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!