but from a nurses perspective, I think he looks good. They had him on a touch of Dopamine (a medicine to keep his blood pressure up), but it is at such a low level that I am sure the nurse will be able to turn it off shortly. Because they fixed his heart rhythm, I believe they will turn that medication off shortly, as well. They were getting ready to start his sedation back up to make sure that he stays calm and comfortable. He will most likely also stay on the breathing machine for at least the day (hopefully more). He still has his PICC line from the other day and now has a new central line with Swan Ganz (a fancy internal measuring device for my non-nurses), an a-line and a total of 3 chest tubes. The surgeon did say that his lung definitely has an abcess and he didn't want to get involved with that today. He is going to treat him with antibiotics and see what happens in a few days. He may need to surgically fix that as well, but it is a wait and see kind of thing. Dad's white blood cell count has cut in half since his admission, so he is definitely already responding to the antibiotics that they have him on.
Today they are really going to cut back on the visitation. They asked for 2 hours to get him organized and settled and then will allow us to go back two at a time. I think that they saw how rowdy we were in the waiting room....reminiscing was a good way to pass the time, but we laughed a little more than I think they expected. They actually put us in a private waiting room they call the quiet room....what were they thinking!!! With my family, this room will never be quiet, but it is nice that they have allowed the rest of the visitors some quiet time away from us.
I will try to do at least one more update later today, as I am sure that we will get more information later.
It sounds like we get one more day to gather our strength, so I am thankful. As soon as he gets his strength back and the tube out, the true test will begin.
Once again, I have been amazed by everything! I thank God for all of you and everything that you have all done for me and my family! We are so blessed!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We just were allowed to go back and see him for a few minutes and I am sure everyone else would have a different opinion, but from a nurses perspective, I think he looks good. They had him on a touch of Dopamine (a medicine to keep his blood pressure up), but it is at such a low level that I am sure the nurse will be able to turn it off shortly. Because they fixed his heart rhythm, I believe they will turn that medication off shortly, as well. They were getting ready to start his sedation back up to make sure that he stays calm and comfortable. He will most likely also stay on the breathing machine for at least the day (hopefully more). He still has his PICC line from the other day and now has a new central line with Swan Ganz (a fancy internal measuring device for my non-nurses), an a-line and a total of 3 chest tubes. The surgeon did say that his lung definitely has an abcess and he didn't want to get involved with that today. He is going to treat him with antibiotics and see what happens in a few days. He may need to surgically fix that as well, but it is a wait and see kind of thing. Dad's white blood cell count has cut in half since his admission, so he is definitely already responding to the antibiotics that they have him on.
Today they are really going to cut back on the visitation. They asked for 2 hours to get him organized and settled and then will allow us to go back two at a time. I think that they saw how rowdy we were in the waiting room....reminiscing was a good way to pass the time, but we laughed a little more than I think they expected. They actually put us in a private waiting room they call the quiet room....what were they thinking!!! With my family, this room will never be quiet, but it is nice that they have allowed the rest of the visitors some quiet time away from us.
I will try to do at least one more update later today, as I am sure that we will get more information later.
It sounds like we get one more day to gather our strength, so I am thankful. As soon as he gets his strength back and the tube out, the true test will begin.
Once again, I have been amazed by everything! I thank God for all of you and everything that you have all done for me and my family! We are so blessed!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Dad - Day 6 - Part 1
Well, dad is back in the OR now. He went back at about 830, as scheduled. We are camping out in the surgery waiting room , and have pretty much taken over a nice lil corner. Dad is severely out numbered by women, and if he had the ability he would be rolling his eyes about now.
When we saw him this morning, he was still on the sedation, and they had added a pain medication drip, so he looked much better. As soon as his sister, Carol, spoke to him, he turned his head to her quickly. We joked that we know who his favorite is. I joked and said we should manicure his eyebrows while he is asleep and he immediately turned his head away from me. Good to know Propofol and Fentanyl cannot tame his stubbornness!
While taking a potty break at about 920, I ran into the phyisician's assistant that is scrubbed in for his surgery. He said they hadn't started yet, but had a new central line and swan in and had been having a difficult time getting the a-line in. He said they were about to begin the actual surgery and that he still thought they would be out by noon....I held back my laugh out of respect, but really I do not think that they will be out in under 3 hours. We shall see though!
I will do multiple updates today, as both my mind and hands are hard to keep still, and I am sure that we will have periodic updates through the day.
And, as always.....thank you all for everything!!!!
When we saw him this morning, he was still on the sedation, and they had added a pain medication drip, so he looked much better. As soon as his sister, Carol, spoke to him, he turned his head to her quickly. We joked that we know who his favorite is. I joked and said we should manicure his eyebrows while he is asleep and he immediately turned his head away from me. Good to know Propofol and Fentanyl cannot tame his stubbornness!
While taking a potty break at about 920, I ran into the phyisician's assistant that is scrubbed in for his surgery. He said they hadn't started yet, but had a new central line and swan in and had been having a difficult time getting the a-line in. He said they were about to begin the actual surgery and that he still thought they would be out by noon....I held back my laugh out of respect, but really I do not think that they will be out in under 3 hours. We shall see though!
I will do multiple updates today, as both my mind and hands are hard to keep still, and I am sure that we will have periodic updates through the day.
And, as always.....thank you all for everything!!!!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Dad - Day 5
Let me start off by saying that I am humbled by all of the support. I am humbled by the outpouring of offers to help with Delainey, cook meals, do favors, etc... I am very humbled by all of wonderful friends and support that I (or more accurately, we) have both back in California and here in Indiana. This situation has been very eye opening and I am just amazed (and extremely thankful!).
As for dad, today has been pretty much the same. I got a phone call from the hospital in the middle of the night just to let me know that dad had gone into another funky heart rhythm (afib, for my nurses) and they started him on medication to control it. Besides that, he has been behaving himself. He is still on the breathing machine and still sedated. He does need more medication today than yesterday and still opens his eyes occasionally and we can still tell when he is mad (a good sign, in my opionion).
I talked to the surgeon and surgery is on for tomorrow at 8:30am. For now, they can only attempt to fix the heart and will need to try to bypass 3 and possibly 4 vessels. His lung looks more like there is an abcess and he doesn't want to risk introducing the infection into his heart cavity. He said that after the heart surgery we will see how things go and may still need to do lung surgery in a few days.
We are not sure how long he will need to be on the breathing machine and will have to see how that goes. Typically, people come off after a few hours, but dad is a bit more complicated. We are going to try to have an early night tonight so we can get up here early to see him before surgery.
Aunt Carol (dad's sister) and Auntie (aka Aunt Brenda, mom's sister) are both here now and I am so thankful!! Even with all of the support we have had, it is nice to have both of them here as well!
Continued thanks for EVERYTHING!!!! Words can not express!
As for dad, today has been pretty much the same. I got a phone call from the hospital in the middle of the night just to let me know that dad had gone into another funky heart rhythm (afib, for my nurses) and they started him on medication to control it. Besides that, he has been behaving himself. He is still on the breathing machine and still sedated. He does need more medication today than yesterday and still opens his eyes occasionally and we can still tell when he is mad (a good sign, in my opionion).
I talked to the surgeon and surgery is on for tomorrow at 8:30am. For now, they can only attempt to fix the heart and will need to try to bypass 3 and possibly 4 vessels. His lung looks more like there is an abcess and he doesn't want to risk introducing the infection into his heart cavity. He said that after the heart surgery we will see how things go and may still need to do lung surgery in a few days.
We are not sure how long he will need to be on the breathing machine and will have to see how that goes. Typically, people come off after a few hours, but dad is a bit more complicated. We are going to try to have an early night tonight so we can get up here early to see him before surgery.
Aunt Carol (dad's sister) and Auntie (aka Aunt Brenda, mom's sister) are both here now and I am so thankful!! Even with all of the support we have had, it is nice to have both of them here as well!
Continued thanks for EVERYTHING!!!! Words can not express!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Dad - Day 4
Well, this day has been chaotic....to put it lightly.
I called the ICU for an update this morning and all was pretty much the same. I got myself ready and was on the way to take Delainey to school when I got a phone call from the Cardiology NP saying that they wanted to take dad down for a heart cath within the next hour. I was a bit upset because over the weekend they had stated that this could wait until dad's lung situation had improved a bit. The way he is now, he is not going to tolerate laying flat. The NP stated that dad's lung wasn't improving/getting worse and there was concern that he was going to need lung surgery. With his heart status the way it is, they wanted to get heart clearance before putting him under for lung surgery. I understood the rationale but was very concerned about how dad would tolerate laying flat for prolonged periods at time. We agreed to go thru with it, and they took dad down for the procedure and discovered that he has extensive heart damage and needs open heart surgery. I was afraid of this happening and tried to talk to dad about this exact situation yesterday, but as expected, he wouldn't talk to me about and just kept saying we'll see when that happens.
I called the ICU for an update this morning and all was pretty much the same. I got myself ready and was on the way to take Delainey to school when I got a phone call from the Cardiology NP saying that they wanted to take dad down for a heart cath within the next hour. I was a bit upset because over the weekend they had stated that this could wait until dad's lung situation had improved a bit. The way he is now, he is not going to tolerate laying flat. The NP stated that dad's lung wasn't improving/getting worse and there was concern that he was going to need lung surgery. With his heart status the way it is, they wanted to get heart clearance before putting him under for lung surgery. I understood the rationale but was very concerned about how dad would tolerate laying flat for prolonged periods at time. We agreed to go thru with it, and they took dad down for the procedure and discovered that he has extensive heart damage and needs open heart surgery. I was afraid of this happening and tried to talk to dad about this exact situation yesterday, but as expected, he wouldn't talk to me about and just kept saying we'll see when that happens.
Today, when mom and I were faced with the decision, neither of us thought that dad would listen to what needs to be done and didn't think that it would be a good option for him. The doctors wanted a decision right then, and I said we needed to try to talk to dad. They took him back up to ICU and I tried to talk to him about it. He was still very drowsy but was able to tell us that he wanted to try the surgery. I made him repeat it to me a few times and I told him he needed to decide now, because if so, we needed to transfer him to another hospital quickly. He said "then lets move". So the scramble began....
The hospital arranged for his transfer downtown to a bigger hospital. As they were getting ready to move him, his breathing became more difficult and they decided to intubate him. They also put him on heavy sedation, and by the time we got downtown, they were able to wean off the two cardiac drips they had him on. His heart rate and blood pressure were much better and he breathing is much more relaxed now that he is sedated and the machine is doing most of the work for him.
We have family coming in to be here with us and we just learned that the plan is for open heart surgery on Wednesday. They delay is because the cardiothoracic surgeon is ill today. They will most likely fix his lung as well, during the surgery, if he tolerates it.
Right now we are pretty much in a wait and see position. I will keep the updates coming and appreciate everything from all of you. Please know that we are getting all of the well wishes but just haven't had a chance or the clarity to respond.
Thank you again to everyone!
The hospital arranged for his transfer downtown to a bigger hospital. As they were getting ready to move him, his breathing became more difficult and they decided to intubate him. They also put him on heavy sedation, and by the time we got downtown, they were able to wean off the two cardiac drips they had him on. His heart rate and blood pressure were much better and he breathing is much more relaxed now that he is sedated and the machine is doing most of the work for him.
We have family coming in to be here with us and we just learned that the plan is for open heart surgery on Wednesday. They delay is because the cardiothoracic surgeon is ill today. They will most likely fix his lung as well, during the surgery, if he tolerates it.
Right now we are pretty much in a wait and see position. I will keep the updates coming and appreciate everything from all of you. Please know that we are getting all of the well wishes but just haven't had a chance or the clarity to respond.
Thank you again to everyone!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Dad - Day 3
Well....here we are....Day 3 in the ICU.
Today has been a rough day.
On the way into the hospital around 11, I got a phone call from the doctor saying that dad had a rough start to the day. He had some more irregular heart beats and his pain was still really bad. They were concerned that this was a combination of his lung issues, as well as some cardiac issues. They consulted a cardiologist and she agreed that dad was experiencing some cardiac issues and most likely a small heart attack. Because of his risk factors and his current state, the decided to plan for a heart cath. Initially we were going to go thru with it for Monday, but after I started thinking about it, Dad is not going to be able to lay flat for the procedure and for 6 hours after. He has been sitting up in a chair position for the past few days. They had already started medically managing him, and have him on a nitroglycerin drip, so the cardiologist believes that we should wait a few days until his lung issues improve.
He is still getting his PCA pain medication and had gotten some medication in between for his heart related chest pain.
I made him a meatloaf, since he had been talking about it, and he took a few bites. He is eating some chicken and dumplings right now, and has ate more than I expected.
This afternoon he is really confused. He doesn't realize that he is in the hospital most of the time and keeps thinking that we are going out to dinner. He also keeps asking who is here when he hears the nurses at the desk.
In his clear moments, he has vowed that he will not smoke again and has said that he will do whatever the doctors say he needs to do. I think this has all scared him straight, although I have seen this in the past, just not to this extreme. I hope and pray he keeps to his promises!
He has been nice to everyone, for the most part. Occasionally he lets out a grumpy statement, but I am impressed he has done so well. He has pulled off his oxygen and pulled at his O2 sat probe a few times, but after I reorient him, he calms down. I have warned the nurses that they may be in for it tonight. Hopefully he will just sleep all night!
After all of this cardiac stuff began, I called mom and she started making arrangements to come home. She should arrive around 10:30 tonight and I have a feeling she will come straight here. She is stressing out horribly, and although I understand, I hope she can hold it together once she is here!
Again, I appreciate all of the support! Please do not think we are ignoring phone calls or texts! I appreciate them all. I have just had a hard time responding to all of them and I am sure mom has too.
I will keep the updates coming, and please keep the prayers and thoughts coming!
Thanks again!
Today has been a rough day.
On the way into the hospital around 11, I got a phone call from the doctor saying that dad had a rough start to the day. He had some more irregular heart beats and his pain was still really bad. They were concerned that this was a combination of his lung issues, as well as some cardiac issues. They consulted a cardiologist and she agreed that dad was experiencing some cardiac issues and most likely a small heart attack. Because of his risk factors and his current state, the decided to plan for a heart cath. Initially we were going to go thru with it for Monday, but after I started thinking about it, Dad is not going to be able to lay flat for the procedure and for 6 hours after. He has been sitting up in a chair position for the past few days. They had already started medically managing him, and have him on a nitroglycerin drip, so the cardiologist believes that we should wait a few days until his lung issues improve.
He is still getting his PCA pain medication and had gotten some medication in between for his heart related chest pain.
I made him a meatloaf, since he had been talking about it, and he took a few bites. He is eating some chicken and dumplings right now, and has ate more than I expected.
This afternoon he is really confused. He doesn't realize that he is in the hospital most of the time and keeps thinking that we are going out to dinner. He also keeps asking who is here when he hears the nurses at the desk.
In his clear moments, he has vowed that he will not smoke again and has said that he will do whatever the doctors say he needs to do. I think this has all scared him straight, although I have seen this in the past, just not to this extreme. I hope and pray he keeps to his promises!
He has been nice to everyone, for the most part. Occasionally he lets out a grumpy statement, but I am impressed he has done so well. He has pulled off his oxygen and pulled at his O2 sat probe a few times, but after I reorient him, he calms down. I have warned the nurses that they may be in for it tonight. Hopefully he will just sleep all night!
After all of this cardiac stuff began, I called mom and she started making arrangements to come home. She should arrive around 10:30 tonight and I have a feeling she will come straight here. She is stressing out horribly, and although I understand, I hope she can hold it together once she is here!
Again, I appreciate all of the support! Please do not think we are ignoring phone calls or texts! I appreciate them all. I have just had a hard time responding to all of them and I am sure mom has too.
I will keep the updates coming, and please keep the prayers and thoughts coming!
Thanks again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)