Hey All,
This is going to be quick for now, but I am exhausted and ready to climb into bed. After and hour and 45 minutes of grilling the doctor my dad will be staying the weekend and then most likely be moved to a step-down hospital (between a hospital and skilled nursing facility) for long term acute care. Sorry for being short. I will try to fill you in more tomorrow evening.
Darcy
Friday, March 2, 2012
They can't be serious!
Sorry I haven't posted any results from yesterday. I still feel like I don't have any answers....
This is what I do know:
They did a Cat Scan and must have seen some fluid pockets (wouldn't know because the docs never showed their faces)
They did an image guided placement of drains and saw, according to my dad only, 2 grapefruit sized abscesses and a bunch of small ones. They placed 2 drains and it sounds like these areas are higher up than the last infected area. Not a single doctor showed their face yesterday to explain or answer questions, since 6:00 a.m. when they said his white count was up. It is so hard being home!!!! I feel so helpless.
This morning they came in and told my mom this: He will still probably go home this weekend, but he will go home with the PICC line and be on 1 month of IV antibiotics, he will go home with his 2 belly drains and the feeding tube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND he has a bit of a fever this morning. Am I nuts or does this sound asinine?!!!!
Hoping to get some more answers today. I wish I could be a bug in my mom's ear and give her cues of what to say when, like "What are you thinking you.......?!!!!!" My mom is too nice....
Thanks for letting me vent. Am I out of line?
This is what I do know:
They did a Cat Scan and must have seen some fluid pockets (wouldn't know because the docs never showed their faces)
They did an image guided placement of drains and saw, according to my dad only, 2 grapefruit sized abscesses and a bunch of small ones. They placed 2 drains and it sounds like these areas are higher up than the last infected area. Not a single doctor showed their face yesterday to explain or answer questions, since 6:00 a.m. when they said his white count was up. It is so hard being home!!!! I feel so helpless.
This morning they came in and told my mom this: He will still probably go home this weekend, but he will go home with the PICC line and be on 1 month of IV antibiotics, he will go home with his 2 belly drains and the feeding tube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND he has a bit of a fever this morning. Am I nuts or does this sound asinine?!!!!
Hoping to get some more answers today. I wish I could be a bug in my mom's ear and give her cues of what to say when, like "What are you thinking you.......?!!!!!" My mom is too nice....
Thanks for letting me vent. Am I out of line?
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Another set-back?
I just got a call from my mom and my dad's white count is up again. Infection somewhere...
So, they are preparing now to do another CT scan, have started him on more IV antibiotics and are HOPING that it is just a urinary tract infection, not more infection elsewhere. Hopefully we will have more answers this afternoon.
Boooo!
So, they are preparing now to do another CT scan, have started him on more IV antibiotics and are HOPING that it is just a urinary tract infection, not more infection elsewhere. Hopefully we will have more answers this afternoon.
Boooo!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
We were hoping to avoid it but...
So, Dad is continuing to improve inch by inch. He was able to take an assisted shower today. Hurray! He is down to 176 pounds and they are still trying to take off more fluid. Hopefully not too much more...
He is only eating maybe 300 calories a day, so today they decided to put in a feeding tube that he will go home with and use until he is able to consume the required calories by mouth. The TPN (IV nutrition) is not a good solution for very long. I guess it can cause liver damage if used for very long. So they put a feeding tube in today that goes through the nose, down through the stomach and into the intestines. He can still eat and will eat as much as he can until he is eating enough not to need the feeding tube. So, they think he will be home by the weekend! Hopefully not too soon this time...
Might be to much information (stop reading now if so), but he did have diarrhea 3-4 times today with out any help of medication. This was his normal since he got sick almost 6 months ago, so I take it as a good sign that his system is doing something near normal :)
Thank you for your prayers! Pray for a good stomach and a good patient (sometimes he isn't such a 'good' patient) so that he won't need the feeding tube for very long.
He is only eating maybe 300 calories a day, so today they decided to put in a feeding tube that he will go home with and use until he is able to consume the required calories by mouth. The TPN (IV nutrition) is not a good solution for very long. I guess it can cause liver damage if used for very long. So they put a feeding tube in today that goes through the nose, down through the stomach and into the intestines. He can still eat and will eat as much as he can until he is eating enough not to need the feeding tube. So, they think he will be home by the weekend! Hopefully not too soon this time...
Might be to much information (stop reading now if so), but he did have diarrhea 3-4 times today with out any help of medication. This was his normal since he got sick almost 6 months ago, so I take it as a good sign that his system is doing something near normal :)
Thank you for your prayers! Pray for a good stomach and a good patient (sometimes he isn't such a 'good' patient) so that he won't need the feeding tube for very long.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Slowly but Surely
Dad continues to get better each day. He is down to 185 pounds today. Wondering what his true weight is after all of this... Hopefully the TPN is keeping him from getting too low.
Finally today they let him start eating a little. He is taking it VERY slow. Like 2 sips of broth, sip of apple juice and a bite of jello. That is about it for today. He has definitely lost his desire to eat. Nothing sounds or tastes good, but we are HOPING that his stomach is ready and he can eat EVEN MORE tomorrow. Hard to imagine, I know ;)
He is feeling well enough to be worried about the hottub that was supposed to be winterized a couple of weeks ago. I think that is a good sign! He is using less pain medicine and moving a lot more. Let's hope for a "good stomach" and that he can come home this week. Hard to believe it has been 3 1/2 weeks since the surgery. Its been a bit of a blur.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Tubeless! Well, almost...
Great news! It has been a good couple of days. He is down to 192 pounds from 204 two days ago! I never thought I would be glad he was losing weight :) I am sure it feels so good to get so much of that fluid off. AND...
He got the NG tube, catheter and his belly drain taken out today! His pain is a little better and he has walked quite a bit more today. I felt like that NG tube would never come out the way he was the other night when I was there, but it seems that his stomach might finally be coming around.
So, he will start on an ensure diet, I would think tomorrow maybe, and then progress until his digestive system is doing it all on his own and then he should be able to come home on his antibiotics. Hopefully only a few more days!
Thank you again for all of your prayers and concern and service. We all need it :)
He got the NG tube, catheter and his belly drain taken out today! His pain is a little better and he has walked quite a bit more today. I felt like that NG tube would never come out the way he was the other night when I was there, but it seems that his stomach might finally be coming around.
So, he will start on an ensure diet, I would think tomorrow maybe, and then progress until his digestive system is doing it all on his own and then he should be able to come home on his antibiotics. Hopefully only a few more days!
Thank you again for all of your prayers and concern and service. We all need it :)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Has the corner been turned???
I am excited to post some news of improvement! I am sitting here with dad, hoping and counting on a better night than the last one I spent here. My wonderful Aunt Marilyn has been here all day and says the doctors think that dad has finally turned the corner! He just generally seems better. He has been able to walk out in the hall a couple of times today, not too far but much more than the few steps he was able to take to the chair and back. He was only in bed for about 3 hours today and spent the rest of the day up in the chair. And he has needed less pain medicine today as well! Good news!
They began giving him lasix and albumin again today to help get all of the extra fluid off of his body. He is still 204 pounds, so still a LOT of extra fluid on board, but he seemed to respond to it really well so far. I am anxious to see what he weighs in the morning. He still has the NG tube in and they may test it tomorrow to see how he is doing but it sounds like they are going to take things really slowly and hope his stomach "wakes up" and is really ready to do its job before they let him start eating. Until then he will continue to get nutrition through his IV.
Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. Love you all!
They began giving him lasix and albumin again today to help get all of the extra fluid off of his body. He is still 204 pounds, so still a LOT of extra fluid on board, but he seemed to respond to it really well so far. I am anxious to see what he weighs in the morning. He still has the NG tube in and they may test it tomorrow to see how he is doing but it sounds like they are going to take things really slowly and hope his stomach "wakes up" and is really ready to do its job before they let him start eating. Until then he will continue to get nutrition through his IV.
Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. Love you all!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Hoping for a better tomorrow...again
Hey everyone. I haven't posted because nothing much has changed since Saturday. I think he is a little bit better still, but not enough to get excited about. We keep hoping that tomorrow he is going to show some real improvement but it just hasn't happened tomorrow yet :(
Anyway, not to be too down, he is a little better and he did say today that he feels a little better. He still has the NG tube that keeps his stomach empty, and he is still REALLY weak and in a LOT of pain, and he still has the catheter and ... Nothing has really changed as far as that goes. The doctors did sew up his open incision this morning, so I guess that means they are confident that the infection is under control, and his WBC count has gone down which shows an improvement with the infection.
Two positive things! Sorry I sound like such a downer all the time. Why can't I have my dad's optimistic attitude? I feel like a lot of the time I am just the opposite. I guess we balance each other out sometimes, often much to the other's frustration ;) His optimism has definitely taken a back seat this last 10 days though and has been replaced by frustration. The social worker used the right word the other day for dad, "crestfallen". It is hard to see him that way...
Pray for a better day tomorrow!
Anyway, not to be too down, he is a little better and he did say today that he feels a little better. He still has the NG tube that keeps his stomach empty, and he is still REALLY weak and in a LOT of pain, and he still has the catheter and ... Nothing has really changed as far as that goes. The doctors did sew up his open incision this morning, so I guess that means they are confident that the infection is under control, and his WBC count has gone down which shows an improvement with the infection.
Two positive things! Sorry I sound like such a downer all the time. Why can't I have my dad's optimistic attitude? I feel like a lot of the time I am just the opposite. I guess we balance each other out sometimes, often much to the other's frustration ;) His optimism has definitely taken a back seat this last 10 days though and has been replaced by frustration. The social worker used the right word the other day for dad, "crestfallen". It is hard to see him that way...
Pray for a better day tomorrow!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Just a quick update since the surgery. I think he is feeling a little better. He had a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line put in so that he can start getting nutrition through his veins (TPN). Thank goodness! I feel like that alone will help him to start feeling better. No food by mouth for a while I think...
So that is pretty much it for now. Hoping he will turn the corner here really soon! Thanks for all of your support.
So that is pretty much it for now. Hoping he will turn the corner here really soon! Thanks for all of your support.
Friday, February 17, 2012
7 pound baby
Hey all,
Where do I begin? So, Dad had a horrible night. The pain became so severe from the pressure in his belly that he was unable to sleep pretty much the whole night and this morning while we were waiting to hear the plan from the doctors he started spitting up copious amounts of bile. It was obvious that his stomach was not working AGAIN. Miserable man...
So, just before 10:00 this morning the doctor came in and told us that he would be going in for surgery as soon as possible to clean out the fluid with a scope. He said that the WBC count had gone up so they were worried about more infection. They put an NG tube down into his stomach and immediately pulled out about 1/2 liter of bile. No wonder his reflux was so bad. They took him to the OR around 11:20.
Here comes the 7 pound baby. Apparently when they got the scope they were unable to pull out any fluid because it wasn't really fluid, it was like a thick infected gel substance! Yuck! Sorry if this is making you sick... Anyway, they had to cut a 4 in. incision and literally pull out the gunk with their hands, 7 pounds of gunk to be exact. Then they flushed him out with saline and sewed up the muscle but left the incision open so as not to close in the infection.
Basically the doctor said that it was a very good thing they did this, it didn't happen a moment too soon, and that he was so surprised that Dad wasn't showing more signs of being sick with that amount of infected fluid. So, he is going back to his regular room and the gunk is going to the lab to help them know how to treat him better.
Whew! Sorry if I am sharing too much information. Thanks for all your prayers and loving words.
Love,
Darcy
Where do I begin? So, Dad had a horrible night. The pain became so severe from the pressure in his belly that he was unable to sleep pretty much the whole night and this morning while we were waiting to hear the plan from the doctors he started spitting up copious amounts of bile. It was obvious that his stomach was not working AGAIN. Miserable man...
So, just before 10:00 this morning the doctor came in and told us that he would be going in for surgery as soon as possible to clean out the fluid with a scope. He said that the WBC count had gone up so they were worried about more infection. They put an NG tube down into his stomach and immediately pulled out about 1/2 liter of bile. No wonder his reflux was so bad. They took him to the OR around 11:20.
Here comes the 7 pound baby. Apparently when they got the scope they were unable to pull out any fluid because it wasn't really fluid, it was like a thick infected gel substance! Yuck! Sorry if this is making you sick... Anyway, they had to cut a 4 in. incision and literally pull out the gunk with their hands, 7 pounds of gunk to be exact. Then they flushed him out with saline and sewed up the muscle but left the incision open so as not to close in the infection.
Basically the doctor said that it was a very good thing they did this, it didn't happen a moment too soon, and that he was so surprised that Dad wasn't showing more signs of being sick with that amount of infected fluid. So, he is going back to his regular room and the gunk is going to the lab to help them know how to treat him better.
Whew! Sorry if I am sharing too much information. Thanks for all your prayers and loving words.
Love,
Darcy
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