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| Sunday, August 14, 2005 |
| 08.14.05 (7:28 pm) [edit] |
This weekend has been a bit of a setback. Yesterday morning when I got there the nurse,(Susie, very nice), said he hadn't slept real well, and needed rest, had been on the T all night, and was going on the vent to sleep. I was actually quite happy as I got there at 9am,(John pointed out it was 9:01), but to get there that early I have to get up at 7:30aam. So I pulled up the trusty old green chair, got a pillow, and held John's hand and told him to sleep. So we slept till 11:30 which means about 1 1/2 hours with interurptions from nurses, respitory therepy, blood draw technicians, medicine alarms, monitor alarms and general noise. They got him up to walk and he walked past his door, to the middle of the hall. That wore him out. So they walked him back to bed, after a couple of hours. They put him back on the T, as he had rested on the vent for about 5 hours, but he became aggitated about it, and wanted to stay on the vent. He thought he was to tired to breath I think. He also appeared a bit dispondant, and said he was depressed. So they gave him some Attivan, to relax him, and it knocked him out. So I slept next to him again. The storm woke us. He didn't know where he was, and was confused. I told him to sleep, and he woke later a little clearer. The medicines really effect him, also they think maybe the steriods are effecting him, as he is on predisone. They came in and said they think he is bleeding internally, so they wanted to do a test in the morning where they look in his stomach for ulcers. They thought they were going to have to pull his feeding tube and replace it. He freaked out, and got very upset, and the docters said they wouldn't have to replace the tube, since it was already in his stomach from yesterday. He was concerned the ulcer was bacterial, and they said they would of course check, but thought maybe just a stress ulcer. They would have to stop his tube feedings until they did the proceedure. So I went home around 9:30pm when he was asleep.
This morning I got there a few minutes before 9 and they had the machines in his room, ready for the proceedure. I talked to the nurse about the propafol and because that is what they were going to give him, and talked to John, and they kicked me out. At 11:30 the docter came out with pictures, and showed me the ulcer they found, and how they put in medicine and cauterized it. There is confusion about if it is in his stomach or small intestines, due to different docters coming in and saying different things. They said his blood count was good at 28 and they were going to watch it for any drop, hold his feeding till they were sure of no bleeding, and continue to give him antibotics. They also came in and did a bronchoscopy while he was sedated. He was sedated but not deeply, and told the nurse and myself that he was still awake when they did the proceedure. The nurse said they gave him fentenal(sp) and something else, and had to give him alot, then more for thne bronchoscopy. He said no... he was awake. We don't know how. He slept off and on for most of the day, and stayed on the T but in bed. He seemed like himself towards evening and we watched the 4400 and DeadZone on tv, and they put him on the vent. The plan is to rest tonight and start again on the T in the morning and walk again, and continue to test for any bleeding, and possibly restart feeding him through his tube. The swallow test may be put on hold as is also leaving ICU tomorrow.
In perspective: Some things to note
He breaths at nearly 100% oxygenation on the T until he gets real tired then it drops sometimes to mid 90's, but when he sleeps on it, levels raise again.
When he went into the hospital he was on minimum of 6 liters of oxygen to stay in the hight 80's low 90's. Now he is on around 10 liters with the vent, it just finishes some of his breaths so they are deep.
The T puts out around 10 liters of oxygen, and he does all the breathing on his own.
John received his lungs very quickly. One week on the list. I thought because he was so sick he got them so fast, but he docters, and all the nurses keep telling me not really. For instance: They say one guy had a trache and used a portable vent for 3 months before his transplant. One guy lived in the hospital on a vent for 1 year waiting for lungs. One of the nurses father had a transplant, and lost so much weight waiting he was only about 100 pounds. Then afterwards, he thought he still needed oxygen so they would put the canela on no oxygen and give it to him anyway and let him think he was getting oxygen at night. Very physicalogical, like when John gets aggitated and wants to go on the vent for help when he maybe doesn't need it yet.
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