The Doctor came in this morning and gave us our release!!!! We have to wait until after dinner so we are sure that he is not going to digress but that is not going to happen. Dr. Stanley warned Clem about becoming dehydrated at home and all the dangers that go along with it. He is also still at risk for blood clots so walking frequently is a must. He has been receiving daily heparin shots here in the hospital that will end with our stay. The good news is Clem's platelet count is 133,000 today which is the highest it has been in months. The bad news is that puts him at higher risk for clotting.
His electrolytes are also a concern because of the way his plumbing is connected so the Doctor wants him to drink at least three Gatorade drinks a day. OMG of all the things he is having to deal with now this pisses him off the most. He does not like gatorade or powerade or vitamin water or anything else but his favorite which is weak tea. There are lots of good things about type A people but change is not one of their better skill levels. Once he finds something that works for him Clem will continue with the course of action for years and years and years until something new and definitely better PROVES itself to him. I can already see that the Nazi is going to have to deal with this issue.
Walking and hydration is our new plan but for today a little more rest and a lot of packing. I hope to have all of our things in the car by the time we are released today so our exit is swift and easy. I may even run by the house and pick up something nice for Clem to wear out of the hospital. I want him to feel proud of himself today as he leaves.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Show me the way to go home
I've been having a recurring dream all my life. This week I have had it over and over. It goes something like this: I am in college again and it is finals day. I am unprepared for the test and trying to get to the classroom to cram a little before hand. Suddenly I forget how to get to the classroom and I search and search lost in areas that I recognize but never being able to find my way.
We have had such crazy sleep patterns this week that it feels like I have had this dream three or more times in a night. I decided to look for an interpretation of the dream online. I discovered that dreams of this nature are common and may be recurrant throughout someones lifetime. It is universally agreed upon that these dreams are indicative of feelings of vulnerability and feeling out of place. Well, there you have it! It is time to go home!@!
Clem is ready and so am I. I am hoping that the Doctor will dismiss us in the morning and that we will not have to stay another day in order to complete his nutrition therapy. A specialized team has to remove his PICC line and it took more than 24 hours to get it inserted.
The room changed atmosphere over the course of the day. As Clem improved more and more the room seemed more and more claustrophobic. We miss our house and especially our own bed. We stepped outside a few times today just to get some fresh air and I think it just made us a little more homesick. It was easy to be here when he needed therapy but now he is ready and we are getting anxious to leave.
Hopefully my next post will detail our plans of going home tomorrow.
We have had such crazy sleep patterns this week that it feels like I have had this dream three or more times in a night. I decided to look for an interpretation of the dream online. I discovered that dreams of this nature are common and may be recurrant throughout someones lifetime. It is universally agreed upon that these dreams are indicative of feelings of vulnerability and feeling out of place. Well, there you have it! It is time to go home!@!
Clem is ready and so am I. I am hoping that the Doctor will dismiss us in the morning and that we will not have to stay another day in order to complete his nutrition therapy. A specialized team has to remove his PICC line and it took more than 24 hours to get it inserted.
The room changed atmosphere over the course of the day. As Clem improved more and more the room seemed more and more claustrophobic. We miss our house and especially our own bed. We stepped outside a few times today just to get some fresh air and I think it just made us a little more homesick. It was easy to be here when he needed therapy but now he is ready and we are getting anxious to leave.
Hopefully my next post will detail our plans of going home tomorrow.
Around the Corner
2:15 Looks like we turned a corner. The Doctor put Clem back on solid food today and he has had two meals with excellent results. I think the Doctor will consider sending us home tomorrow if all goes well today. He is walking well, getting up and down on his own, and today we took an actual shower. He is using no pain medication and would be sleeping well at night if we could keep everyone out of the room.
We have been asleep for the last few hours trying to catch up from last night. We were up at 4:00 and then every hour on the hour until around 9:00. Jessica and Adley stopped by with some supplies and a visit then around noon we just crashed after the shower.
It appears to be a beautiful day here today and we anxious to be outside again. Right now I am fantasizing about sitting on our front porch in the hammock. Maybe tomorrow.
We have been asleep for the last few hours trying to catch up from last night. We were up at 4:00 and then every hour on the hour until around 9:00. Jessica and Adley stopped by with some supplies and a visit then around noon we just crashed after the shower.
It appears to be a beautiful day here today and we anxious to be outside again. Right now I am fantasizing about sitting on our front porch in the hammock. Maybe tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Update
10:15 The tpn has been started and he is tolerating it well. Had a nice visit with Mike and Nancy Harrison who came just when Clem was feeling better. It was great to have laughter in the room again.
The nutrition runs 24 hours and is switched out every night at 9 p.m. I think by tomorrow he should be back to his old self.
The nutrition runs 24 hours and is switched out every night at 9 p.m. I think by tomorrow he should be back to his old self.
A little bit of progress
8:00 p.m. Looks like a new man sitting in the chair munching tentatively on some pita chips. He woke from a four hour nap, finished four bags of IV fluids today, and his stomach feels like it might be emptying. I think the Doctor was right. Clem was overdosed on imodium.
After this type of surgery the Doctor attempts to regulate the balance of in and out. The use of Imodium is pretty standard in that treatment. Obviously Clem needs a less aggressive dosage. The tpn treatment is still going to happen for a day or two because as my posts have shown a little progress can turn around fast either way. We both have a good feeling that we are on the right track now though and are again hopeful that we might make it home in a few more days.
After this type of surgery the Doctor attempts to regulate the balance of in and out. The use of Imodium is pretty standard in that treatment. Obviously Clem needs a less aggressive dosage. The tpn treatment is still going to happen for a day or two because as my posts have shown a little progress can turn around fast either way. We both have a good feeling that we are on the right track now though and are again hopeful that we might make it home in a few more days.
Waiting for the feast to begin
5:15 p.m. Clem has crashed. It has been another long day without nurishment. He has had a huge volume of fluids from his IV but only sips by mouth. He is so weak right now. The PICC line was easily and quickly inserted around 2:00 p.m. and I was pretty frustrated with their response until I learned that the nutrition therapy will not begin until tonight at 9 p.m. I'm not sure why this is the case but all the tpn starts at the same time each night with each patient. ???
After that news we just hunkered down and attempted to rest until that time came. He has not vomited today but he has been suffering with the full belly discomfort. He said earlier that he thought that some thing might actually be making it down the pipes now but he was unsure as this is a first for his body to experience.
He looks so thin in his face right now and it breaks my heart to see him go through this even though if you ask him he describes it as not being so bad. I think this is the toughest thing he has gone through so far even the liver surgery.
He is off all meds. No pain drugs, no nausea drugs, no imodium, nothing. He does however have tubes running rampant out of and into his body. I know it has just been a week but he looks like he is starving right now. I can tell such a difference in his body from a week ago even his beautiful muscular legs have atrophied.
On a different note I know how fast this man can turn things around and before I know it he'll be hanging off of something tall and I will be trying to catch up.
After that news we just hunkered down and attempted to rest until that time came. He has not vomited today but he has been suffering with the full belly discomfort. He said earlier that he thought that some thing might actually be making it down the pipes now but he was unsure as this is a first for his body to experience.
He looks so thin in his face right now and it breaks my heart to see him go through this even though if you ask him he describes it as not being so bad. I think this is the toughest thing he has gone through so far even the liver surgery.
He is off all meds. No pain drugs, no nausea drugs, no imodium, nothing. He does however have tubes running rampant out of and into his body. I know it has just been a week but he looks like he is starving right now. I can tell such a difference in his body from a week ago even his beautiful muscular legs have atrophied.
On a different note I know how fast this man can turn things around and before I know it he'll be hanging off of something tall and I will be trying to catch up.
Plan B
11:30 a.m. Long night long morning. Clem woke very early looking haggard and uncomfortable. Not so much pain anymore just hurting from being in the bed and incapable of getting a satisfying position and just too damn tired to walk down the hall right now. We had the x-rays this morning which did not reveal anything alarming or significant so the Doctor is going to wait and see what happens over the next few days. He suspects that the combination of the high doses of Imodium and the tylenol #3 may have stopped his small intestines from functioning. So all of that is being held, his IV fluids have been pumped up to 500ml per hour, and he is going on the tpn nutition program to keep him from starving over the next 2 or 3 day waiting period. The Doctor is confident that this will resolve itself without more surgery.
In the meantime Clem and I are patiently waiting in our room for the PICC line team. They are a specially trained group of nurses who do this daily and apparently they are very busy because the order has been in place for what seems like a long time. I have yet to be a bitch to anyone yet mostly because it really hasn't been necessary. Everyone responds here so positively but we are both exhausted and Clem literally looks emaciated today and he needs nutrition!! So my patience are beginning to wear thin. Fortunately Clem is catching up on the sleep that he missed out on last night. He asked me to crawl into bed with him for the first time this morning so that he could sleep better and we both crashed for a few hours in what was a blissful rest for me. I am only up now because I wanted to let all his family know what was happening and that progress is slowly being made. He is taking in a few clear liquids by mouth now but he is very guarded about the quantities.
It looks like a beautiful day outside. Hopefully by the end of the day Clem will be feeling much better and we will be out walking again. I scoped out a new place for us to walk last night. A covered bridge that leads from the hospital to the adjacent medical building is like being outside but has the benefit of hand rails and a smooth surface so we can roll our new best friend the IV pump and pole. I suggested this morning that we put a hat on top of the pole and and drape a hospital gown around the pump for a more human look. Yes, I am bored. If I ha a needle and thread up here I would have these curtains down and entirely new costume made for the thing.
I'll update again after the PICC line team comes and goes.
In the meantime Clem and I are patiently waiting in our room for the PICC line team. They are a specially trained group of nurses who do this daily and apparently they are very busy because the order has been in place for what seems like a long time. I have yet to be a bitch to anyone yet mostly because it really hasn't been necessary. Everyone responds here so positively but we are both exhausted and Clem literally looks emaciated today and he needs nutrition!! So my patience are beginning to wear thin. Fortunately Clem is catching up on the sleep that he missed out on last night. He asked me to crawl into bed with him for the first time this morning so that he could sleep better and we both crashed for a few hours in what was a blissful rest for me. I am only up now because I wanted to let all his family know what was happening and that progress is slowly being made. He is taking in a few clear liquids by mouth now but he is very guarded about the quantities.
It looks like a beautiful day outside. Hopefully by the end of the day Clem will be feeling much better and we will be out walking again. I scoped out a new place for us to walk last night. A covered bridge that leads from the hospital to the adjacent medical building is like being outside but has the benefit of hand rails and a smooth surface so we can roll our new best friend the IV pump and pole. I suggested this morning that we put a hat on top of the pole and and drape a hospital gown around the pump for a more human look. Yes, I am bored. If I ha a needle and thread up here I would have these curtains down and entirely new costume made for the thing.
I'll update again after the PICC line team comes and goes.
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