Today I talked to the nurse and three of the Dr.s about her feeding on the PEG when they take her off the IV feeding. The reason they stopped the feeding through her nose tube was due to the fact that it seemed to go right through and not provide any nourishment. I pointed out that she has been on Ultrace for 15-16 years. Ultrace provides the digestive enzymes usually provide by the pancreas. Since hers no longer works she needs the Ultrace.
She has been wearing ROOKE boots for the last week and her feet and legs look much better. Stylish too.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sensational Sunday
Wow! What a glorious morning this has been! Dorothea is awake, alert, eyes wide open, smiling, and "talking" to us!!! Because she is on the ventilator there is no sound when she talks, so we are working on our lip reading skills. We do pretty well when she is responding to us or commenting on what we are talking about. When she attempts to initiate new conversation it is much more challenging and frustrating for her. We are encouraging her to work on stretching her arms, wrists, and fingers so that we might be able to have her write on a white board or use a keyboard.
I brought all of her cards and notes over to her this morning. She did not want me to read them to her - she wanted to read them herself - which was great to see!
There has been no bleeding since 3am, so we are hopeful that is over. Her sugar levels have been good.
We brought Dorothea up to date on all of her health issues and tried to let her know that she is moving forward. It is amazing the difference of getting that sedation out of her system. It has been a full week since she has been truly alert and able to communicate so this is such an exciting and tearful day! Please contine to keep your prayers coming - our Lord will provide her the strength she needs to battle through this!
I brought all of her cards and notes over to her this morning. She did not want me to read them to her - she wanted to read them herself - which was great to see!
There has been no bleeding since 3am, so we are hopeful that is over. Her sugar levels have been good.
We brought Dorothea up to date on all of her health issues and tried to let her know that she is moving forward. It is amazing the difference of getting that sedation out of her system. It has been a full week since she has been truly alert and able to communicate so this is such an exciting and tearful day! Please contine to keep your prayers coming - our Lord will provide her the strength she needs to battle through this!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
1/30 another update
Dorothea became a little more alert this afternoon - the sedation is beginning to wear off. She was able to raise each arm and move each leg upon the doctor's request. She had a few times of being totally alert, eyes wide open, and obviously looking at us and listening to us. The first time she looked at me today with eyes wide open, it was such a good feeling. It has been 6 days since she has been too that alert. As soon as she tried to talk though, it just made me cry. I have been very strong these past two weeks... for those of who know how easily I cry - you would be very amazed at my strengh while in front of my mom! Anyway - it just made me cry to see her try to speak and not be able to make a sound. I cannot begin to imagine the frustration, fear, anxiety, and pain that she must be dealing with. She is such a strong woman!!!
The doctors decided that the blood in the renal catheter was being caused by the catheter, so they have removed it.
The respiratory therapist came by again this afternoon while I was there. He is very encouraged (and so are we) by her numbers today. He seems to be more optomistic than the doctor as far as how long she will need the ventilator. He feels that the doctor has given us really long estimates, so that way if it happens sooner, we will be thrilled! The respiratory therapist really wants to try to push her and see what she can handle. So far she is meeting or exceeding his expectations for her.
I think I mentioned in a previous post that they had stopped the feeding tube early this morning. They have still not started that back up. As of late this afternoon her stomach was not "working". I guess they can hear things with their stethoscope, and they are not hearing what they need to. They are telling us that they believe her stomach is still sedated, we need to wait for it to "wake up" - then they will resume the nutrition. Until that time, she will be just receiving IV fluids. Dorothea has a hard time getting sedatives out of her system - especially since her kidneys are not functioning.
The nurse summed today up as Harold was leaving the hospital - today was a positive day! She is right, and we need to cling to every positive step forward.
8pm - I just received a call from Harold - so I want to update information above. The bleeding has not lessened, so it must not be from the catheter insertion. The doctors will look into this tomorrow to figure out why she is bleeding. For tonight, they are giving her 2 units of packed red cells to increase her red blood cell count and her hemoglobin.
The doctors decided that the blood in the renal catheter was being caused by the catheter, so they have removed it.
The respiratory therapist came by again this afternoon while I was there. He is very encouraged (and so are we) by her numbers today. He seems to be more optomistic than the doctor as far as how long she will need the ventilator. He feels that the doctor has given us really long estimates, so that way if it happens sooner, we will be thrilled! The respiratory therapist really wants to try to push her and see what she can handle. So far she is meeting or exceeding his expectations for her.
I think I mentioned in a previous post that they had stopped the feeding tube early this morning. They have still not started that back up. As of late this afternoon her stomach was not "working". I guess they can hear things with their stethoscope, and they are not hearing what they need to. They are telling us that they believe her stomach is still sedated, we need to wait for it to "wake up" - then they will resume the nutrition. Until that time, she will be just receiving IV fluids. Dorothea has a hard time getting sedatives out of her system - especially since her kidneys are not functioning.
The nurse summed today up as Harold was leaving the hospital - today was a positive day! She is right, and we need to cling to every positive step forward.
8pm - I just received a call from Harold - so I want to update information above. The bleeding has not lessened, so it must not be from the catheter insertion. The doctors will look into this tomorrow to figure out why she is bleeding. For tonight, they are giving her 2 units of packed red cells to increase her red blood cell count and her hemoglobin.
1/30 Update
The respiratory therapist was in this morning and adjusted the ventilator to allow Dorothea to breathe more on her own. They will make adjustments as needed, letting the machine help her when necessary, and taking over for her when her lungs are tired and not able to work hard enough to keep the numbers where they need to be. The lung specialist let us know that she will be on the ventilator for quite a while. He first said weeks... then he said it could be as soon as 2-3 weeks, but he thinks it will more likely be 6-8 weeks. This is tough to hear. However, it is better to know and be prepared for the long haul. So, as long as she is on the ventilator she will not be able to speak, or eat by mouth.
The PEG (stomach feeding tube) was put in yesterday afternoon. They began her feeding again early this morning. However, there is now blood in the renal catheter, so they have stopped the feeding for now. When I left this morning they were waiting on the doctor to come in and take a look and see what might be causing the blood. It is possible that it is a side effect of the PEG. I will update on that when I know more.
The lung Dr. confirmed that she does have pneumonia, which they are treating her for with antibiotics. She will be on that for 10-14 days. She is still in "isolation" - we need to wear gowns and gloves when in her room. I was wrong about the masks though - they do not feel the infection is airborne.
Dr. Bradley (lung dr.) described Dorothea as being in a catabolic state - and what we want her to be in is anabolic state. Look it up if you want to... a little too complicated for my non-medically educated brain! But basically my understanding is that her body is not putting everything together like it needs to(synthesizing). They are providing her with everything she needs to rebuild, but now it is up to her body to put it all together. Hopefully I have not mis-spoke on any of that - but that is the way I understood what he was telling me.
We continue to look for all of the baby steps to keep our spirits and hope up. It was great to see her doing some of her own breathing this morning. The respiratory therapist was pleased with her efforts, good to hear.
Again, she is receiving LOTS of great care from a great staff. Please keep your prayers coming! Thank you for your continued support!
The PEG (stomach feeding tube) was put in yesterday afternoon. They began her feeding again early this morning. However, there is now blood in the renal catheter, so they have stopped the feeding for now. When I left this morning they were waiting on the doctor to come in and take a look and see what might be causing the blood. It is possible that it is a side effect of the PEG. I will update on that when I know more.
The lung Dr. confirmed that she does have pneumonia, which they are treating her for with antibiotics. She will be on that for 10-14 days. She is still in "isolation" - we need to wear gowns and gloves when in her room. I was wrong about the masks though - they do not feel the infection is airborne.
Dr. Bradley (lung dr.) described Dorothea as being in a catabolic state - and what we want her to be in is anabolic state. Look it up if you want to... a little too complicated for my non-medically educated brain! But basically my understanding is that her body is not putting everything together like it needs to(synthesizing). They are providing her with everything she needs to rebuild, but now it is up to her body to put it all together. Hopefully I have not mis-spoke on any of that - but that is the way I understood what he was telling me.
We continue to look for all of the baby steps to keep our spirits and hope up. It was great to see her doing some of her own breathing this morning. The respiratory therapist was pleased with her efforts, good to hear.
Again, she is receiving LOTS of great care from a great staff. Please keep your prayers coming! Thank you for your continued support!
Friday, January 29, 2010
More Who
Two more of the crew who I missed:
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/21434
Kristine Gish Herron, MD Nephrology Nephrology Associates
1295 East 151st Street
Suite 7
Olathe, KS 66062
Phone: 913-381-0622
Fax: 913-254-1120
Watching her Kidneys
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20844
Glenn A. Mackay, MD Infectious Disease United Medical Group, Llc
5701 State Ave.
Suite 100
Kansas City, KS 66102
Phone: 913-287-7800
Fax: 913-287-1112
Looking after the bugs.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/21434
Kristine Gish Herron, MD Nephrology Nephrology Associates
1295 East 151st Street
Suite 7
Olathe, KS 66062
Phone: 913-381-0622
Fax: 913-254-1120
Watching her Kidneys
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20844
Glenn A. Mackay, MD Infectious Disease United Medical Group, Llc
5701 State Ave.
Suite 100
Kansas City, KS 66102
Phone: 913-287-7800
Fax: 913-287-1112
Looking after the bugs.
1/29 Isolation
Dorothea had a good night...uneventful which is good! Her sugar levels have remained good. Her white blood cell count is still high. The infectious diseases doctor came by and talked with Harold this morning. Since her white blood cell count is still high, they believe she may have another infection besides the one they are treating her for. Because of this, they have put her in isolation which means that everyone has to wear a gown, mask, and gloves when entering her room.
She is scheduled to have a stomach feeding tube put in this afternoon at 3pm. It will be great to get the tube out of her nose and have her face totally free of "stuff"! No dialysis today, they will do another treatment tomorrow.
She moved her arms around a little this morning (while she was under sedation) - it was good to see her move a little bit, she has been very still for days. She opened her eyes a few times this morning, but did not squeeze my hand or shake her head at all. I went in for the early shift and Harold enjoyed an extra hour of sleep. I am grateful that he allowed me to do that, and hope that he will continue to allow all of us to help him.
She is scheduled to have a stomach feeding tube put in this afternoon at 3pm. It will be great to get the tube out of her nose and have her face totally free of "stuff"! No dialysis today, they will do another treatment tomorrow.
She moved her arms around a little this morning (while she was under sedation) - it was good to see her move a little bit, she has been very still for days. She opened her eyes a few times this morning, but did not squeeze my hand or shake her head at all. I went in for the early shift and Harold enjoyed an extra hour of sleep. I am grateful that he allowed me to do that, and hope that he will continue to allow all of us to help him.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Where and Who
For the out-of-town readers:
She is in a Hill-Rom Totalcare Sport model bed:
http://www.hill-rom.com/USA/TotalCareSport.htm
Here is where Dorothea is in the CCU room 15:
http://www.olathehealth.org/About-Us/Olathe-Medical-Center
These are the Doctors who have seen her so far:
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/21645
Robin H. Murphy, ARNP Allied Health Cardiology Services
20805 W. 151st St., Suite. 400
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-780-4900
Fax: 913-780-0949
Robin was the one she went to with the water retention.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20641
Jay W. Murphy, MD, FACC Cardiovascular Care (Heart) Cardiology Services
20805 W. 151st St., Suite. 400
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-780-4900
Fax: 913-780-0949
Her regular Cardio Dr.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20658
Steven S. Whitfield, MD, FACC Cardiovascular Care (Heart) Cardiology Services
20805 W. 151st St., Suite. 400
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-780-4900
Fax: 913-780-0949
He did the Angioplasty
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/27239
James E. Miller, MD Cardiothoracic Surgery Kansas Heart & Lung Surgeons
20375 W. 151st St.
Suite 212
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-390-8050
Fax: 913-390-8049
This is the Surgeon.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20691
Rangarao V. Tummala, MD, FACC Cardiovascular Care (Heart) Cardiology Services
20805 W. 151st St., Suite. 400
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-780-4900
Fax: 913-780-0949
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20686
C. David Rios, MD, FACC Cardiovascular Care (Heart) Cardiology Services
20805 W. 151st St., Suite. 400
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-780-4900
Fax: 913-780-0949
These cover for Dr Murphy.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/21536
James K. Bradley, MD Critical / Intensive Care Consultants In Pulmonary Medicine
20375 West 151st Street
Suite 451
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-829-0446
Fax: 913-829-7829
Watching her Lungs.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/29347
Christopher G. McKnight, MD Internal Medicine Associates in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
20805 W. 151st St.
Suite 201
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-393-4888
Fax: 913-764-6884
Started out watching her Blood Sugar but somehow did not listen when I said she was very brittle. After we refused his first order of too much insulin, he did not contact me, nor after the second time, nor after the third time. After talking to the charge nurse we went with
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20935
Andrew J. Green, MD Diabetes Care Midwestern Endocrinology, P.A.
5520 College Boulevard
Suite 330
Overland Park, KS 66211
Phone: 913-451-9888
Fax: 913-451-2651
Who not only talks to us but also listens.
Harold
She is in a Hill-Rom Totalcare Sport model bed:
http://www.hill-rom.com/USA/TotalCareSport.htm
Here is where Dorothea is in the CCU room 15:
http://www.olathehealth.org/About-Us/Olathe-Medical-Center
These are the Doctors who have seen her so far:
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/21645
Robin H. Murphy, ARNP Allied Health Cardiology Services
20805 W. 151st St., Suite. 400
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-780-4900
Fax: 913-780-0949
Robin was the one she went to with the water retention.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20641
Jay W. Murphy, MD, FACC Cardiovascular Care (Heart) Cardiology Services
20805 W. 151st St., Suite. 400
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-780-4900
Fax: 913-780-0949
Her regular Cardio Dr.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20658
Steven S. Whitfield, MD, FACC Cardiovascular Care (Heart) Cardiology Services
20805 W. 151st St., Suite. 400
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-780-4900
Fax: 913-780-0949
He did the Angioplasty
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/27239
James E. Miller, MD Cardiothoracic Surgery Kansas Heart & Lung Surgeons
20375 W. 151st St.
Suite 212
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-390-8050
Fax: 913-390-8049
This is the Surgeon.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20691
Rangarao V. Tummala, MD, FACC Cardiovascular Care (Heart) Cardiology Services
20805 W. 151st St., Suite. 400
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-780-4900
Fax: 913-780-0949
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20686
C. David Rios, MD, FACC Cardiovascular Care (Heart) Cardiology Services
20805 W. 151st St., Suite. 400
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-780-4900
Fax: 913-780-0949
These cover for Dr Murphy.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/21536
James K. Bradley, MD Critical / Intensive Care Consultants In Pulmonary Medicine
20375 West 151st Street
Suite 451
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-829-0446
Fax: 913-829-7829
Watching her Lungs.
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/29347
Christopher G. McKnight, MD Internal Medicine Associates in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
20805 W. 151st St.
Suite 201
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: 913-393-4888
Fax: 913-764-6884
Started out watching her Blood Sugar but somehow did not listen when I said she was very brittle. After we refused his first order of too much insulin, he did not contact me, nor after the second time, nor after the third time. After talking to the charge nurse we went with
http://www.olathehealth.org/PhysicianDirectory/20935
Andrew J. Green, MD Diabetes Care Midwestern Endocrinology, P.A.
5520 College Boulevard
Suite 330
Overland Park, KS 66211
Phone: 913-451-9888
Fax: 913-451-2651
Who not only talks to us but also listens.
Harold
Tracheotomy update
Dorothea came through the tracheotomy procedure just fine. The ventilator is now attached to the tracheotomy tube. As long as she needs help breathing the ventilator will be attached. Which means that she will not be able to speak during this time. When she no longer needs the ventilator, she will be able to speak by covering up the hole on tracheotomy tube. The doctor says that when they are ready to wean her off of the tube that will take 10 days to 3 months.
Harold clarified for me that the infection in her lung is not a rare infection, but it is not normally seen in the lungs, and the nurses were unfamiliar with the infection.
The doctor is also wanting to remove her nose feeding tube and have a stomach feeding tube inserted. This will be so nice for her to not have anything attached to her nose or mouth!:)
I am grateful that all went well with the procedure today. Every time they have to put her under anesthesia is unsettling.
Harold clarified for me that the infection in her lung is not a rare infection, but it is not normally seen in the lungs, and the nurses were unfamiliar with the infection.
The doctor is also wanting to remove her nose feeding tube and have a stomach feeding tube inserted. This will be so nice for her to not have anything attached to her nose or mouth!:)
I am grateful that all went well with the procedure today. Every time they have to put her under anesthesia is unsettling.
1/28 Lots of news...
For many days we have been waiting to hear what type of infection Dorothea has (her white blood count has been high for a while). They have finally diagnosed it as a rare lung infection called Citrobacter Freundil. The doctors are now able to treat her specifically for that type of infection, so hopefully they can get that cleared up quickly. Last night before they knew a lot about the infection they had Dorothea in isolation and were requiring everyone to wear gowns and masks. Now that the staff knows more about the infection, there is no more isolation, and we do not have to wear gowns and masks.
Dorothea's temperature and white blood count have come down a little. Her sugar levels are great! Her kidneys are still not functioning. The doctor has said that he has seen patients who have had to move to dialysis, but then 2-3 months later the kidney starts working again. Hopefully this is the case here. She is undergoing another dialysis treatment this morning, removing 1.5 liters of fluid today. They will not do dialysis Friday, but will start back up on Saturday. Dialysis can be very exhausting, so the break will probably be good for her tomorrow.
Her heart surgeon has been out of town for the last week. He returned this morning and was disappointed to see where she is at right now. When he left town she was alert and talking, so this obviously is not what he had hoped for. He and Harold have discussed that they both want to see her off of the respirator and not so sedated. They are planning on removing the respirator tube early this afternoon. They still need a way to help her breathe in case she "forgets" to breathe - so they are going to do a tracheotomy today also. Harold says that this will be temporary - it is there in case they need it. When she is no longer having difficulty with her breathing, they will remove it.
She still has a lot of fluid and some wounds that are not healing, but they are doing everything they can to help with these issues.
Please continue to pray for her recovery, and please keep Harold in your prayers as well, this is so very difficult for him.
Dorothea's temperature and white blood count have come down a little. Her sugar levels are great! Her kidneys are still not functioning. The doctor has said that he has seen patients who have had to move to dialysis, but then 2-3 months later the kidney starts working again. Hopefully this is the case here. She is undergoing another dialysis treatment this morning, removing 1.5 liters of fluid today. They will not do dialysis Friday, but will start back up on Saturday. Dialysis can be very exhausting, so the break will probably be good for her tomorrow.
Her heart surgeon has been out of town for the last week. He returned this morning and was disappointed to see where she is at right now. When he left town she was alert and talking, so this obviously is not what he had hoped for. He and Harold have discussed that they both want to see her off of the respirator and not so sedated. They are planning on removing the respirator tube early this afternoon. They still need a way to help her breathe in case she "forgets" to breathe - so they are going to do a tracheotomy today also. Harold says that this will be temporary - it is there in case they need it. When she is no longer having difficulty with her breathing, they will remove it.
She still has a lot of fluid and some wounds that are not healing, but they are doing everything they can to help with these issues.
Please continue to pray for her recovery, and please keep Harold in your prayers as well, this is so very difficult for him.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
1/27 Update on progress
Dorothea is receiving another dialysis treatment this morning. The kidney specialist was in this morning and told Harold that they will plan on doing the dialysis again on Thursday, Saturday, and Monday. Today they are removing 3 liters of fluid. Dorothea has 22 POUNDS of extra fluid weight right now. Since her kidneys are not functioning they have to rely on the dialysis machine to remove all of that fluid that she is retaining.
Harold says that her feet are looking much better. They were very red yesterday, but seem to be reacting well to the warmth of the boots that they have put on her. So happy to hear that!!!
Last night Harold asked them to look a little closer at a couple of wounds that were not healing on Dorothea's left arm. A wound specialist paid her a visit and has her bandaged up, and will continue to monitor the wounds. I believe they are locations where tubes have been removed, and she just hasn't healed well after they were removed.
Her white blood count has decreased slightly (good) and her temperature and blood sugar levels are good.
She is still pretty heavily sedated, but she did acknowledge me a couple of times this morning and shook her head yes a couple of times. It's nice that the kids have all sorts of fun things going on in their lives, so it gives me something fun and uplifting to talk to her about.
Harold says that her feet are looking much better. They were very red yesterday, but seem to be reacting well to the warmth of the boots that they have put on her. So happy to hear that!!!
Last night Harold asked them to look a little closer at a couple of wounds that were not healing on Dorothea's left arm. A wound specialist paid her a visit and has her bandaged up, and will continue to monitor the wounds. I believe they are locations where tubes have been removed, and she just hasn't healed well after they were removed.
Her white blood count has decreased slightly (good) and her temperature and blood sugar levels are good.
She is still pretty heavily sedated, but she did acknowledge me a couple of times this morning and shook her head yes a couple of times. It's nice that the kids have all sorts of fun things going on in their lives, so it gives me something fun and uplifting to talk to her about.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
1/26 Dialysis began this morning
Dorothea had her first Dialysis treatment this morning. A nurse stayed with her the entire time to monitor the process, so I asked a few questions of him... The longest time they can run the machine is 3.5 hours. The machine works as an artificial kidney - it pulls out impurities from her blood, and excess fluid, then returns the blood to her. They had the machine set to run for 3.0 hours, and to remove 2.5 liters of fluid. The kidney specialist came in and let us know that she is planning on running it for 3 days, then re-evaluating at that point. Her blood pressure did drop after having dialysis, so they gave her some medication to bring her blood pressure back up to normal levels. Harold and I could see a definite decrease in swelling of her hands, and her nails are much closer to a normal color (they have been blue for days). They have increased the amount of sedation to help her remain at rest. She still opens her eyes sometimes and will respond to yes/no questions. She often grimaces in pain when touched. The nurse tells me that pain is due to the swelling and lack of movement.
The doctors were concerned about her right foot yesterday, it seemed to have a dark spot on the bottom, indicating lack of circulation I believe. They have now placed furry "boots" on both of her feet and lower legs. Underneath the boots she also has an air filled contraption that blows up periodically to stimulate circulation in her legs.
Her blood sugar has remained good, thankfully. I will be back up to see her this afternoon,if there is any new news, I will post again. Thank you for checking in to see how she is doing! Keep those prayers coming!
The doctors were concerned about her right foot yesterday, it seemed to have a dark spot on the bottom, indicating lack of circulation I believe. They have now placed furry "boots" on both of her feet and lower legs. Underneath the boots she also has an air filled contraption that blows up periodically to stimulate circulation in her legs.
Her blood sugar has remained good, thankfully. I will be back up to see her this afternoon,if there is any new news, I will post again. Thank you for checking in to see how she is doing! Keep those prayers coming!
Monday, January 25, 2010
1/25 Dialysis
Dorothea is more alert than I had expected her to be today. They are keeping her mildly sedated, but her eyes are open much of the time. She seems to be hearing us talk to her, and she is able to nod her head. When someone needs to move her arms or legs she seems to be mouthing "ow". It is difficult to see her in pain. She is very swollen, the nurse thinks that is why it is hurting her when they need to move her arms or legs.
She has a fever of 102, they are still awaiting test results to see if she has an infeciton somewhere. The chest x-ray yesterday looked good, no pneumonia.
Her kidneys are still not functioning. The Dr. came in today and said that her kidney function has gone down each day, so they have decided it is time to get her on a Dialysis machine. Her kidneys were working fine before the bypass surgery, so the Dr. is hoping that she will only need the dialysis temporarily. Hopefully her kidneys are just still in shock from the surgery, and just need more time to become fully functioning. They are putting the shunt in this afternoon, and will hopefully begin dialysis later today, otherwise it will be tomorrow morning. The process takes 3-4 hours, and they will be doing it daily. The dialysis will hopefully help Dorothea in a multitude of ways!
It was so nice to see mom's eyes open today, but at the same time, I would like for her to be resting soundly so that her body can heal! Please keep your prayers coming for Dorothea, Harold, and all of the MANY staff people at the hospital!
She has a fever of 102, they are still awaiting test results to see if she has an infeciton somewhere. The chest x-ray yesterday looked good, no pneumonia.
Her kidneys are still not functioning. The Dr. came in today and said that her kidney function has gone down each day, so they have decided it is time to get her on a Dialysis machine. Her kidneys were working fine before the bypass surgery, so the Dr. is hoping that she will only need the dialysis temporarily. Hopefully her kidneys are just still in shock from the surgery, and just need more time to become fully functioning. They are putting the shunt in this afternoon, and will hopefully begin dialysis later today, otherwise it will be tomorrow morning. The process takes 3-4 hours, and they will be doing it daily. The dialysis will hopefully help Dorothea in a multitude of ways!
It was so nice to see mom's eyes open today, but at the same time, I would like for her to be resting soundly so that her body can heal! Please keep your prayers coming for Dorothea, Harold, and all of the MANY staff people at the hospital!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
1/24 Please post messages for Dorothea in this post
Please click on "comments" and post any messages here that you would like for us to get to Dorothea. Thanks!
1/24 Intubation
Harold told me that Dorothea was breathing 35 - 40 shallow breaths a minute earlier today, and that is why they decided to intubate her. They will keep the intubation tube in for a few days, and she will remain sedated for the same time period. This will allow Dorothea to get a good deal of solid rest that she has not been able to get in over a week. This should be a great help in her healing process. It is hard to not be able to communicate with her, but it is comforting to know that she is resting well and peacefully. Her hemoglobin number was down, so they gave her 2 units of blood this afternoon. She received wonderful care from her nurse, Bonnie, today. It is amazing to me how much the nurses do, and how much they must know in order to take care of so many issues.
1/24 AM visit & Call from Harold
I visited with Dorothea this morning, along with Harold and John. The nurses said that she seemed to sleep well last night. She was very tired, yet she was alert almost the entire time I was there (about 90 minutes). She listened to our conversations and every once in a while would say something, or smile. She seemed very restless, moving her legs around. We teased her that she wanted to run out of the hospital. There is only supposed to be 2 visitors at a time, but they allowed us to have all 3 of us, which was very nice.
Harold just called with the following update. He met with a new Diabetes Dr. who actually took the time to sit down and talk with him! They came to a compromise and they are going to start Dorothea on the 24 hr insulin, but start in low dosages rather than the high dosages that were being ordered. Harold seems pleased with this compromise.
Dorothea is having much more trouble breathing, so they have decided to intubate her. This process is going on as I type this message. Please keep your prayers coming, Dorothea needs a lot of faith and strength to fight through this battle. Please pray for Harold as well.
Harold just called with the following update. He met with a new Diabetes Dr. who actually took the time to sit down and talk with him! They came to a compromise and they are going to start Dorothea on the 24 hr insulin, but start in low dosages rather than the high dosages that were being ordered. Harold seems pleased with this compromise.
Dorothea is having much more trouble breathing, so they have decided to intubate her. This process is going on as I type this message. Please keep your prayers coming, Dorothea needs a lot of faith and strength to fight through this battle. Please pray for Harold as well.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
1/23 Visit with mom
Harold told me that Dorothea sat in her chair this morning for 90 minutes, was alert and talkative. When Don and I visited around Noon today mom was receiving a nebulizer treatment. She was still very tired from being up in the chair this morning. We were not sure if she was awake or not, but we talked to her for quite a while. When we were leaving and telling her goodbye she acknowledged us and told us that she loved us.
I went back to see mom around 6pm and she was still very tired. I think she was awake and listening to me, and I asked her to squeeze my hand to let me know if she was hearing me, and she did squeeze my hand. As I was telling her goodbye, she acknoweldged me and told me she loved me. Her eyes were closed all of the time, except when she coughs. The coughing is obviously very painful and takes a lot of energy out of her.
I went back to see mom around 6pm and she was still very tired. I think she was awake and listening to me, and I asked her to squeeze my hand to let me know if she was hearing me, and she did squeeze my hand. As I was telling her goodbye, she acknoweldged me and told me she loved me. Her eyes were closed all of the time, except when she coughs. The coughing is obviously very painful and takes a lot of energy out of her.
Update on the last week
Dorothea came out of surgery with 2 chest tubes (for drainage), needed an external pacemaker, and a respirator for a couple of nights. One of the chest tubes has been removed, she is no longer using the external pacemaker or respirator. She is on oxygen, and is receiving nebulizer treatments to help her lungs. Her kidneys are not fully functioning yet. She is having trouble swallowing, so she has a feeding tube to get nutrition into her. Harold is battling with the hospital staff to regulate her diabetes. Harold knows how to keep her sugar under control and the diabetes doctor (as of yet) has not consulted with him. They continue to order ridiculous dosages for her, so Harold has to make sure to be at the hospital after each shift change so that he can deny the orders for insulin and make his own recommendation for dosages. Her sugar levels have remained in a good range thanks to Harold's knowledge of how Dorothea's body reacts.
The nurses get Dorothea out of bed to sit in a chair and to use the bathroom. These times of getting out of bed really make Dorothea tired for an extended period of time. However, when she is sitting in a chair, she is alert and talkative.
There is no phone in her room, and cell phones are not allowed in this area of the hospital. However, Dorothea would love to receive cards or notes, so please take a moment and send her a note.
The nurses get Dorothea out of bed to sit in a chair and to use the bathroom. These times of getting out of bed really make Dorothea tired for an extended period of time. However, when she is sitting in a chair, she is alert and talkative.
There is no phone in her room, and cell phones are not allowed in this area of the hospital. However, Dorothea would love to receive cards or notes, so please take a moment and send her a note.
Dorothea's Quadruple By-Pass Surgery
Dorothea was admitted into Olathe Medical Center on January 12th... her 76th birthday of all days. She underwent an elective quadruple by-pass surgery on Friday, January 15th. She is still in the Critical Care Unit. We know that there are many people who would like to know how she is doing so we thought we would set up this blog to keep you all updated on her progress. Please send comments or ask questions and we will post updates as often as we can. As always, please feel free to call me (Donna) or Harold.