Quick update:
Ron has developed a rash on his back that is causing him to have terrible itching! So bad that he called me at 12:45 am Sunday morning to come put some lotion on it for him! (He would have been in big trouble for scaring the daylights out of me --to hear his specific ringtone on my phone--if I hadn't still been up doing laundry!) They think it's from one of the antibiotics he was on and it should go away on it's own. Please pray this resolves quickly!
Sunday, he resumed walking without the walker, three times throughout the day!YEAH!
They feel vomiting has been caused by severe reflux which is unavoidable at this point with the g-tube. Trying him back on the Prevacid solutabs today to see if it relates in any way. (Had been on those a couple of days when got sick, switched to Protonix injection, got better, now trying back on Prevacid)
Dr. Shires wants to do a fistula-gram today to check everything out once more before sending us home. Shooting for discharge tomorrow.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
False alarm!
Won't be going home tomorrow after all. Ron's had a very puny day and has had vomitting again. YUCK! So, they want to continue to watch to make sure there is nothing "brewing".
Please pray against discouragement. I know he is so tired of not feeling well!
Thanks! Have a good weekend!
Please pray against discouragement. I know he is so tired of not feeling well!
Thanks! Have a good weekend!
Home tomorrow??
WOO HOO! Ron's most likely going home tomorrow, Saturday, March 29!Won't be definite until tomorrow, but paperwork has been started!!!!
Love, Christie
Love, Christie
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Delayed Surgery Date
Ron was able to walk three different times today and also enjoyed a shower this afternoon (with much assistance but I'm thrilled to say the hospital suite comes with a larger bathroom making it much easier on us!). I must say, I give a pretty great sponge bath, but nothing beats a good shower! Of course he's weaker than before he went home so once again requires the walker. It's all very taxing on him and he catnapped after each event; but that's ok; maybe soon he'll be able to do these things without taking naps in between.
Unfortunately, he got a little bit of a disappointment today. Dr. Shires was in and has decided to pencil in his surgery for the first week of June, barring anything that might come up that would tip their hand to where they feel they have to do it earlier. Ron has always felt it would take place in April, but since he has had a few little set-backs Dr. Shires says he feels better about doing it further out from his last surgery, which was Dec. 10. Textbook recommends anywhere from 3-6 months out and he doesn't want to go in and find out they wish they had waited longer. Ron understands this is best but June seems so far away! And I know he's also got in the back of his mind our niece, Lianna's, wedding in Tucson August 16 and being able to golf with all the guys while there! We missed the last family wedding...last December our nephew Davis married Ashley in Phoenix. He had planned to participate in some great golfing there as well!
Speaking of golf, mark your calendars for Friday, May 16. Ron's golfing cronies, my brother and our church, have put together a golf tournament for our benefit. Details to follow soon....if you would be interested in sponsoring a hole, playing in the event or helping in some other way, let me know and I'll pass your e-mail on to those in charge!
I'm sure it will be a busy weekend. Ryan's girlfriend, Stacee, arrives late tonight (actually her plane has been delayed and is now scheduled for 2AM!) She has interviews tomorrow and will look at housing possibilities for when she moves here mid April! We look forward to spending a good deal of time with all the kids. Can't wait to play games in our big, new room!
Love,
Christie
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18
Unfortunately, he got a little bit of a disappointment today. Dr. Shires was in and has decided to pencil in his surgery for the first week of June, barring anything that might come up that would tip their hand to where they feel they have to do it earlier. Ron has always felt it would take place in April, but since he has had a few little set-backs Dr. Shires says he feels better about doing it further out from his last surgery, which was Dec. 10. Textbook recommends anywhere from 3-6 months out and he doesn't want to go in and find out they wish they had waited longer. Ron understands this is best but June seems so far away! And I know he's also got in the back of his mind our niece, Lianna's, wedding in Tucson August 16 and being able to golf with all the guys while there! We missed the last family wedding...last December our nephew Davis married Ashley in Phoenix. He had planned to participate in some great golfing there as well!
Speaking of golf, mark your calendars for Friday, May 16. Ron's golfing cronies, my brother and our church, have put together a golf tournament for our benefit. Details to follow soon....if you would be interested in sponsoring a hole, playing in the event or helping in some other way, let me know and I'll pass your e-mail on to those in charge!
I'm sure it will be a busy weekend. Ryan's girlfriend, Stacee, arrives late tonight (actually her plane has been delayed and is now scheduled for 2AM!) She has interviews tomorrow and will look at housing possibilities for when she moves here mid April! We look forward to spending a good deal of time with all the kids. Can't wait to play games in our big, new room!
Love,
Christie
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Puny :(
Sorry guys for the lack of updates. Ron was feeling pretty puny Monday & Tuesday; other than sleeping off and on both days he had alot of nausea and actually threw up a couple of times. Very blah! They took him to Interventional Radiology to check out his gastric tube Tuesday noonish. Thankfully, it is in the correct place and functioning well. Not sure what's causing the yucky feeling, though. They gave him an extra dose of Protonix (prescription antacid/heartburn which he already takes once a day), and even had him drink some Maalox (even though they knew the majority of it would be sucked out the gastric tube, they hoped some of it would coat his stomach.) First thing he's been allowed to swallow in five months....and of all things, it was Maalox; yuck! Finally started feeling a little better and was up for a walk @10PM. When we returned I bathed him, washed his hair, put him to bed and then headed up to my room to do the same for me!
His tummy feels somewhat better today, but he continues to be tired...no energy, weak. Dr. Shires says not surprising since last week he went into shock. His body was doing some great compensating until he was put under anesthesia for his procedure; then he was no longer able to compensate and things went downhill from there!!!. Again, praise God we were here...outcome could have been much, much worse. I guess I never realized how bad off things were...I knew they had talked about possible sepsis and I knew his blood pressure was way too low but he kept saying he didn't feel any different and I don't think I heard shock! Probably a good thing, I think I would have freaked out a little! I've had just enough of a medical terminology crash course to make myself dangerous! Then again, I'm sure it was God protecting me, keeping me calm.
No one's willing to give a date for going home...Dr. Shires says maybe sometime this month, but I'm not getting my hopes up; watching day to day. He also said this could happen again...that we're basically "chasing fluids"; pumping him up to keep him hydrated and giving diuretic to get excess fluid out of tissues. He lost 3 pounds of fluid last night!
I was reminded today that God wants us to be very specific in our praying, asking definitively In Matt 20:32 Jesus asks "What do you want me to do for you?" So....
Please pray that Ron will be more comfortable and able to get some good, rejuvenating sleep. He's really in a bad cycle of not being able to sleep nights and then sleeping most of the day. It's very important that he sleep, but it sure would be nice if we could get his sleep cycle back on track.
Also, pray that they will be able to get his TPN formula regulated, it's a delicate balance. His blood sugar has been up and down for the last few days, not horrible but needing insulin shots off and on. It's especially important that the TPN be able to not only meet his nutritional needs but keep him well hydrated.
Thanks for joining us in specific, earnest prayer!
His tummy feels somewhat better today, but he continues to be tired...no energy, weak. Dr. Shires says not surprising since last week he went into shock. His body was doing some great compensating until he was put under anesthesia for his procedure; then he was no longer able to compensate and things went downhill from there!!!. Again, praise God we were here...outcome could have been much, much worse. I guess I never realized how bad off things were...I knew they had talked about possible sepsis and I knew his blood pressure was way too low but he kept saying he didn't feel any different and I don't think I heard shock! Probably a good thing, I think I would have freaked out a little! I've had just enough of a medical terminology crash course to make myself dangerous! Then again, I'm sure it was God protecting me, keeping me calm.
No one's willing to give a date for going home...Dr. Shires says maybe sometime this month, but I'm not getting my hopes up; watching day to day. He also said this could happen again...that we're basically "chasing fluids"; pumping him up to keep him hydrated and giving diuretic to get excess fluid out of tissues. He lost 3 pounds of fluid last night!
I was reminded today that God wants us to be very specific in our praying, asking definitively In Matt 20:32 Jesus asks "What do you want me to do for you?" So....
Please pray that Ron will be more comfortable and able to get some good, rejuvenating sleep. He's really in a bad cycle of not being able to sleep nights and then sleeping most of the day. It's very important that he sleep, but it sure would be nice if we could get his sleep cycle back on track.
Also, pray that they will be able to get his TPN formula regulated, it's a delicate balance. His blood sugar has been up and down for the last few days, not horrible but needing insulin shots off and on. It's especially important that the TPN be able to not only meet his nutritional needs but keep him well hydrated.
Thanks for joining us in specific, earnest prayer!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Easter Sunday
Thank you, Father, for Resurrection Sunday! Without it, we would have no hope of eternity!
It's been a quiet, restful day. Ron has slept off and on all day...catching up from ICU! Great place to be when critical, but not a place to get any rest! The kids came up for a few hours; brought some lunch, watched some basketball, opened Easter goodies and catnapped, as well! I worked a good deal of the afternoon in order to send some stuff home with the kids, then I took a late afternoon nap. Just finished up a little more work to get the week started off as stress-free as possible.
Dr. Liddell (Infectious Disease) says Ron will stay on "big gun" antibiotics through Tuesday, which will finish out 7 days. Dr. Weinstein (pulmonologist and handles TPN) says he's doing well, only needs tweaking of his TPN. After a couple of days he will probably put him on a diuretic to help get rid of the fluid in his tissue, not too soon or it will counter-act all the IV fluids he's had to combat dehydration. He needs to move as much as possible which is extremely difficult with all the fluid in his legs...Ron says it's like dragging lead weight. He's being pretty faithful to do alot of leg movement in bed. Hopefully PT will come tomorrow and bring a walker, that would help make walking more bearable.
Love, Christie
Devotional thoughts from different sources I've been reading:
"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai...Then the Lord said to him, "I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard the groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt." Acts 7:30, 33-34
When God delays, He is not inactive. This is when He prepares and matures our stength.
God is never in a hurry. He spends years preparing those He plans to use and never thinks of the days of preparation as being too long.
The most difficult ingredient of suffering is often time.
God often has to burn the lessons into the depths of our being, using the fires of prolonged pain.
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver' (Malachi 3:3) He knows the specific amount of time that will be needed. Like a goldsmith, God stops the fires the moment He sees His image in the glowing metal.
We may be unable to see the final outcome of His plans...but can rest in the assurance that God is still seated on His throne.
We should be more careful to focus on learning all the lessons in the school of sorrow than to focus anxious eyes toward the time of our deliverance....when we are ready, our deliverance will definitely come.
Don't steal tomorrow from God's hands. We must give Him time to speak and reveal His will. He is never late...we must learn to wait.
No earthly circumstance can hinder the fulfillment of God's word.
Ecclesiastes 9:11
I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.
It's been a quiet, restful day. Ron has slept off and on all day...catching up from ICU! Great place to be when critical, but not a place to get any rest! The kids came up for a few hours; brought some lunch, watched some basketball, opened Easter goodies and catnapped, as well! I worked a good deal of the afternoon in order to send some stuff home with the kids, then I took a late afternoon nap. Just finished up a little more work to get the week started off as stress-free as possible.
Dr. Liddell (Infectious Disease) says Ron will stay on "big gun" antibiotics through Tuesday, which will finish out 7 days. Dr. Weinstein (pulmonologist and handles TPN) says he's doing well, only needs tweaking of his TPN. After a couple of days he will probably put him on a diuretic to help get rid of the fluid in his tissue, not too soon or it will counter-act all the IV fluids he's had to combat dehydration. He needs to move as much as possible which is extremely difficult with all the fluid in his legs...Ron says it's like dragging lead weight. He's being pretty faithful to do alot of leg movement in bed. Hopefully PT will come tomorrow and bring a walker, that would help make walking more bearable.
Love, Christie
Devotional thoughts from different sources I've been reading:
"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai...Then the Lord said to him, "I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard the groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt." Acts 7:30, 33-34
When God delays, He is not inactive. This is when He prepares and matures our stength.
God is never in a hurry. He spends years preparing those He plans to use and never thinks of the days of preparation as being too long.
The most difficult ingredient of suffering is often time.
God often has to burn the lessons into the depths of our being, using the fires of prolonged pain.
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver' (Malachi 3:3) He knows the specific amount of time that will be needed. Like a goldsmith, God stops the fires the moment He sees His image in the glowing metal.
We may be unable to see the final outcome of His plans...but can rest in the assurance that God is still seated on His throne.
We should be more careful to focus on learning all the lessons in the school of sorrow than to focus anxious eyes toward the time of our deliverance....when we are ready, our deliverance will definitely come.
Don't steal tomorrow from God's hands. We must give Him time to speak and reveal His will. He is never late...we must learn to wait.
No earthly circumstance can hinder the fulfillment of God's word.
Ecclesiastes 9:11
I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Transfer to 6 West
God's word tells us He longs to be gracious to us...and we can attest to His faithfulness to His word! He has definitely shown Himself gracious to us throughout our trying circumstances!
Last night at 11PM they were finally able to wean Ron off BP medication. He did great throughout the entire night! So today, he was able to transfer back to 6 West. When we heard he'd be moving, I went up to scope out available rooms. Perfect timing! One of the head nurses', Linsey, was on the phone with administrator in charge of room assignments trying to get his room. Somehow, between the two of them, decision was made for him to have the suite at the cost of a semi-private room!!!!! Amazing! This room would normally be an extra $300 a night! It's at the end of the hall (much quieter than his room across from the nurses' station) and consists of two rooms with a bifold door so you can close one room off from the other (perfect for working conditions!), a flat screen TV, sofa, microwave and refrigerator! We are so blessed! Thank you, Father!
They are trying to get him back on an even keel with his TPN and now address the excess fluid that has built up in his tissues causing him to swell up. His legs are huge, making it painful to move them. Obviously, it is very important to get him up and moving so that he won't regress any more than this little set back has already caused.
Things to pray about:
excess fluid
TPN balance
continued healing in belly
strength, energy, stamina
REST! (ICU schedule has been rough on both of us)
Happy Easter! Rejoice, He is Risen!
Last night at 11PM they were finally able to wean Ron off BP medication. He did great throughout the entire night! So today, he was able to transfer back to 6 West. When we heard he'd be moving, I went up to scope out available rooms. Perfect timing! One of the head nurses', Linsey, was on the phone with administrator in charge of room assignments trying to get his room. Somehow, between the two of them, decision was made for him to have the suite at the cost of a semi-private room!!!!! Amazing! This room would normally be an extra $300 a night! It's at the end of the hall (much quieter than his room across from the nurses' station) and consists of two rooms with a bifold door so you can close one room off from the other (perfect for working conditions!), a flat screen TV, sofa, microwave and refrigerator! We are so blessed! Thank you, Father!
They are trying to get him back on an even keel with his TPN and now address the excess fluid that has built up in his tissues causing him to swell up. His legs are huge, making it painful to move them. Obviously, it is very important to get him up and moving so that he won't regress any more than this little set back has already caused.
Things to pray about:
excess fluid
TPN balance
continued healing in belly
strength, energy, stamina
REST! (ICU schedule has been rough on both of us)
Happy Easter! Rejoice, He is Risen!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Addition to Friday's update
Dr. Shires was just in, he's pleased his creatnine (kidney function) is the lowest it's been in months even after taking this huge hit; and his white blood count is 11,000 (virtually normal!). But until his blood pressure is stable off of meds, he'll stay in ICU. Can't really explain his little bout last night, typically when you stand someone up their blood pressure will drop and heart rate go up but his did just the opposite. But then again, he says, "you're never normal!" Boy, did he get that right! He also said to settle in here for probably a couple more days.
Good Friday
I left Ron around 1:30 this morning; he was having a tough time getting comfortable so I bathed him, and gave him a back rub. Jenna (nurse) and I stood him up to change his sheets and shortly thereafter his heart rate dropped and blood pressure went up, not horribly but enough to cause Jenna to stay in the room with us for a while to keep an eye on things. This is the total opposite of what usually happens with him~~Ron said he felt a little "weird" but it passed pretty quickly. Hard to understand why his stats have suddenly become so "fragile" as Ron puts it; taking these dips and upswings. Nurses this morning said the rest of the night/morning was uneventful. And he's snoozing away now! ICU doc says they will continue to work on weaning him from Levophed (BP med) and he's ordered PT to work with him as well so they can see what his BP does when they get him up.
They are also working on getting the "right" formula for his TPN, which is a matter of tweaking things from day to day. Right now his blood sugars are all over the place and will be until this is worked out.
No one has mentioned going home but I would venture to say it would be at least a week or more before they would even consider. Obviously, he has to be stable for several days on all fronts before that could take place. First step is to get him out of ICU back to 6 West.
It's amazing, with all that's been going on with his blood pressure and heart rate, Ron says he feels ok. Gets some typical discomfort from drainage sites and from being laid up in bed but usually can't tell the difference when his BP is down. He's only needed his "lollipops" a couple of times.
As always, I'll post when I have any new information!
Happy Good Friday! Resurrection Sunday is on it's way!
Love, Christie
From my devotional reading yesterday:
"Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" 2 Corinthians 6:10
...amid a multitude of trials, souls who love God will discover reasons for boundless, leaping joy...And during the most difficult hour that could ever enter a human life, it will be possible to bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...Not simply to endure or to choose God's will but to rejoice in it.
Ecclesiastes 7:14
"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. "
They are also working on getting the "right" formula for his TPN, which is a matter of tweaking things from day to day. Right now his blood sugars are all over the place and will be until this is worked out.
No one has mentioned going home but I would venture to say it would be at least a week or more before they would even consider. Obviously, he has to be stable for several days on all fronts before that could take place. First step is to get him out of ICU back to 6 West.
It's amazing, with all that's been going on with his blood pressure and heart rate, Ron says he feels ok. Gets some typical discomfort from drainage sites and from being laid up in bed but usually can't tell the difference when his BP is down. He's only needed his "lollipops" a couple of times.
As always, I'll post when I have any new information!
Happy Good Friday! Resurrection Sunday is on it's way!
Love, Christie
From my devotional reading yesterday:
"Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" 2 Corinthians 6:10
...amid a multitude of trials, souls who love God will discover reasons for boundless, leaping joy...And during the most difficult hour that could ever enter a human life, it will be possible to bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...Not simply to endure or to choose God's will but to rejoice in it.
Ecclesiastes 7:14
"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. "
Thursday, March 20, 2008
more from Thursday
Results are back from CT scan and everything looks fine! They've slowly been able to wean his BP meds from 10 down to 7, then 5 and he did ok. They lowered it again a while later and he didn't do so well. So they had to bump it up again. His vascular system is still "dry", (evidently alot of the fluid seeps into the tissue so they have to keep filling the vascular system with large amounts of IV fluid). They will keep him in the ICU until they can get things back to normal. Dr. Shires says they are not overly concerned since he isn't showing any other symptoms and he's had no fever in over 24 hours.
6 West is very disappointed, they've been asking Dr. Shires when Ron was coming up there; they've got a bed waiting for him!
Thanks for your prayers! Keep them comin'!
6 West is very disappointed, they've been asking Dr. Shires when Ron was coming up there; they've got a bed waiting for him!
Thanks for your prayers! Keep them comin'!
Routine life in ICU
Good morning! Ron had a pretty good night considering they had to keep coming in every hour or so to reposition him (prevent bed sore from progressing), check vitals, check blood sugar, hang antibiotics, etc. His numbers all look good enough to do the CT with contrast. They will begin administering the contrast soon and it will be every 30 minutes over 1 1/2 hours then wait 30 minutes to do CT scan.
So far, nothing in his cultures are "growing" which is very good...means no signs of sepsis if nothing has grown within 24 hours. They will continue to "cook" (as Dr. Lidell...Infectious disease doc, says) and she'll keep him on the "big gun" antibiotics until all tests are final, as well as results from CT. She says he doesn't "look like an ICU patient" anymore and she thinks they'll move him up to 6 West after his CT.
That's all for now! Will send more news as I know it!
This is Christie Nordell, reporting from Presbyterian Hospital, signing off!!!!
So far, nothing in his cultures are "growing" which is very good...means no signs of sepsis if nothing has grown within 24 hours. They will continue to "cook" (as Dr. Lidell...Infectious disease doc, says) and she'll keep him on the "big gun" antibiotics until all tests are final, as well as results from CT. She says he doesn't "look like an ICU patient" anymore and she thinks they'll move him up to 6 West after his CT.
That's all for now! Will send more news as I know it!
This is Christie Nordell, reporting from Presbyterian Hospital, signing off!!!!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Coming around
Just left Ron and am happy to report he's feeling much better. The headache is finally gone and temp was normal at 10:30PM! They are weaning him off BP med and slowing down the IV fluids. They said he'd puff up again and his thighs are already getting quite large! He felt well enough for me to bathe him before heading up to my room. If blood pressure remains stable, kidney function looks better and blood work comes back okay then they will take him to CT tomorrow. Doctors have assured us this is just a small bump in the road...not that unexpected. They say they know he'll get over it, it will just take time and to remember all the mountains he's already conquered. By the looks on their faces, they've been just as sad (if not more) for us to have to be back so soon. We feel very confident in where we are...the care and compassion by all Ron's doctors, nurses, PCT's, etc, is just incredible.
They are doing construction at Presby and tonight they have a planned power outage for 11PM-5AM. All the medical floors have generator power and some lights in the hallways throughout the entire building...but NO POWER at all in the hotel rooms. They had told me this would be occuring and would help with other accomodations if I wanted, but I declined, so they gave me a flashlight! It's kind of strange but not too bad; I really do miss having my fan...not sure how I'll sleep without it! Becky, you know what I'm talking about!!!
I'll update tomorrow when I know more! I know we can count on you to continue to pray!
They are doing construction at Presby and tonight they have a planned power outage for 11PM-5AM. All the medical floors have generator power and some lights in the hallways throughout the entire building...but NO POWER at all in the hotel rooms. They had told me this would be occuring and would help with other accomodations if I wanted, but I declined, so they gave me a flashlight! It's kind of strange but not too bad; I really do miss having my fan...not sure how I'll sleep without it! Becky, you know what I'm talking about!!!
I'll update tomorrow when I know more! I know we can count on you to continue to pray!
Back in ICU
Well, in the last 24 hours Ron's gone from being able to go without any IV hookups for 8 hours a day, back to having IV pole with 4 ports and 7 bags!!!!
They finally moved him into ICU from recovery around 10:30 last night; temp was down to 102 (from 103.2), heart rate was beginning to creep down to between 100-110 (had been 120's to low 130's) but they had trouble stabilizing his blood pressure even through the night. The first med they were administering wasn't touching it, so they switched over to Levophed.
Blood pressure is finally beginning to look better but is still requiring meds to keep it manageable. He's on a broad spectrum of antibiotics, antifungal, lots of IV fluids, magnesium, BP med.....not sure what else. I've been told he'll remain in ICU until they can get his blood pressure under control and wean him off the Levophed. He was extremely dehydrated (more than 5 liters). Not sure how/why that happened so quickly since they had upped the volume of his TPN to include extra fluid. He continues to have a horrendous headache, docs says it's most likely from dehydration.
So far, all lab work has come back negative. Temp is now @ 100 and BP is 95/60. They want to get a CT to check his abdomen but can't do that until his blood pressure has been stable for a while. They say whenever they remove or manipulate any of the tubes, it can stir up something that may have been dormant. PRAISE GOD we were here at Presby when all of this hit!
Please continue to pray for my sweet hubby! He's really been through the wringer but remains such a trooper through it all. Only fuss I've heard from him has been regarding the terrible headache, and the soreness in his arm where they had to stick him multiple times to draw blood and twice for IV (couldn't use PICC line at that point).
He's snoring away as I'm writing.....poor guy, didn't get much sleep with the headache and all the stuff they were having to run through him last night. I was with him til @1AM and when I called to check on him at 5:30 they said he dozed off and on, but didn't get good sleep.
God is so good, as soon as I heard they would be admitting him I ran upstairs to check on a room and they actually had one available (typically have to get on a waiting list); and they have me down to always get the $20 rate....Woo hoo, frequent stay program!!!!
That's all to report for now...I'll post as soon as I know more!
Love, Christie
PS: Battery is just about out on my cell phone (and it has to remain off in ICU). I'll check calls as I can!
They finally moved him into ICU from recovery around 10:30 last night; temp was down to 102 (from 103.2), heart rate was beginning to creep down to between 100-110 (had been 120's to low 130's) but they had trouble stabilizing his blood pressure even through the night. The first med they were administering wasn't touching it, so they switched over to Levophed.
Blood pressure is finally beginning to look better but is still requiring meds to keep it manageable. He's on a broad spectrum of antibiotics, antifungal, lots of IV fluids, magnesium, BP med.....not sure what else. I've been told he'll remain in ICU until they can get his blood pressure under control and wean him off the Levophed. He was extremely dehydrated (more than 5 liters). Not sure how/why that happened so quickly since they had upped the volume of his TPN to include extra fluid. He continues to have a horrendous headache, docs says it's most likely from dehydration.
So far, all lab work has come back negative. Temp is now @ 100 and BP is 95/60. They want to get a CT to check his abdomen but can't do that until his blood pressure has been stable for a while. They say whenever they remove or manipulate any of the tubes, it can stir up something that may have been dormant. PRAISE GOD we were here at Presby when all of this hit!
Please continue to pray for my sweet hubby! He's really been through the wringer but remains such a trooper through it all. Only fuss I've heard from him has been regarding the terrible headache, and the soreness in his arm where they had to stick him multiple times to draw blood and twice for IV (couldn't use PICC line at that point).
He's snoring away as I'm writing.....poor guy, didn't get much sleep with the headache and all the stuff they were having to run through him last night. I was with him til @1AM and when I called to check on him at 5:30 they said he dozed off and on, but didn't get good sleep.
God is so good, as soon as I heard they would be admitting him I ran upstairs to check on a room and they actually had one available (typically have to get on a waiting list); and they have me down to always get the $20 rate....Woo hoo, frequent stay program!!!!
That's all to report for now...I'll post as soon as I know more!
Love, Christie
PS: Battery is just about out on my cell phone (and it has to remain off in ICU). I'll check calls as I can!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Back at Presby
Please pray for Ron. After IR today, his blood pressure dropped to 67/42 and he has now spiked a temp of 103. Things seemed to go well; CT showed the colonic fistula has healed so they were able to remove that drain. They also changed out the tubing on his PICC line (not replaced the whole thing because it still looked good), so they really don't have an explanation as to why this has come on. He does have a tendency to have his blood pressure drop after anesthesia but usually not this low or for this long of a period of time. They have started him on meds to raise BP, done a blood draw, called in resident doctor as well as infectious disease doc. He is still in recovery and Dr. Parikh said they will most likely move him to either ICU or progressive care unit.
Please pray they will be able to get some definitive answers quickly. I know Ron was very disappointed when they started mentioning admitting him.
Love, Christie
"Do not fear for I am with you" Isaiah 41:10
"The Lord is the one who goes before you, He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you, do not fear or be dismayed." Deut 31:8
(Thanks Ryan for reminding us of these!)
Please pray they will be able to get some definitive answers quickly. I know Ron was very disappointed when they started mentioning admitting him.
Love, Christie
"Do not fear for I am with you" Isaiah 41:10
"The Lord is the one who goes before you, He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you, do not fear or be dismayed." Deut 31:8
(Thanks Ryan for reminding us of these!)
Monday, March 17, 2008
Settling In
Boy, am I glad it's Spring Break! I can't imagine what it would be like just getting home and having to work, too. Things are going pretty well, a few little hiccups that we will address with doctors tomorrow when we go back to Presby for Interventional Radiology and visit with Dr. Shires. It promises to be a long day. Ron doesn't usually get up 'til noon or later, but we'll have to do drain flushes, wound care and dressing change (plus get me ready!) and be out the door by 9:30 at the latest. He will still be hooked up to his TPN which is connected to a portable pump in a back pack. He's scheduled for IR at 11 but we have to go through hospital admissions first, ugh!!! Pray things go smoothly!
Things to pray for:
- quick resolution to beginning of bed sore
- medication changes (insurance does not cover his under-the-tongue Prevacid but they will
cover Nexxium or Prilosec...we had to purchase a 5 day supply to get us through the
weekend at a cost of $50!) - insurance will come up with a plan for covering Imitrex..so far they say they will only cover 9 per month and he's been needing 1(and up to 3) each day
- definitive results from bloodwork, he's lost 4.5 lbs since we've been home, we think he's a
little dehydrated which would also account for blood pressure running low and heart rate a little high...his blood pressure has always run a little low but he's been getting
extremely lightheaded - energy and stamina
- good rest!
- we'll be able to get into a routine before I head back to work next Monday
We've really enjoyed having the kids around...they've all been here each day to hang out with us and were able to receive instructions from home health care nurse for TPN preparations. It's also nice to know if I need help, they're just a shout down the hallway!
And for our Sunday family fun day, the boys' went and stood in line at 7AM to purchase a Wii video game system! If you've never played one, it's incredibly fun! We've all bowled, played tennis and many other games. Ron is able to do each of them from the comfort of his recliner! It's a blast!!!! And as physically active as you want it to be, great workout.
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
As Dorothy said....
There's no place like home!!!
I won't say it's been trouble-free, but just a minor or two cliche. We were hoping to leave Presby no later than 3 but it was 4:30 before we got everything squared away. Well, almost everything...we had trouble getting Ron's syringes and pain med...I called all over looking for someone who had both of these in stock to no avail. Thanks to Tammy Latimer's tip, we found a pharmacy close to Presby that carried both. But, when I went to pick them up, I found our insurance would not cover the narcotic "lollipops" without a 48 hour waiting period.
After multiple calls back and forth between us, pharmacy & doctor's office nothing was settled. We could have purchased them out of pocket at a bargain price of $1612. Ron decided, he would make the one they gave him at the hospital last until we could work something else out. Praise God, we were finally able to get things expedited and Ryan drove back to Dallas this afternoon to pick them up for a price of $10. Crazy isn't it! Like I tell everyone, even "bad" insurance is better than no insurance!
Anywho, we arrived home around 6PM. It was a long drive for Ron but he tolerated it pretty well. He was more than ready to hit the recliner as soon as we walked in the door! And what a wonderful welcome home it was....our house is BEAUTIFUL! The flooring, paint, everything looks GREAT! We cannot begin to thank everyone who pitched in to make our renovation successful! I can't imagine what it would have been like to have to be rolling Ron's large suction device from room to room if it was still all carpet. And the bathroom renovations are so great for Ron, too. Having the taller countertop and the handrails in the shower, oh so helpful! We were also surprised to find our neighbor, Adrian, in our backyard putting the finishing touches on a new covered seating area. He's such a sweetheart!
Home healthcare nurse arrived around 8PM, TPN is set to begin at 9 each night and cycle through til 1PM, so he has an 8 hour break from tubes each day. She showed me how to add all the vitamins, insulin, etc to the general formula and set up the TPN for infusion. When she came back to unhook today at 1, she had me mix tonight's formula and I did the hook up by myself tonight. Our home looks like an apothecary!
He also requires flushing of 4 tubes twice a day and 1 once, which requires a total of 10 saline syringes a day. Plus dressing changes and drainage tubes emptied and measured as needed. He also has to be unhooked from G-tube suction any time he wants/needs to move from room to room. Whew!!! Makes for a busy day!!!
Neither of us slept very well last night, I'm sure it will take a night or two until we are used to our new/old surroundings.
I was so excited to get to cook dinner for our family tonight! It's been 5+ months since I've been able to choose and cook my own home-cooked meal. We had Spaghetti Carbonara...a family favorite, and it was great! Our sweet Kristin, was so sweet to go take care of the grocery shopping for us, and to help prepare dinner.
It was good to have Ryan and Kristin here the majority of the day, Aaron had to work but was here as much as he could be. The guys were so helpful doing all kinds of odd jobs around the house today. We are so blessed!
I'm sure there is more to relate but it's getting late, and time to do last flush of the evening!Thanks so much for your prayers as we settle in.
I won't say it's been trouble-free, but just a minor or two cliche. We were hoping to leave Presby no later than 3 but it was 4:30 before we got everything squared away. Well, almost everything...we had trouble getting Ron's syringes and pain med...I called all over looking for someone who had both of these in stock to no avail. Thanks to Tammy Latimer's tip, we found a pharmacy close to Presby that carried both. But, when I went to pick them up, I found our insurance would not cover the narcotic "lollipops" without a 48 hour waiting period.
After multiple calls back and forth between us, pharmacy & doctor's office nothing was settled. We could have purchased them out of pocket at a bargain price of $1612. Ron decided, he would make the one they gave him at the hospital last until we could work something else out. Praise God, we were finally able to get things expedited and Ryan drove back to Dallas this afternoon to pick them up for a price of $10. Crazy isn't it! Like I tell everyone, even "bad" insurance is better than no insurance!
Anywho, we arrived home around 6PM. It was a long drive for Ron but he tolerated it pretty well. He was more than ready to hit the recliner as soon as we walked in the door! And what a wonderful welcome home it was....our house is BEAUTIFUL! The flooring, paint, everything looks GREAT! We cannot begin to thank everyone who pitched in to make our renovation successful! I can't imagine what it would have been like to have to be rolling Ron's large suction device from room to room if it was still all carpet. And the bathroom renovations are so great for Ron, too. Having the taller countertop and the handrails in the shower, oh so helpful! We were also surprised to find our neighbor, Adrian, in our backyard putting the finishing touches on a new covered seating area. He's such a sweetheart!
Home healthcare nurse arrived around 8PM, TPN is set to begin at 9 each night and cycle through til 1PM, so he has an 8 hour break from tubes each day. She showed me how to add all the vitamins, insulin, etc to the general formula and set up the TPN for infusion. When she came back to unhook today at 1, she had me mix tonight's formula and I did the hook up by myself tonight. Our home looks like an apothecary!
He also requires flushing of 4 tubes twice a day and 1 once, which requires a total of 10 saline syringes a day. Plus dressing changes and drainage tubes emptied and measured as needed. He also has to be unhooked from G-tube suction any time he wants/needs to move from room to room. Whew!!! Makes for a busy day!!!
Neither of us slept very well last night, I'm sure it will take a night or two until we are used to our new/old surroundings.
I was so excited to get to cook dinner for our family tonight! It's been 5+ months since I've been able to choose and cook my own home-cooked meal. We had Spaghetti Carbonara...a family favorite, and it was great! Our sweet Kristin, was so sweet to go take care of the grocery shopping for us, and to help prepare dinner.
It was good to have Ryan and Kristin here the majority of the day, Aaron had to work but was here as much as he could be. The guys were so helpful doing all kinds of odd jobs around the house today. We are so blessed!
I'm sure there is more to relate but it's getting late, and time to do last flush of the evening!Thanks so much for your prayers as we settle in.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
One more day....
Can you believe it's been 3 months today since we moved to Presbyterian from Harris HEB? And that it's been over 5 months since this roller coaster ride began? GOD IS SOOOO GOOD! Only He could turn such a grim prognosis into something so amazing! May we be ever faithful to give Him all glory!
After having a really puny-feeling day yesterday, thoughts of going home Friday were a little shaky. But today has been much better and, so far, plans are in motion to go home tomorrow. Hospital bed and walker were delivered to the house tonight We're very excited, they were able to set up the hospital bed in our bedroom, we were thinking it might have to be set up in the living room! We've started gathering other necessary medical supplies, but will wait 'til tomorrow to pack. There are still no promises, it's dependent on lab results and other sundry details.
They started trials on his new pain management narcotic "lollipops", which seem to work well. I practiced flushing all his various drains at both noon and six today under nurse supervision; and then again at 10 all by myself! I also spent a good deal of the evening on the phone trying to find a pharmacy that is able to fill our prescription for saline-filled syringes (for flushing, we'll use 10-15 of these a day!!!) until we can get our supply from Medco...so far, no luck!
The next few days will be busy and very tiring. Ron is still unable to eat or drink anything, just his TPN (IV) and ice chips; eating will have to wait until after surgery. I'd love to say we'll be able to see everyone, but it's still VERY IMPORTANT to KEEP RON as GERM-FREE as possible. The goal is to have him home for a while to recuperate, gain strength and energy..."fine tune" everything in preparation for his big surgery sometime in the near future. Sorry to say...HE'LL STILL BE RESTRICTED FROM HAVING VISITORS. It makes us sad, but it's in his best interest, and as we all know...it's all about Ron! (Sorry, Sharon, you'll have to wait!)
We already know we will have to return to Presby next Tuesday for more Interventional Radiology, plus an appointment with Dr. Shires while we're over here. We will have to make this trip every week to 10 days.
I know we can count on you to pray for a smooth transition. We're confident everything will fall into place and so far have not been anxious about anything but I'm sure we'll have our moments! Hopefully not too many, though. I did just about have a nervous breakdown first time I did Ron's flush on my own. With the nurse standing over my shoulder it makes me nervous, then Ron jerked away and cried out and I just about had a heart attack! Then I saw him grinning....Such a turkey, I didn't hurt him; he did it just to scare me!!! He and Lirio (nurse) both thought it was hilarious!!! I don't think he's thinking very clearly, obviously he didn't remember his life is in my hands for the next however long....I'll be the keeper of the "lollipops" so he better be on his best behavior or things could get pretty ugly!
Please pray we will all get a good night's sleep; everyone's very excited to get our family back together at home! Thanks for your continued prayers!
Love, Christie
"Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You." Psalm 9:10
After having a really puny-feeling day yesterday, thoughts of going home Friday were a little shaky. But today has been much better and, so far, plans are in motion to go home tomorrow. Hospital bed and walker were delivered to the house tonight We're very excited, they were able to set up the hospital bed in our bedroom, we were thinking it might have to be set up in the living room! We've started gathering other necessary medical supplies, but will wait 'til tomorrow to pack. There are still no promises, it's dependent on lab results and other sundry details.
They started trials on his new pain management narcotic "lollipops", which seem to work well. I practiced flushing all his various drains at both noon and six today under nurse supervision; and then again at 10 all by myself! I also spent a good deal of the evening on the phone trying to find a pharmacy that is able to fill our prescription for saline-filled syringes (for flushing, we'll use 10-15 of these a day!!!) until we can get our supply from Medco...so far, no luck!
The next few days will be busy and very tiring. Ron is still unable to eat or drink anything, just his TPN (IV) and ice chips; eating will have to wait until after surgery. I'd love to say we'll be able to see everyone, but it's still VERY IMPORTANT to KEEP RON as GERM-FREE as possible. The goal is to have him home for a while to recuperate, gain strength and energy..."fine tune" everything in preparation for his big surgery sometime in the near future. Sorry to say...HE'LL STILL BE RESTRICTED FROM HAVING VISITORS. It makes us sad, but it's in his best interest, and as we all know...it's all about Ron! (Sorry, Sharon, you'll have to wait!)
We already know we will have to return to Presby next Tuesday for more Interventional Radiology, plus an appointment with Dr. Shires while we're over here. We will have to make this trip every week to 10 days.
I know we can count on you to pray for a smooth transition. We're confident everything will fall into place and so far have not been anxious about anything but I'm sure we'll have our moments! Hopefully not too many, though. I did just about have a nervous breakdown first time I did Ron's flush on my own. With the nurse standing over my shoulder it makes me nervous, then Ron jerked away and cried out and I just about had a heart attack! Then I saw him grinning....Such a turkey, I didn't hurt him; he did it just to scare me!!! He and Lirio (nurse) both thought it was hilarious!!! I don't think he's thinking very clearly, obviously he didn't remember his life is in my hands for the next however long....I'll be the keeper of the "lollipops" so he better be on his best behavior or things could get pretty ugly!
Please pray we will all get a good night's sleep; everyone's very excited to get our family back together at home! Thanks for your continued prayers!
Love, Christie
"Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You." Psalm 9:10
Dismissal Day Friday!
We can tell you've been praying, especially about our weariness in waiting. When Dr. Shires came in today, he told us he's shooting for THIS FRIDAY as dismissal day! Of course, this is all subject to how things go over the next few days.
Things that need to take place:
- make sure TPN is well-managed
- try him on pain medication "lollipops" (he can't swallow anything and messing with
red tape involved with injectable morphine would be a nightmare!!) - watch all output levels
- make sure blood levels are stable
- get hospital supplies deliverd to house
- set up home health care
As always, God's timing is perfect! Next week I'm on Spring Break! It will be great to have all week to get settled in and establish a routine.
Please pray things go well these next few days and especially as we learn how to handle all of Ron's paraphernalia.
Much love!
Christie
"The Lord has done great things for us..." Psalm 126:3
Monday, March 10, 2008
Watching and waiting
Ron went down to Interventional Radiology bright and early (at least for him). They were loading him up when I got down to his room about 8:15. He returned around 11. After looking at the CT scans Dr. Parikh removed one of his tubes...the one that used to be original gastric tube (then became drain from colon). He left the drain at the colonic fistula. The fistula has definitely gotten smaller but not completely healed yet.
Dr. Shires is still watching and waiting, not willing to pinpoint a specific day, but does have the social worker working on logistics of care for when we go home at some point...still possible that it could be this week (possibly weekend).
The waiting is the hardest. It would be so nice to have a set date for going home, a set date for surgery.....this day at a time stuff makes us weary. But we're doing ok. We strive to look for the positive in all things and know that our happiness is not dependent on our circumstances or location!
Main issues at this point:
TPN management (especially concerning liver and blood sugar)
leaking out around tubes (which can cause skin breakdown)
colonic fistula
Love,
Christie
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6
Dr. Shires is still watching and waiting, not willing to pinpoint a specific day, but does have the social worker working on logistics of care for when we go home at some point...still possible that it could be this week (possibly weekend).
The waiting is the hardest. It would be so nice to have a set date for going home, a set date for surgery.....this day at a time stuff makes us weary. But we're doing ok. We strive to look for the positive in all things and know that our happiness is not dependent on our circumstances or location!
Main issues at this point:
TPN management (especially concerning liver and blood sugar)
leaking out around tubes (which can cause skin breakdown)
colonic fistula
Love,
Christie
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Today was another great day! The boys came up after church, Kristin was home taking care of a bad back strain. For our family fun time, we took Ron for a walk up to Hotel Presby and surprised him with a practice putting green with automatic return. You should have seen the smile on his face when we placed the putter in his hand (he had his eyes closed as we set everything up). CRONIES BEWARE!!!!! He's still got it! Our first competition was best of 5 and he aced 4 of them, which tied him with Ryan. So, they had a playoff, best of 3...and he scored 2 out of the 3!!! Takes alot more than a couple of "dying spells" (as Dr. Shires calls them) and over 5 months since holding a club, to mess up his game!
Grandma and Papa arrived in the middle of our competition; they thoroughly enjoyed seeing Ron up and about without the walker. The walking and putting wore him out so we headed back down to his room where we got G'ma and Papa in on the fun by showing them how to use the Nerf Dart guns. We had them shooting at the talking target and they had a blast...it was a hoot!!! Ryan took a couple of pictures which I'll send as soon as I get them. (hopefully the next update)
Ron had another cluster headache last night, and has already had one this evening, drats!Thankfully, it was controlled with just one dose of Imitrex.
Blood sugar has been up and down today so they've had to give him insulin a couple of times. They say it may take a while to regulate.
We're anxious for him to go to Inteventional Radiology tomorrow. He's really hoping to get at least 1 tube, maybe even 2, removed. Don't have a time as yet. Please pray for Dr. Parikh, that he will be rested after his long journey to India over the last couple of weeks.
I'm attaching a picture taken last weekend while Ryan's girlfriend, Stacee, was here! Taken at Joe T Garcia's, left to right Stacee, Ryan, Kristin & Aaron! Aren't they cute couples!!!!
I'll update tomorrow after Interventional Radiology!
Love, Christie
"All of us are placed somewhere on the scale of suffering. Some of us suffer more than others, but wherever God places you and me on that scale, He gives us accompanying grace to handle it." Joni Erickson Tada
(Thanks Pastor Tommy, for sharing this with us!)
Ron had another cluster headache last night, and has already had one this evening, drats!Thankfully, it was controlled with just one dose of Imitrex.
Blood sugar has been up and down today so they've had to give him insulin a couple of times. They say it may take a while to regulate.
We're anxious for him to go to Inteventional Radiology tomorrow. He's really hoping to get at least 1 tube, maybe even 2, removed. Don't have a time as yet. Please pray for Dr. Parikh, that he will be rested after his long journey to India over the last couple of weeks.
I'm attaching a picture taken last weekend while Ryan's girlfriend, Stacee, was here! Taken at Joe T Garcia's, left to right Stacee, Ryan, Kristin & Aaron! Aren't they cute couples!!!!
I'll update tomorrow after Interventional Radiology!
Love, Christie
"All of us are placed somewhere on the scale of suffering. Some of us suffer more than others, but wherever God places you and me on that scale, He gives us accompanying grace to handle it." Joni Erickson Tada
(Thanks Pastor Tommy, for sharing this with us!)
Central Line removed
Today has been a great day! They started Ron on his new TPN regimen last night which means he was able to be off of it for the majority of the day. So far, his finger pricks are showing his blood levels are staying within normal ranges. This afternoon, we went for his first walk with no pole!!! Since he wasn't connected to TPN, they were able to unhook him from the IV, thus no pole to drag around!!! After returning from our walk, he finally got approval to take a shower! It has been exactly 5 months today that he last had a shower! (The night of October 8, Ron went to the ER for his original gall bladder problem). It was wonderful for him to sit and just let the water run over him, which he did for about 20 minutes. Needless to say, I had to help him out since he still has 5 tubes attached. It was quite an ordeal getting him in and out and shampooed and cleaned, but worth every minute of it. The shower exhausted both of us so afterwards we each took a little nap!
This evening, the kids came up so we once again had him disconnected from his IV, then he walked to the elevator so we could all go up to the Hotel Presby lobby where we sat and played cards for a while. He was pretty tired and a little light-headed on the way back down, I was glad the kids were there to help out if needed, but he made it back down on his own. He should sleep very well tonight!
Yesterday, they removed his Central Line. He still has the power PICC for his IV and TPN lines. And, he has now gone two nights without any headaches! Hallelujah!!!
Please pray:
- blood sugar levels will remain stable
- TPN will be adjusted to the right "formula" quickly
- there will be no side effects to liver as all this is being monkeyed with
- Ron will get some good sleep tonight
- continued strength, energy & stamina
- intestines and entire "gut" will continue to heal...completely!!!
We are so blessed to have such faithful family and friends!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Preparations for home-going
Interventional Radiology has been slammed with patients the last couple of days, so Ron will not go until Monday when Dr. Parikh returns from his trip to India. As long as things check out there, it looks like we'll be going home sometime next week!
This afternoon a social worker stopped by to talk to Ron and will now begin to set things in motion. We will have a doctor who specializes in TPN home treatment begin working with us on how we will handle things at home. They will be adjusting his TPN over the course of several days to where he will be able to be off of it for a few hours at a time but they have to find the right balance to keep his blood sugar level consistently in check. They will also teach us how to maintain and flush all his drains, do wound care, record all output, etc.
The drainage tube from the colonic fistula has put out virtually nothing but what they flush the tubes with for several days now so we are hoping he will be able to have this one removed on Monday. This would bring him down to 4 tubes. If things look really good, they may remove one more (the old g-tube that is now drain in colon). It would be great to go home with just three tubes to manage. We are also hoping that they will downsize the one accordion bag to a bulb which would be much less intrusive for Ron and easier to manage.
BIG NEWS.....today each time we went for a walk, Ron was able to walk the entire distance without any assistive device!!!!! NO WALKER!!!!! Huge surprise to me! He neglected to tell me that when I was at work yesterday he worked on this with PT. They were pleased enough with his stability and strength that they okayed him to continue on his own!!! And he is walking the same distance each time as what he had been with the walker! Pray he will continue to build strength and stamina.
Thank you for your continued prayer support!
Love, Christie
"For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ." Hebrews 3:14 NLT
This afternoon a social worker stopped by to talk to Ron and will now begin to set things in motion. We will have a doctor who specializes in TPN home treatment begin working with us on how we will handle things at home. They will be adjusting his TPN over the course of several days to where he will be able to be off of it for a few hours at a time but they have to find the right balance to keep his blood sugar level consistently in check. They will also teach us how to maintain and flush all his drains, do wound care, record all output, etc.
The drainage tube from the colonic fistula has put out virtually nothing but what they flush the tubes with for several days now so we are hoping he will be able to have this one removed on Monday. This would bring him down to 4 tubes. If things look really good, they may remove one more (the old g-tube that is now drain in colon). It would be great to go home with just three tubes to manage. We are also hoping that they will downsize the one accordion bag to a bulb which would be much less intrusive for Ron and easier to manage.
BIG NEWS.....today each time we went for a walk, Ron was able to walk the entire distance without any assistive device!!!!! NO WALKER!!!!! Huge surprise to me! He neglected to tell me that when I was at work yesterday he worked on this with PT. They were pleased enough with his stability and strength that they okayed him to continue on his own!!! And he is walking the same distance each time as what he had been with the walker! Pray he will continue to build strength and stamina.
Thank you for your continued prayer support!
Love, Christie
"For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ." Hebrews 3:14 NLT
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Back to Plan A
Well...once again, looks like plans are changing. Ron's leakage has dramatically decreased, thus his skin irritation/breakdown has greatly improved. So, depending on how the next few days go, we may be back to Plan A which is go home for a while and then return in a month or so for the big surgery. They are watching his drainage output closely and will take him down to Interventional Radiology in the next couple of days and make final decision from there.
It's good that things are healing up on their own but Ron was extremely discouraged to hear surgery may be postponed. Since we were thinking he would have surgery in the next couple of weeks, he was getting excited about the prospect of having the major part of this ordeal behind him soon. The thought of continued waiting is hard. He knows that the further we are away from his last surgery (December 10) the more his body will have healed and that the leakage and skin issues had tipped the scales as to the necessity to go in earlier. Now that those issues aren't a problem, the surgeons say they would prefer to wait to allow optimal healing to take place before they go in. Please pray for Ron, that he will be at peace with whatever final decision is made. He totally believes God's timing is perfect, and is trusting Dr. Shires and Dr. Becherel for wise discernment, but he is more than ready to get this behind him.
Also pray that these cluster headaches (the intensity of a migraine, difference being that they come on every day...or mostly nights in his case...for a few weeks and then won't come on again for years). He has been having them for 7-10 days now and they have increased to more than one a day. Today his headache started about 6 and when I left his room at 10:30 he was still having problems despite the fact he has had two doses of his medication. Even the morphine doesn't cut it.
It's good that things are healing up on their own but Ron was extremely discouraged to hear surgery may be postponed. Since we were thinking he would have surgery in the next couple of weeks, he was getting excited about the prospect of having the major part of this ordeal behind him soon. The thought of continued waiting is hard. He knows that the further we are away from his last surgery (December 10) the more his body will have healed and that the leakage and skin issues had tipped the scales as to the necessity to go in earlier. Now that those issues aren't a problem, the surgeons say they would prefer to wait to allow optimal healing to take place before they go in. Please pray for Ron, that he will be at peace with whatever final decision is made. He totally believes God's timing is perfect, and is trusting Dr. Shires and Dr. Becherel for wise discernment, but he is more than ready to get this behind him.
Also pray that these cluster headaches (the intensity of a migraine, difference being that they come on every day...or mostly nights in his case...for a few weeks and then won't come on again for years). He has been having them for 7-10 days now and they have increased to more than one a day. Today his headache started about 6 and when I left his room at 10:30 he was still having problems despite the fact he has had two doses of his medication. Even the morphine doesn't cut it.
Please remember to pray:
- wise discernment for Dr. Shires & Dr. Becherel
- for Ron (and all the family) to trust God's perfect timing
- for peace
- against cluster headaches
- for decisions needing to be made within our family
Many thanks!
Christie & gang
"Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Heb 6:12
The Biblical heroes of faith remind us not only of the necessity of faith but also of the patience required for faith's work to be perfected. May we fear attempting to remove ourselves from the hands of our Heavenly Guide, or missing even one lesson of His loving discipline due to our discouragement or doubt.
......
Just as the blacksmith strengthens steel, the Lords tests us in the same way: through fire, water, and heavy blows of His hammer. If we are unwilling to withstand the test, or prove to be unfit for His tempering process, He may throw us onto the scrap heap. When the fire in our life is the hottest, we should stand still, for "later on...it produces a harvest" (Heb 12:11) of blessings. Then we will be able to say "When He has tested me, I will come forth as gold." Job 23:10
Heb 12:12-13 (New Living Translation)
"So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong."
AHHHHH.....Saturdays!
Even though I love my job, it's nice to have the weekends to be able to rest and relax with my sweet hubby! And it's the first day of March...it's amazing to think that this time next month we could be home with all this behind us (at least the major part). Doesn't seem possible, does it?
Ryan's girlfriend, Stacee, arrived (from Florida) yesterday morning. He's enjoying giving her the grand tour for her first trip to Dallas/Ft. Worth. They spent some time up here at Presby yesterday afternoon and were able to help take Ron outside for a while. Last night they took the train to the Mavericks game. Today, Ryan is taking her to see where he works and around to other places of interest. Tomorrow evening they will go to Bass Hall, after spending the afternoon with us for our typical Sunday afternoon of family games...last week we introduced a new facet to our Nerf dart guns, a talking dart board! Ryan is the proud high score holder at this point!
While Ryan & Stacee were here this afternoon we once again went outside. This time, Ron actually walked out to the fountain, where we sat for about 30 minutes, then walked back. (With the walker being his only assistance) It was great!!!! That's the furtherest he's walked since October! Ron was definitely ready to get back in bed and after Ryan and Stacee left, he took a long nap.
Our devotional reading this morning came from Streams in the Desert:
"Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what He has made crooked?" Ecclesiastes 7:13
"Notice the way God does things; then fall into line. Don't fight the ways of God..."
New Living Translation
God often seems to place His children in places of deep difficulty...He creates situations that human judgment, would never allow...Your situation is filled with uncertainty and is very serious, but it is perfectly right. The reason behind it will more than justify Him who brought you here, fot it is a platform from which God will display His almighty grace and power. He not only will deliver you but in doing so will impart a lesson you will never forget. And in days to come, you will return to the truth of it...You will be unable to ever thank God enough for doing exactly what He has done.
We may wait till He explains,
Because we know that Jesus reigns.
It puzzles me; but, Lord, you understand,
And will one day explain this crooked thing.
Meanwhile, I know that it has worked out Your best
Its very crookedness taught me to cling.
You have fenced up my ways, made my paths crooked,
To keep my wand'ring eyes fixed on You,
to make me what I was not, humble, patient;
To draw my heart from earthly love to You.
So I will thank and praise You for this puzzle,
And trust where I cannot understand.
Rejoicing You do hold me worth such testing,
I cling the closer to Your guiding hand.
Ryan's girlfriend, Stacee, arrived (from Florida) yesterday morning. He's enjoying giving her the grand tour for her first trip to Dallas/Ft. Worth. They spent some time up here at Presby yesterday afternoon and were able to help take Ron outside for a while. Last night they took the train to the Mavericks game. Today, Ryan is taking her to see where he works and around to other places of interest. Tomorrow evening they will go to Bass Hall, after spending the afternoon with us for our typical Sunday afternoon of family games...last week we introduced a new facet to our Nerf dart guns, a talking dart board! Ryan is the proud high score holder at this point!
While Ryan & Stacee were here this afternoon we once again went outside. This time, Ron actually walked out to the fountain, where we sat for about 30 minutes, then walked back. (With the walker being his only assistance) It was great!!!! That's the furtherest he's walked since October! Ron was definitely ready to get back in bed and after Ryan and Stacee left, he took a long nap.
Our devotional reading this morning came from Streams in the Desert:
"Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what He has made crooked?" Ecclesiastes 7:13
"Notice the way God does things; then fall into line. Don't fight the ways of God..."
New Living Translation
God often seems to place His children in places of deep difficulty...He creates situations that human judgment, would never allow...Your situation is filled with uncertainty and is very serious, but it is perfectly right. The reason behind it will more than justify Him who brought you here, fot it is a platform from which God will display His almighty grace and power. He not only will deliver you but in doing so will impart a lesson you will never forget. And in days to come, you will return to the truth of it...You will be unable to ever thank God enough for doing exactly what He has done.
We may wait till He explains,
Because we know that Jesus reigns.
It puzzles me; but, Lord, you understand,
And will one day explain this crooked thing.
Meanwhile, I know that it has worked out Your best
Its very crookedness taught me to cling.
You have fenced up my ways, made my paths crooked,
To keep my wand'ring eyes fixed on You,
to make me what I was not, humble, patient;
To draw my heart from earthly love to You.
So I will thank and praise You for this puzzle,
And trust where I cannot understand.
Rejoicing You do hold me worth such testing,
I cling the closer to Your guiding hand.
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