Day 13 -- WOW what a fantastic day. She had a good night the nurse said. My brother Randy went up there this morning and just kept calling me telling how good she was doing.
I got up there around 1pm with the kids, because she asked if I was bringing the kids, and she was almost herself if not better. She was talking pretty good and she stayed awake the whole afternoon so she could talk to the kids. She even sat with her glasses on and watched the Bee Movie with Samantha.
She got her feeding tube put back in and then they took her off oxygen. They will however put her back on it tonight while she sleeps. She said she was hungry and wanted one of the cookies that were up there but we had to tell her she couldn't have it just yet. We had to explain that her throat needed more time to heal before she can eat solid foods.
My kids and I had her almost laughing, she was smiling so much. She had a great sense of humor today she even made us laugh.
They sat her up in bed this morning and she could kick her legs quite a bit. She is able to move her arms quite well to get up to her face and wipe her nose or scratch her face.
So over all it was a fabulous day and I hope we continue to have more like it.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 29
Day 12, Well today was a pretty rough day. No one stayed up there last night so I called this morning to see how her night went and they said she pulled her feeding tube out. They went to check on her and found that out so they put it back in and her nose started bleeding and they couldn't get it to stop.
So I got on the phone right away and called my brother Randy and he got up there right away. When I got up there it was a lot worse than I had thought.
With her being on blood thinners the blood wouldn't clot so everytime she tried to swallow it would come out her nose instead. I think between him and I we went through at least 24 washclothes in a 2 hour time frame. That's how bad it was.
Well we finally got her to sleep at least to keep her calm, then the ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor came in and took one look at her and started to clean her up. He got her throat and nose all cleaned out and found where the bleeding was coming from. He found out that the bleeding was coming from way down deep in the nose cavity so he couldn't really pack it and decided to pull the feeding tube out and put a little tube in with a balloon at the end that he inflated right on the ripped area to stop the bleeding.
While he was there he scoped down to her vocal chords and said that both her vocal chords were working unlike the last time when only one was. He also said that he thinks with time the tongue will strengthen more and she will be able to swallow better. She was swallowing some and nothing was getting into her lungs. So that's great!
When I left at 4pm she was sleeping again and calm.
Updated at 7:48pm:
I just talked to my brother Randy and he is still up there and said that she is still sleeping very soundly. The ENT doctor did come back to check on her and he said everything looked great, no more bleeding.
Well, prayer she has a better night tonight.
So I got on the phone right away and called my brother Randy and he got up there right away. When I got up there it was a lot worse than I had thought.
With her being on blood thinners the blood wouldn't clot so everytime she tried to swallow it would come out her nose instead. I think between him and I we went through at least 24 washclothes in a 2 hour time frame. That's how bad it was.
Well we finally got her to sleep at least to keep her calm, then the ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor came in and took one look at her and started to clean her up. He got her throat and nose all cleaned out and found where the bleeding was coming from. He found out that the bleeding was coming from way down deep in the nose cavity so he couldn't really pack it and decided to pull the feeding tube out and put a little tube in with a balloon at the end that he inflated right on the ripped area to stop the bleeding.
While he was there he scoped down to her vocal chords and said that both her vocal chords were working unlike the last time when only one was. He also said that he thinks with time the tongue will strengthen more and she will be able to swallow better. She was swallowing some and nothing was getting into her lungs. So that's great!
When I left at 4pm she was sleeping again and calm.
Updated at 7:48pm:
I just talked to my brother Randy and he is still up there and said that she is still sleeping very soundly. The ENT doctor did come back to check on her and he said everything looked great, no more bleeding.
Well, prayer she has a better night tonight.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday, June 28
Day 11. My brother Randy told me he did end up staying the night last night because she asked him to stay.
He said that she had a pretty good night, pretty much slept through the night. She woke up for a little while and went back to sleep for a couple more hours.
Randy, Cody, Sam and I got up here at 3 and she was awake and was happy to see the kids. Dave, Julie and Juline were already up here. She is just laying there watching the kids very peacefully. She does have a feeding tube in her nose.
We think she is getting kind of depressed. She keeps asking when she can go home. Please pray for understanding on her part about why she cannot come home just yet and on our part on how to handle this and how to explain it to her.
He said that she had a pretty good night, pretty much slept through the night. She woke up for a little while and went back to sleep for a couple more hours.
Randy, Cody, Sam and I got up here at 3 and she was awake and was happy to see the kids. Dave, Julie and Juline were already up here. She is just laying there watching the kids very peacefully. She does have a feeding tube in her nose.
We think she is getting kind of depressed. She keeps asking when she can go home. Please pray for understanding on her part about why she cannot come home just yet and on our part on how to handle this and how to explain it to her.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saturday, June 27
I spent the night last night even though she told me not to with a very adimant nod of her head. But she didn't have a choice.
She had a very restful night. She slept completely through it, to the point that we had a hard time waking her up this morning. But we did with a little proding.
She dozed in and out for a while, but now the resprotory people are in and checked to see if she has a leak next to the tube and they did!!!!!!! She just told me they are going to pull the tube soon.
Thank you Thank you for all your prayers. Lets hope this time is a charm!
Updated at 9:14am:
Well the doctor just left and they are going to pull the tube in an hour. They have turned off her feeding tube during that wait time also. They will be ready in case they need to reinsert it again, but prayer they don't have to.
Updated at 11:18am:
Well the tube came out at 10:35 and all is good. She is breathing wonderfully and even trying to talk a little. Probably too much. She is asking all kinds of questions about why she is there and such. She is having some good coughs also. She is full of smiles too. She is not out of the woods yet, but things are looking good.
She had a very restful night. She slept completely through it, to the point that we had a hard time waking her up this morning. But we did with a little proding.
She dozed in and out for a while, but now the resprotory people are in and checked to see if she has a leak next to the tube and they did!!!!!!! She just told me they are going to pull the tube soon.
Thank you Thank you for all your prayers. Lets hope this time is a charm!
Updated at 9:14am:
Well the doctor just left and they are going to pull the tube in an hour. They have turned off her feeding tube during that wait time also. They will be ready in case they need to reinsert it again, but prayer they don't have to.
Updated at 11:18am:
Well the tube came out at 10:35 and all is good. She is breathing wonderfully and even trying to talk a little. Probably too much. She is asking all kinds of questions about why she is there and such. She is having some good coughs also. She is full of smiles too. She is not out of the woods yet, but things are looking good.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 26
I am here now and found out she had a very good night. She is still doing most of the breathing on her own with the tube in yet. The doctor's haven't made their rounds yet, so will update after that to see what will happen today.
Updated 11:41am:
The doctor was in this morning and because she is doing well on her breathing with the tube, they are going to leave it in over the weekend and continue with a couple more steriod treatments. They really don't want to do a trach if they don't have to. She is not too happy, but we just keep telling her it is better this way and hopefully she understands. They did take her off all the sedation meds and are just giving her some light painkillers that will keep her comfortable.
Another good thing is that her heart rate is back to normal as of yesterday afternoon. Hopefully that will stay that way.
Updated 11:41am:
The doctor was in this morning and because she is doing well on her breathing with the tube, they are going to leave it in over the weekend and continue with a couple more steriod treatments. They really don't want to do a trach if they don't have to. She is not too happy, but we just keep telling her it is better this way and hopefully she understands. They did take her off all the sedation meds and are just giving her some light painkillers that will keep her comfortable.
Another good thing is that her heart rate is back to normal as of yesterday afternoon. Hopefully that will stay that way.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thursday, June 25
My sister Karen stayed the night last night, but didn't get too much sleep. Mom has a pick line in her left arm where they go in and draw blood, give meds and is where her IV is. That way they don't have to poke her so many times.
Well she was getting quite a big red spot on her arm just below the pick line and the doctors were concerned. So during the middle of the night they came in and did an ultrasound on her whole arm and neck. Then they gave her a bath! In the middle of the night! I know it went in a little different order than that, but I know my sister was up all night until 4am. She just got to sleep and xray came in at 4:30am to do a chest xray as they do every morning.
Well I got up there just before 10am to relieve her, but she stayed for quite a while. Mom slept most of the morning after her rough night.
Karen finally left to get some sleep.
The doctor came in and told me that the spot on her arm was a blood clot and they wanted to move the pick line to the other arm. So a couple of hours later they came in to do that. She was a very good patient for that.
Mom did stay awake quite a while at different period of time. I asked her if she wanted her hair washed and she nodded yes, so the nurses assistant came right in and washed her hair. She nodded that that felt really good. I rubbed lotion on her face and hands. Boy she sure is getting spoiled!
My brother Dave is staying the night tonight, so lets hope he has a better night than Karen.
Keep the prayers coming, we can see the power of God among us in more ways than this every day. Thank you.
Well she was getting quite a big red spot on her arm just below the pick line and the doctors were concerned. So during the middle of the night they came in and did an ultrasound on her whole arm and neck. Then they gave her a bath! In the middle of the night! I know it went in a little different order than that, but I know my sister was up all night until 4am. She just got to sleep and xray came in at 4:30am to do a chest xray as they do every morning.
Well I got up there just before 10am to relieve her, but she stayed for quite a while. Mom slept most of the morning after her rough night.
Karen finally left to get some sleep.
The doctor came in and told me that the spot on her arm was a blood clot and they wanted to move the pick line to the other arm. So a couple of hours later they came in to do that. She was a very good patient for that.
Mom did stay awake quite a while at different period of time. I asked her if she wanted her hair washed and she nodded yes, so the nurses assistant came right in and washed her hair. She nodded that that felt really good. I rubbed lotion on her face and hands. Boy she sure is getting spoiled!
My brother Dave is staying the night tonight, so lets hope he has a better night than Karen.
Keep the prayers coming, we can see the power of God among us in more ways than this every day. Thank you.
Wednesday, June 24
My brother Randy and his wife Barb both spent the night last night. The nurses did keep mom pretty sedated through the night to keep her comfortable because of the tube having to go back in.
I went up just before supper time, and my family said that she was pretty much sleeping most of the morning and she was just starting to wake up. She was awake when I came in.
My uncle Ken was there when I arrived, this is her brother, and when he decided to leave, my mom turned her head to watch him walk to the door where he stopped. He said goodbye from there and mom waved goodbye to him. Small but significant.
She did stay awake for quite awhile after that. When she tries to talk the machine goes off, nothing to be concerned about, but she wants to talk so bad!
I left and shortly after that I received a phone call from my brother Randy who was still up there. The nose and throat doctor came in and put a scope through her nose down to her throat to see the damage from the tube and said that it was pretty swelled up. He said that there is a balloon toward that bottom of the breathing tube and stops air from going around the tube or something like that. He wants to try and deflate that balloon on Friday and have her take some deep breaths and see if she can exhale with air actually coming out of her mouth. That would determine if her throat is still really swelled up or not. If she can't do that very well, then they will do a temporary trake (sp?) so she can breath and try to communicate better with us.
They did start her on a higher dose of blood thinner and will eventually start her on Cummodin for blood thinning.
She also tried to open her right eye again, but just didn't have the strength.
I went up just before supper time, and my family said that she was pretty much sleeping most of the morning and she was just starting to wake up. She was awake when I came in.
My uncle Ken was there when I arrived, this is her brother, and when he decided to leave, my mom turned her head to watch him walk to the door where he stopped. He said goodbye from there and mom waved goodbye to him. Small but significant.
She did stay awake for quite awhile after that. When she tries to talk the machine goes off, nothing to be concerned about, but she wants to talk so bad!
I left and shortly after that I received a phone call from my brother Randy who was still up there. The nose and throat doctor came in and put a scope through her nose down to her throat to see the damage from the tube and said that it was pretty swelled up. He said that there is a balloon toward that bottom of the breathing tube and stops air from going around the tube or something like that. He wants to try and deflate that balloon on Friday and have her take some deep breaths and see if she can exhale with air actually coming out of her mouth. That would determine if her throat is still really swelled up or not. If she can't do that very well, then they will do a temporary trake (sp?) so she can breath and try to communicate better with us.
They did start her on a higher dose of blood thinner and will eventually start her on Cummodin for blood thinning.
She also tried to open her right eye again, but just didn't have the strength.
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