ICU

[lavendertook]

I just got home tonight from NJ. Things didn't go well with my dad's recovery and it was a hell of a week.

The day after the surgery, Wednesday, after they took out his breathing tube, his heart basically blew a gasket--blood flooded the sac around the heart--and they had to rush him back into surgery and rip him open again. This all came down just as my mom and I arrived there for visiting hour, so we came into the ICU hearing people calling my dad's bed number and rushing to him in full hospital show drama form--very, very scary. At first they didn't think they would be able to move him and would have to operate right there in the ICU, but they got him stable enough to wheel him to the OR. It took a couple of hours to get out of surgery and a few hours to get him stable.

The next day, when my mom and I came to see him in the morning, he came down with terrible shivers as his temp raced up to 103 and he came down with an infection. We held his hands as they got him medicated and his temp under control. He was stable and asleep when my mom, brother and I came in that evening, but still ill, and they were still running tests on what it was.

Friday morning, he looked a little better, but they found the infection had gotten into his blood and was in his kidneys and had my mom sign to put him on dialysis and another procedure to put in a tube for it. The worst case possibility was brought up that the dialysis could be a permanent thing--something we didn't think my dad would want to live with. They did the procedure that afternoon, and he was hooked up and resting quiet when we saw him that evening.

Saturday the dialysis machine clogged up. His blood was clotting but they couldn't use the normal thinner heparin because of his condition. The nurse banging on the dialysis machine did not inspire confidence, plus watching her chew on her pen, then handle his lines with the same hand she was holding it in. I was fit to be tied. The ICU just seemed very empty of staff on the weekend--until then we felt very confident about the staff and care he was getting--and the weekend staff seemed pretty sub-par as well--it was maddening. the nurse finally explained to us that he would be fine off the machine while they worked out with the doctor what substitute they could use.

Today was the first good day without a setback. They took his breathing tube out this morning, and he wasn't able to talk yet, but it definitely brightened his spirits, and ours. He could respond more, and welcomed our staying around for the first time. He wasn't allowed to drink yet to protect his lungs, but I was able to swab his dry lips with an ice stick so that seemed to help him and it was nice to be able to do something.

I had to leave after the morning visit--go to work tomorrow, take care of my cats, take care of my deteriorating foot, take car of me, but mom told me this evening that he was able to talk when they visited, and though he tired and needed to get back to sleep in 20 minutes, he seemed the best yet. Plus it was looking like he may not need to the dialysis machine anymore.

So cross your fingers for us that there are no more set backs and we can get him out of the ICU by midweek. I really think we're not going to lose him now--this is the first day I can feel fairly certain of that. And this is only the first operation. But it's going to be some time before he's healed enough to get his spinal surgery.

When I went to the gym this evening to use the exercise bike, Moo and Tuxie followed me all the way there, once again, even though I chased them back a few times. They waited for me outside the building until I came out, then followed me back home, much to the amusement of another bystander. It's good to be reunited with my fuzzy escort service, as well as my fuzzy housemates, though there's some projectile vomit from the top of their kitty condo to clean up before bed--it's been a stressful time for them, too.

Comments

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

Damn, I hope he'll be okay---and you as well.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you. My mom said they're leting him eat a little today, but he's having breathing problems, so there's a chance they may need to put him back on the tube if his medicines don't help. And they wil need to get him on dialysis but his kidney output isn't too bad--they just need to clear his system. He's having some hallucinations, which is apparently normal on ICU--he saw a cat walk by when my mom was there--he misses their cats.

[spookystoy.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[voontah.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear he is improving now. *hugs*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Ty. It seems like it, but we're braced for another set back. *hugs*

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

I'm keeping you and your family in my prayers.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Ty--it is very appreciated.

[mirandaflynn.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry your dad (and the rest of you!) had a bad time and that that staff was sucky on the weekend. I hope things go better.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Ty. It's Monday so there's more staff--Brian the good PA is back, so that makes things better. He helped convince my dad this morning that the bed rail was not a coffee cup--dad wouldn't belive my mom. Dad's having hallucinations that are common to people in ICU due to the meds and lack of visual stimuli. Last evening he thought my mom let in flying bugs when she visited. Today, mom said he thought one of his support monitors was a water fountain, saw a cat walk by (he misses their two siameses--they miss him too), saw my brother and I walk by.

[anneheart.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I'm hoping for the best with your dad, and your foot and everything.

*hugs again*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Ty, hon. *hugshugs* I wore my night splint for my foot last night and it's helped--I will remember to bring it up when I go back up this week and that will help.

[fancymcsnazsnaz.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear things have been so rough! Your family is in my thoughts.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Ty. Hopefully my dad's almost out of the woods.

[seawings.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear of all you and your family has been going through. I will be sending positive thoughts your way. I'm glad to hear that things are better and that your dad is more stable. Please take comfort from your furry family (the extended one, too). Mine was a very comforting when I was badly ill. They are a treasure and will do their best to make you feel better. Feel free to give me a call if you need to talk. Many big hugs.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

*hugshgus* Ty, hon. My folks have two 7 month siamese sisters they got this spring--they look like skinny little ferrets to me, though Borie has a fox-like fluffy tale. They're very cute and were good stress relief while there. I very needed to be back with my big huggy kitties though.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry this has been so stressful and scary for your father, your mother, and for you (and for the fuzzy ones, too). I hopeyour father's healing goes smoothly now, and that the next visit to surgery be much less eventful.

Lots of hugs headed your way.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Ty--I hope we have him out of ICU in a couple of days. That other surgery better be less eventful--there's no saying when he'll be in shape to have it though and we just got to hope it doesn't progress while he's healing.

*hugshugs*

[mererid.livejournal.com]

*hugshugshugs*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

*hugshugshugs* Thanks for being there, hon.

[seaya.livejournal.com]

hugz hugz

Did you report that unsanitary nurse????

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

*hugshugs*

We did tell my dad's cardiac surgeon about it when we ran into him the next morning. Today was her last day on rotation with my dad--we are glad of that for a number of issues we had with her.

But they're all unsanitary, really. They pull on surgical gloves with hands that have touched other things and haven't been immediately washed.

[rosamundeb.livejournal.com]

You're right.. we see this all the time on TV, but it's hard to imagine what it's like being on the other side; you've been through a hell of a lot. My best wishes to your dad, and, yes, take care of yourself.

Tuxie and Moo... how sweet. *S*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Yeah, we just timed it for the drama all right.

They are cuties.

[rosamundeb.livejournal.com]

(are those your cat pics? beautiful!)

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

No--but the cat in that icon and this one looks a lot like my Milli, who I consider The Beauty. My other kitty is Saki, The Cutie, a very fat lilac point siamese mix. I don't have any icons of my kitties, but I will be inundating you with pics of them in future entries, now that I've figured out how to use LJ scrapbook with all the Moo and Tuxie pics I've been posting. There will even be Bingo pics!(-;

[rosamundeb.livejournal.com]

Such beautiful rich colors in the photos. Looking forward to your pics!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

These icons? I love collecting from talented icon makers.

[rosamundeb.livejournal.com]

Pretty!

[womzilla.livejournal.com]

{{{hugs}}}

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

*hugshugs*

[barbary-coast.livejournal.com]

Oh, you poor dear. This sounds terribly stressful. I hope your Dad will be okay.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got a big stress rash on my arm to prove it. Ty. We hope so too--more scary things seem to happen each day. It may be a long time before he gets out of ICU now--I hope my mom makes it through this, too.