Big news - the wound vac is gone! Diana had an appointment with her doctor today, and he took one look at her large wound, said "This is looking great - you don't need that thing" and took the wound vac off! We were surprised, but pleased, to say the least; not just because she is now no longer attached to any machines (yay!), but also because it means that she is healing so well and making great progress.
In general, Mom is still doing very well. She tires easily and is frustrated at how weak she feels, but the only treatment for these problems is time, we're told.
Her progress has been so dramatically positive up to now that both Mom and I tend to forget how well her recovery is going. She is usually so tough, and is used to being so productive in the course of a day, that both she and I have to remind ourselves that the difference between her condition 1 month ago and today is vast. I try to encourage her to be proud of and encouraged by what she has accomplished in the past month - its amazing!
So, we are saving the champagne for later, but we are definitely having a celebration (though a quiet one) today. : )
Monday, July 2, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Doing Great
Sorry to have been absent with updates for so long. The days seem more full now that Mom is at home - although, some days they are full of watching movies or, our favorite, HGTV. : )
Diana is doing very well. She is sometimes frustrated that she is not "back to normal" yet, but comparison is all, and when one considers how ill she was just a couple of weeks ago, her progress is remarkable.
A wound care specialist visited us this week, to lend a more experienced eye to Mom's healing process. He told us that all of the wounds are looking very good and healing extremely well - in fact, he conferred with Mom's doctor and they gave the go ahead for the smaller wounds to go to an every other day dressing change. This was great as it means that Mom doesn't have to have a nurse visiting every single day, nor have me dressing the wounds every day - it is a relief to not have someone poking at her all the time!
We see her surgeon next week and we hope he will give us an idea of how much longer she has to have her wound vac in place. The wound vac is a bit of a contradiction - on the one hand, it is horrible for Mom to be constantly attached to the thing, its heavy to carry around, and the dressing changes are much more complicated than with a traditional dressing; on the other hand, it makes the wound heal much faster and if it is discontinued, the progress may slow down quite a bit.
Otherwise, she is doing very well. All of her vital signs are excellent, her pain is well controlled and she is very patient with me trying to stuff her full of food all the time.
She continues to be very tired and somewhat "shaky" which frustrates her to no end. However, she does her exercises faithfully (including 'stairs' twice a day) and we have made several small outings. She really improves a little each day, and her spirits are amazing, especially considering all she's been through.
Mom is definitely my hero. Even when she's having a "bad" day, she is sweet and patient, and her sense of humor seems to stay intact no matter what.
Hopefully, the next time I have an update for you, we will be able to report that the wound vac is off and her stamina has increased significantly. In the mean time, thank you to everyone for the messages, cards, flowers and treats you continue to send. It is so cheering for both Mom and I to know how much support, encouragement and love are out there for both of us. As Mom says to me pretty much every day, we are Very Lucky.
Diana is doing very well. She is sometimes frustrated that she is not "back to normal" yet, but comparison is all, and when one considers how ill she was just a couple of weeks ago, her progress is remarkable.
A wound care specialist visited us this week, to lend a more experienced eye to Mom's healing process. He told us that all of the wounds are looking very good and healing extremely well - in fact, he conferred with Mom's doctor and they gave the go ahead for the smaller wounds to go to an every other day dressing change. This was great as it means that Mom doesn't have to have a nurse visiting every single day, nor have me dressing the wounds every day - it is a relief to not have someone poking at her all the time!
We see her surgeon next week and we hope he will give us an idea of how much longer she has to have her wound vac in place. The wound vac is a bit of a contradiction - on the one hand, it is horrible for Mom to be constantly attached to the thing, its heavy to carry around, and the dressing changes are much more complicated than with a traditional dressing; on the other hand, it makes the wound heal much faster and if it is discontinued, the progress may slow down quite a bit.
Otherwise, she is doing very well. All of her vital signs are excellent, her pain is well controlled and she is very patient with me trying to stuff her full of food all the time.
She continues to be very tired and somewhat "shaky" which frustrates her to no end. However, she does her exercises faithfully (including 'stairs' twice a day) and we have made several small outings. She really improves a little each day, and her spirits are amazing, especially considering all she's been through.
Mom is definitely my hero. Even when she's having a "bad" day, she is sweet and patient, and her sense of humor seems to stay intact no matter what.
Hopefully, the next time I have an update for you, we will be able to report that the wound vac is off and her stamina has increased significantly. In the mean time, thank you to everyone for the messages, cards, flowers and treats you continue to send. It is so cheering for both Mom and I to know how much support, encouragement and love are out there for both of us. As Mom says to me pretty much every day, we are Very Lucky.
Friday, June 22, 2007
End of the first week at home
Diana is doing well today. She had the dressing change on her large wound with the wound vac and that was the least painful and traumatic that its been, at least since she came out of heavy sedation. The wound is looking good, and she will have an evaluation from a wound care specialist next week, which will give us an idea of how much longer she will need the wound vac to be in place.
Her other wounds are looking good as well, and I am in charge of them for the weekend. Not a skill I ever particularly aspired to, but it is interesting to know all of the theory behind working to heal large wounds successfully.
Mom is exhausted and still so weak, which is frustrating her to no end. I am trying to keep her stress down to a manageable level, and remind her that her job is to recover fully so that she can return to everything she used to enjoy and do so well with no restrictions. However, the world does encroach. I must admit that I'm feeling a bit frustrated in trying to communicate with folks who don't know her well or don't seem to understand the seriousness of her illness and the long way that she still has to go. Evidently, to some, if you are no longer in the hospital, you are well and able to do anything they ask of you.
We certainly are grateful for all of you, her friends and loved ones, who Do understand, and are encouraging her to concentrate on her recovery fully. This makes it possible for me to keep my temper under control with others I have to deal with, so thank you. For those of you who knew my Dad, you probably knew he had a bit of a temper and didn't hesitate to use his rather caustic wit or sharp tongue when provoked - well, let's just say I'm a chip off of the ole block. : )
Mainly, we are doing very well and are grateful for Mom's daily improvement and returning health.
Thanks to all of you for continuing to send funny, sweet and encouraging cards and messages, gifts, flowers, etc. Mom really appreciates your thoughts and prayers, and they are very cheering to her, particularly if it has been a very challenging day.
Her other wounds are looking good as well, and I am in charge of them for the weekend. Not a skill I ever particularly aspired to, but it is interesting to know all of the theory behind working to heal large wounds successfully.
Mom is exhausted and still so weak, which is frustrating her to no end. I am trying to keep her stress down to a manageable level, and remind her that her job is to recover fully so that she can return to everything she used to enjoy and do so well with no restrictions. However, the world does encroach. I must admit that I'm feeling a bit frustrated in trying to communicate with folks who don't know her well or don't seem to understand the seriousness of her illness and the long way that she still has to go. Evidently, to some, if you are no longer in the hospital, you are well and able to do anything they ask of you.
We certainly are grateful for all of you, her friends and loved ones, who Do understand, and are encouraging her to concentrate on her recovery fully. This makes it possible for me to keep my temper under control with others I have to deal with, so thank you. For those of you who knew my Dad, you probably knew he had a bit of a temper and didn't hesitate to use his rather caustic wit or sharp tongue when provoked - well, let's just say I'm a chip off of the ole block. : )
Mainly, we are doing very well and are grateful for Mom's daily improvement and returning health.
Thanks to all of you for continuing to send funny, sweet and encouraging cards and messages, gifts, flowers, etc. Mom really appreciates your thoughts and prayers, and they are very cheering to her, particularly if it has been a very challenging day.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Doing well
Diana is continuing her good and steady progress. She had a busy day yesterday, which involved an outing to see my Grandmother, so she is very tired today. However, she healing well on all fronts and is a model patient (well, mostly.) : )
I had more training in wound care today, and did a little better this time. Mom's home health care nurse is a very kind person and a practical, good teacher - Mom and I both feel very relieved when she is here. She and Mom both agree that I will be ready to "fly solo" by Saturday, so we'll see. Hmm, another random skill I can add to my resume!
Mom's wounds are healing very well, although they were so large that it will still be a good while before she can be without daily dressing changes on the two smaller ones, and the wound vac on the very large one.
Other than that she is doing great, although her overwhelming fatigue and lack of appetite continue to be challenges. And, though we don't have as many interruptions as we did in the hospital certainly, I think Mom would be very happy to go an entire day without having a nurse or a therapist come to the house. Again, her impatience is really showing itself now, which just shows me how tough she is, and how quickly she is returning to herself.
However, its easy to think that she's farther along in her recovery than she is, especially for those who don't see her fatigue and constant (although manageable) pain. A look at even one of her smaller wounds, or the incision on her abdomen, certainly gives one a better idea of how extremely ill she was, and what a long way she still has to go in her recovery. Of course, she puts on a brave face and talks an ambitious game, so its difficult to know how fragile she really is - but believe me, she is still a sick chicken (as my Grandma would say.) Every day I'm grateful for her, and mindful of how close we came to losing her.
Now, my role is the bad cop I'm afraid: I'm the food cop ("One more bite - come on, you can have one more!"); the medication cop ("Have you had your morning meds? ALL of them? How about vitamins??"); the rest cop ("Ok, you can go upstairs and look for that book - after you lay down for half an hour. I Know you're not tired, but just try....") Good thing Mom and I love each other a lot, or she would be pretty sick of me by this time. : )
I'll have more updates soon. In the mean time, know that she is doing well and recovering quite quickly - although, "quickly" is a relative term in this context. When one considers that a little more than a week ago she was barely able to get out of bed, with assistance, and able to stand only for a few seconds, her progress thus far is frankly amazing.
Thanks to all of you who have been such great cheerleaders for her - she appreciates the support and encouragement so much!
I had more training in wound care today, and did a little better this time. Mom's home health care nurse is a very kind person and a practical, good teacher - Mom and I both feel very relieved when she is here. She and Mom both agree that I will be ready to "fly solo" by Saturday, so we'll see. Hmm, another random skill I can add to my resume!
Mom's wounds are healing very well, although they were so large that it will still be a good while before she can be without daily dressing changes on the two smaller ones, and the wound vac on the very large one.
Other than that she is doing great, although her overwhelming fatigue and lack of appetite continue to be challenges. And, though we don't have as many interruptions as we did in the hospital certainly, I think Mom would be very happy to go an entire day without having a nurse or a therapist come to the house. Again, her impatience is really showing itself now, which just shows me how tough she is, and how quickly she is returning to herself.
However, its easy to think that she's farther along in her recovery than she is, especially for those who don't see her fatigue and constant (although manageable) pain. A look at even one of her smaller wounds, or the incision on her abdomen, certainly gives one a better idea of how extremely ill she was, and what a long way she still has to go in her recovery. Of course, she puts on a brave face and talks an ambitious game, so its difficult to know how fragile she really is - but believe me, she is still a sick chicken (as my Grandma would say.) Every day I'm grateful for her, and mindful of how close we came to losing her.
Now, my role is the bad cop I'm afraid: I'm the food cop ("One more bite - come on, you can have one more!"); the medication cop ("Have you had your morning meds? ALL of them? How about vitamins??"); the rest cop ("Ok, you can go upstairs and look for that book - after you lay down for half an hour. I Know you're not tired, but just try....") Good thing Mom and I love each other a lot, or she would be pretty sick of me by this time. : )
I'll have more updates soon. In the mean time, know that she is doing well and recovering quite quickly - although, "quickly" is a relative term in this context. When one considers that a little more than a week ago she was barely able to get out of bed, with assistance, and able to stand only for a few seconds, her progress thus far is frankly amazing.
Thanks to all of you who have been such great cheerleaders for her - she appreciates the support and encouragement so much!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Good Progress
Diana is continuing to improve and is really enjoying being at home. One of her main challenges now is being able to evaluate what she has the strength and stamina to do - she is in her own, familiar environment now, so she feels like she should be able to do what she's used to doing. This is not to say that she's not being careful and cautious - its just frustrating to her to realize that, for instance, a ride in the car to visit my Grandmother is a big deal now.
I am relieved when she gets impatient though, or is frustrated by her relative lack of independance (compared to what she is used to) - that lets me know that she is absolutely returning to her old self. : )
Otherwise, she is doing very well. She had the dreaded wound vac dressing change yesterday, but it went very well and our home health care nurse was very gentle and very practical. The wound is healing very well, and Mom's nurse was pleased with how it was looking - and that was without the benefit of having seen it before it had progressed so well. So, Mom's apprehension about the pain and debilitating exhaustion that used to be associated with the wound vac change has been alleviated a bit.
Today, the nurse started teaching me how to change the dressings on Mom's two smaller wounds on her side. I did ok for the first time, I think - they aren't going to make me fly solo until I feel ready, but our nurse is a very good teacher, and dressing those wounds is nowhere near as complicated as the large wound with the wound vac on it (and that change is something that no one except a wound care nurse would do.)
Mom's other challenge remains eating enough and stimulating her appetite. Part of her lack of appetite stems from her illness and the way her body shut down a lot of its normal processes to direct energy to fighting her infection and healing her wounds and incisions, part of it is due to some of her medications, and part is just being so weak and tired all the time (which makes eating feel like a chore.) I hope my cooking doesn't contribute, but I can't promise that it doesn't - I freely admit that its not my best thing. : )
She is doing better every day though. Her ranges of motion, strength and mobility increase every day, and she is now no longer having any issues with fine motor skills. She does, ironically, have some vision issues, but we think they are largely the result of medication side effects and fatigue, as well as her body's recovery process from the trauma it went through with the general anesthesia, sedation and plethora of drugs. This is also improving though, and this morning she was able to read comfortably for a short time.
We are so grateful for the support, encouragement and love we've received from all of our friends and family. The offers of help and support are so very appreciated and valued.
Mom and I feel very fortunate - first because she is now recovering, and there was certainly a period of time when we weren't sure that would happen; and secondly because of the outpouring of positive and helpful energy and actions from every corner. For instance, I am so very grateful that my employers have been so generous in giving me the time to be here with my Mom and help her in her recovery. We know how lucky we are to have so much love and kindness in our lives. Thank you so much.
I will continue to update the blog, but my posts will likely be less frequent now, as she is doing so much better. In fact, I'll just let her read the comments now, instead of reading them to her - I know she'll really enjoy that. So, please be patient if I go a couple of days without an update - it just means she is doing so much better that we are busy!
I am relieved when she gets impatient though, or is frustrated by her relative lack of independance (compared to what she is used to) - that lets me know that she is absolutely returning to her old self. : )
Otherwise, she is doing very well. She had the dreaded wound vac dressing change yesterday, but it went very well and our home health care nurse was very gentle and very practical. The wound is healing very well, and Mom's nurse was pleased with how it was looking - and that was without the benefit of having seen it before it had progressed so well. So, Mom's apprehension about the pain and debilitating exhaustion that used to be associated with the wound vac change has been alleviated a bit.
Today, the nurse started teaching me how to change the dressings on Mom's two smaller wounds on her side. I did ok for the first time, I think - they aren't going to make me fly solo until I feel ready, but our nurse is a very good teacher, and dressing those wounds is nowhere near as complicated as the large wound with the wound vac on it (and that change is something that no one except a wound care nurse would do.)
Mom's other challenge remains eating enough and stimulating her appetite. Part of her lack of appetite stems from her illness and the way her body shut down a lot of its normal processes to direct energy to fighting her infection and healing her wounds and incisions, part of it is due to some of her medications, and part is just being so weak and tired all the time (which makes eating feel like a chore.) I hope my cooking doesn't contribute, but I can't promise that it doesn't - I freely admit that its not my best thing. : )
She is doing better every day though. Her ranges of motion, strength and mobility increase every day, and she is now no longer having any issues with fine motor skills. She does, ironically, have some vision issues, but we think they are largely the result of medication side effects and fatigue, as well as her body's recovery process from the trauma it went through with the general anesthesia, sedation and plethora of drugs. This is also improving though, and this morning she was able to read comfortably for a short time.
We are so grateful for the support, encouragement and love we've received from all of our friends and family. The offers of help and support are so very appreciated and valued.
Mom and I feel very fortunate - first because she is now recovering, and there was certainly a period of time when we weren't sure that would happen; and secondly because of the outpouring of positive and helpful energy and actions from every corner. For instance, I am so very grateful that my employers have been so generous in giving me the time to be here with my Mom and help her in her recovery. We know how lucky we are to have so much love and kindness in our lives. Thank you so much.
I will continue to update the blog, but my posts will likely be less frequent now, as she is doing so much better. In fact, I'll just let her read the comments now, instead of reading them to her - I know she'll really enjoy that. So, please be patient if I go a couple of days without an update - it just means she is doing so much better that we are busy!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
There's no place like home
Sorry I missed posting yesterday - it was an especially busy day, getting things set up at the house and then transporting Mom home.
Diana did really well yesterday though. She had 2 therapy visits before she left the hospital, so they really kept her busy up until the moment she was discharged.
She also had to endure the dressing change on her large wound yesterday morning - however, this was the least painful its ever been and wasn't nearly as traumatic as it has been before. I saw the wound for the first time and it is quite spectacular in its size and depth - and then her wound care nurse showed me how large it had been before it started healing so well. I have to admit, the whole thing made me a little woozy. However, I'm glad I saw it as it gives me an even deeper appreciation for what Mom has been through. Its frankly amazing that she's healed as well as she has, from a wound that large.
Mom and I were both a little nervous about getting her home and up her first large flight of stairs - however, despite being exhausted, she did just great and walked up her stairs with no problem. She had a restful late afternoon and then had a real sleep last night, for probably the first time in more than a month (including the week before she went into the hospital, when we thought she had the flu.) Her appetite has improved already and she tells me that having "real food" makes all the difference, which I can believe - there is always something a little "off" about hospital food, no matter what they do with it.
Right now, she is just extremely fatigued and needing to rest for most of the day. So, she's still not feeling up to visitors right now. But I'm sure that as she gets more consistent good rest and is able to eat more to keep up her strength, she will feel more perky in no time. She is also looking forward to getting to return to her regular vitamin regime, which should also make her feel more like herself. Those of you who are familiar with Mom's, and my, views about vitamin and mineral support know what an important issue this is! : )
So, she is really enjoying being at home, and I'm so glad to have her here as well. I can't believe how well she's doing, and the way she's maintaining her good spirits. She is a truly amazing woman and I'm so proud that she's my Mom.
I'll keep you posted on how she is doing. Right now, I'm looking forward to stretching my culinary skills to tempt her to eat and working with her on her strength and endurance. And I'm just enjoying having her back where she should be. St. Vincent's, you were very good to us, but I can't say that either of us is going to miss you. : )
Diana did really well yesterday though. She had 2 therapy visits before she left the hospital, so they really kept her busy up until the moment she was discharged.
She also had to endure the dressing change on her large wound yesterday morning - however, this was the least painful its ever been and wasn't nearly as traumatic as it has been before. I saw the wound for the first time and it is quite spectacular in its size and depth - and then her wound care nurse showed me how large it had been before it started healing so well. I have to admit, the whole thing made me a little woozy. However, I'm glad I saw it as it gives me an even deeper appreciation for what Mom has been through. Its frankly amazing that she's healed as well as she has, from a wound that large.
Mom and I were both a little nervous about getting her home and up her first large flight of stairs - however, despite being exhausted, she did just great and walked up her stairs with no problem. She had a restful late afternoon and then had a real sleep last night, for probably the first time in more than a month (including the week before she went into the hospital, when we thought she had the flu.) Her appetite has improved already and she tells me that having "real food" makes all the difference, which I can believe - there is always something a little "off" about hospital food, no matter what they do with it.
Right now, she is just extremely fatigued and needing to rest for most of the day. So, she's still not feeling up to visitors right now. But I'm sure that as she gets more consistent good rest and is able to eat more to keep up her strength, she will feel more perky in no time. She is also looking forward to getting to return to her regular vitamin regime, which should also make her feel more like herself. Those of you who are familiar with Mom's, and my, views about vitamin and mineral support know what an important issue this is! : )
So, she is really enjoying being at home, and I'm so glad to have her here as well. I can't believe how well she's doing, and the way she's maintaining her good spirits. She is a truly amazing woman and I'm so proud that she's my Mom.
I'll keep you posted on how she is doing. Right now, I'm looking forward to stretching my culinary skills to tempt her to eat and working with her on her strength and endurance. And I'm just enjoying having her back where she should be. St. Vincent's, you were very good to us, but I can't say that either of us is going to miss you. : )
Thursday, June 14, 2007
End in sight
Diana is having another great day today. I am so impressed, as I keep preparing myself for small set backs the day after great strides - then I come in the next day and there is more improvement, rather than anything to make up for. Mom is just amazing.
Today she went for a walk in the hall with her physical therapist, which was twice as long as her walk yesterday, and did just fine. She also had an honest to goodness shower today, which she said felt wonderful. Mom and I agree that showers are one of the definitive markers of a civilized culture. : )
She is doing so well on all fronts - no anemia, all vital signs normal to excellent, no remaining signs of the infection, her wounds and incisions healing beautifully. Her nurses and doctors are all so surprised and pleased with her progress and general good health. See, we told you - all those vitamins we take Are good for something after all!
Our big news today is that her doctors are sending her home tomorrow! What a surprise, as we had previously been told that she wouldn't be going home earlier than next week. But, she is medically stable and progressing so well that they don't feel she needs to be in the hospital any longer. And, she is going home rather than to a rehab of any kind as the goal of the therapists at the rehab would be to get her as mobile as she is now - as her discharge coordinator said, there is no point moving her to a rehab facility just to move her out the next day.
She will have in-home and eventually out-patient physical and occupational therapy, which will help her build her strength and endurance back up. Her main challenges remain muscle weakness and exhaustion in combination with pain and lack of appetite; however, I'm hopeful that once she is home in a calm and familiar environment, she will be able to get some real rest and feel some contentment that will speed the healing and recovery process. Plus, we both think her desire to eat will return when her food is no longer delivered on a green hospital tray.
I would like to thank and compliment her entire health care team here at St. Vincent's - they have been wonderful, without exception. From her doctors and nurses, to her therapists to her nursing aides and the folks who deliver her meals, every one has been kind and committed to giving her the best care. Most nights I was able to go home and rest because I was confident that she was being so well taken care of; but, every last one of her nurses encouraged me to call and check on her any time I liked, even in the middle of the night (and when I did call in the middle of the night, they were always pleasant, helpful and reassuring.)
Thank you to all of you for giving Mom so much support, positive energy and love. We were saying today that we could run a small florist shop out of her hospital room if we wanted to. And the cards, letters, emails, calls and comments on the blog have been wonderful and so touching and encouraging for Mom.
And thank you for your support of and concern for me as well - how kind everyone has been. Mom and I say to each other every day how fortunate we are in our friends and family.
I will keep making posts to the blog to allow everyone to keep up with her progress. Besides, that will be a good encouragement for her when physical therapy is irksome or boring - I'll just tell her that I need to have something to report for the blog, and that will inspire her!
Today she went for a walk in the hall with her physical therapist, which was twice as long as her walk yesterday, and did just fine. She also had an honest to goodness shower today, which she said felt wonderful. Mom and I agree that showers are one of the definitive markers of a civilized culture. : )
She is doing so well on all fronts - no anemia, all vital signs normal to excellent, no remaining signs of the infection, her wounds and incisions healing beautifully. Her nurses and doctors are all so surprised and pleased with her progress and general good health. See, we told you - all those vitamins we take Are good for something after all!
Our big news today is that her doctors are sending her home tomorrow! What a surprise, as we had previously been told that she wouldn't be going home earlier than next week. But, she is medically stable and progressing so well that they don't feel she needs to be in the hospital any longer. And, she is going home rather than to a rehab of any kind as the goal of the therapists at the rehab would be to get her as mobile as she is now - as her discharge coordinator said, there is no point moving her to a rehab facility just to move her out the next day.
She will have in-home and eventually out-patient physical and occupational therapy, which will help her build her strength and endurance back up. Her main challenges remain muscle weakness and exhaustion in combination with pain and lack of appetite; however, I'm hopeful that once she is home in a calm and familiar environment, she will be able to get some real rest and feel some contentment that will speed the healing and recovery process. Plus, we both think her desire to eat will return when her food is no longer delivered on a green hospital tray.
I would like to thank and compliment her entire health care team here at St. Vincent's - they have been wonderful, without exception. From her doctors and nurses, to her therapists to her nursing aides and the folks who deliver her meals, every one has been kind and committed to giving her the best care. Most nights I was able to go home and rest because I was confident that she was being so well taken care of; but, every last one of her nurses encouraged me to call and check on her any time I liked, even in the middle of the night (and when I did call in the middle of the night, they were always pleasant, helpful and reassuring.)
Thank you to all of you for giving Mom so much support, positive energy and love. We were saying today that we could run a small florist shop out of her hospital room if we wanted to. And the cards, letters, emails, calls and comments on the blog have been wonderful and so touching and encouraging for Mom.
And thank you for your support of and concern for me as well - how kind everyone has been. Mom and I say to each other every day how fortunate we are in our friends and family.
I will keep making posts to the blog to allow everyone to keep up with her progress. Besides, that will be a good encouragement for her when physical therapy is irksome or boring - I'll just tell her that I need to have something to report for the blog, and that will inspire her!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Red Letter Day
Diana is having a great day again today. She is getting more and more mobile, and today walked quite a long way down the hall with her therapist - a Very long way, since it is the first time she's walked more than a few steps in 19 days. She also walked completely unassisted (no walker, etc.) for a couple of steps - that is still too difficult for her to be able to do it for any distance, but she is getting stronger and has more endurance all the time, so she will get to that point soon, I'm sure.
Her physical therapist was very impressed and pleased again - even though this particular therapist is off for the rest of the week, she said she might drop by to check in, as she's so excited to see Mom's continuing progress. : )
They have switched her liquid nutrition to only half days now, so she is completely free of lines during the day, except for her wound vac. The wound vac will have to stay in place for probably another 3 to 4 weeks, but she is healing remarkably well and everyone is pleased, not to say surprised, with her progress in this area as well.
She had one of the horrible dressing changes today - but, other than being very sleepy from the drugs they have to give her to overcome the pain, she is doing great.
Eating is still a challenge, but she is soldering through that as well. When the majority of what is eats is something other than hospital food, it will be a relief and her appetite may magically increase.
Our big news for the day is that we spoke with her discharge coordinator, who told us that her medical team thinks Mom is doing so well they would like to discharge her by Friday! It will probably end up being Monday, as there is a lot of paperwork to set her up with the equipment and home health care she will need, which is fine as it gives me a bit more time to arrange things. Our other news is that everyone, doctors and therapists included, feels that she will be strong enough to go directly home, rather than to a rehab of any kind, or to another "in between" location - her home has a lot of stairs, so we thought she might not be able to handle it, but she is doing so well everyone feels confident that the stairs won't be a problem.
She would like to have visitors, but is worried that she "looks awful." Other than the ever-beautiful "hospital hair" she also has some small wounds on her face, from where the tape was torn off during her 2 extubations. So, we would ask your patience for now in terms of visiting - she is still very tired most of the time from all of her work, and would like to look her best for you all. However, I'm sure she would be grateful for any notes, etc. that you would like to send - she is in room 873 at Providence St. Vincent's Medical Center. I'm sure she will feel like having visitors soon, and we will let you know as soon as she tells me she's up to it.
I literally can't believe how far Mom has come in just a few days. Basically, she made up her mind what was going to happen, and is allowing absolutely nothing to deter her from that goal. I don't know why I'm surprised, because this is certainly her M.O. - when she makes an important decision, things just miraculously happen. I, as a mere mortal, just can't quite understand it all - but I'm grateful, nonetheless. : )
Thank you all once again for your support, prayers, kind words and encouragement. I think you've just reinforced Mom's conviction that she has a lot more work to do, so she'd better get well quick. And, thank goodness, she is!
Her physical therapist was very impressed and pleased again - even though this particular therapist is off for the rest of the week, she said she might drop by to check in, as she's so excited to see Mom's continuing progress. : )
They have switched her liquid nutrition to only half days now, so she is completely free of lines during the day, except for her wound vac. The wound vac will have to stay in place for probably another 3 to 4 weeks, but she is healing remarkably well and everyone is pleased, not to say surprised, with her progress in this area as well.
She had one of the horrible dressing changes today - but, other than being very sleepy from the drugs they have to give her to overcome the pain, she is doing great.
Eating is still a challenge, but she is soldering through that as well. When the majority of what is eats is something other than hospital food, it will be a relief and her appetite may magically increase.
Our big news for the day is that we spoke with her discharge coordinator, who told us that her medical team thinks Mom is doing so well they would like to discharge her by Friday! It will probably end up being Monday, as there is a lot of paperwork to set her up with the equipment and home health care she will need, which is fine as it gives me a bit more time to arrange things. Our other news is that everyone, doctors and therapists included, feels that she will be strong enough to go directly home, rather than to a rehab of any kind, or to another "in between" location - her home has a lot of stairs, so we thought she might not be able to handle it, but she is doing so well everyone feels confident that the stairs won't be a problem.
She would like to have visitors, but is worried that she "looks awful." Other than the ever-beautiful "hospital hair" she also has some small wounds on her face, from where the tape was torn off during her 2 extubations. So, we would ask your patience for now in terms of visiting - she is still very tired most of the time from all of her work, and would like to look her best for you all. However, I'm sure she would be grateful for any notes, etc. that you would like to send - she is in room 873 at Providence St. Vincent's Medical Center. I'm sure she will feel like having visitors soon, and we will let you know as soon as she tells me she's up to it.
I literally can't believe how far Mom has come in just a few days. Basically, she made up her mind what was going to happen, and is allowing absolutely nothing to deter her from that goal. I don't know why I'm surprised, because this is certainly her M.O. - when she makes an important decision, things just miraculously happen. I, as a mere mortal, just can't quite understand it all - but I'm grateful, nonetheless. : )
Thank you all once again for your support, prayers, kind words and encouragement. I think you've just reinforced Mom's conviction that she has a lot more work to do, so she'd better get well quick. And, thank goodness, she is!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Great Expectations
Diana is having a frankly great day today. It seems odd to say that after her day yesterday, full of pain and nausea and exhaustion, but her determination is at full throttle right now and she's done amazing things.
She's gotten up on her own and walked to the bathroom 4 separate times today, as well as having 45 minutes of PT this afternoon! Her physical therapist was so amazed by her progress that she cried a few happy tears. I have also been amazed, but not so surprised as those who don't know her, as I have a lot of experience with Mom's determination and single mindedness. Besides, we all know that she is a bit of a good witch - I asked her if she was working some white magic spells last night, and she didn't flatly deny it. : )
It has been a good day in many other ways as well - her pain has been much better controlled today, the nausea has not returned and she has had several good naps which give her so much energy and stamina. She has also managed to eat more today than any previous day, despite not having any real appetite yet.
Yesterday we were a little discouraged to hear that the intensive rehab had evaluated her chart and decided that she wasn't yet ready for the intensive therapy schedule they require - today, the head of PT at the hospital told her that she might be too advanced for the intensive rehab unit by the time she is discharged!
Mom and I both realize that there is a long way to go yet. However, she is so firmly and decidedly traveling down that recovery road now, we are both very encouraged. And days like today just make her progress and general good health that much more evident. Thank goodness, because she is in need of some good things to cheer about, as am I as so many of our days here have been really discouraging.
Thank you all again for your continuing support, encouragement, positive energy and love. Mom and I both feel and appreciate it so much.
She's gotten up on her own and walked to the bathroom 4 separate times today, as well as having 45 minutes of PT this afternoon! Her physical therapist was so amazed by her progress that she cried a few happy tears. I have also been amazed, but not so surprised as those who don't know her, as I have a lot of experience with Mom's determination and single mindedness. Besides, we all know that she is a bit of a good witch - I asked her if she was working some white magic spells last night, and she didn't flatly deny it. : )
It has been a good day in many other ways as well - her pain has been much better controlled today, the nausea has not returned and she has had several good naps which give her so much energy and stamina. She has also managed to eat more today than any previous day, despite not having any real appetite yet.
Yesterday we were a little discouraged to hear that the intensive rehab had evaluated her chart and decided that she wasn't yet ready for the intensive therapy schedule they require - today, the head of PT at the hospital told her that she might be too advanced for the intensive rehab unit by the time she is discharged!
Mom and I both realize that there is a long way to go yet. However, she is so firmly and decidedly traveling down that recovery road now, we are both very encouraged. And days like today just make her progress and general good health that much more evident. Thank goodness, because she is in need of some good things to cheer about, as am I as so many of our days here have been really discouraging.
Thank you all again for your continuing support, encouragement, positive energy and love. Mom and I both feel and appreciate it so much.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Challenges
Diana had a rough night last night, has had significant pain today and nausea, which is a new and particularly unwelcomed symptom. She also had her dressing change on her large wound today, which was quite horrific as usual - we keep hearing that these dressing changes are going to get less painful, but that hasn't seemed to happen yet.
However, despite all these challenges, she is doing very well. She got out of bed, stood and walked several steps to her chair, stayed in her chair for about an hour, had lunch, then got up and walked back to bed, completely unaided. Her fine motor skills are also improving, and she is able to accomplish a lot on her own that she couldn't do even a few days ago. I'm so proud of her.
Eating continues to be a challenge - her lack of appetite, and now the new advent of the nausea, make it very unappealing for her. However, she soldiers through the rotten hospital food, supplemented with any treats I can think of from home.
Pain control and sleep are the other two areas it seems to be difficult to get a handle on. We keep working on it though.
So, Mom is facing a lot of challenges. I strongly feel though that as soon as she can get some relief from the intense pain from her wounds and incisions, she will take off like a shot in terms of her progress - the fact that she is progressing so beautifully despite all of these challenges is very telling. She is one determined lady, as all of you know.
Otherwise, things are going well. Her vital signs continue to be excellent. And she is so impressively strong - much more than I can manage to be most of the time. However, we make a great therapy team and often say that we would be doing just great if the hospital pt and ot staff would just stay out of our way! Joking aside, she is getting good care - but the level of therapeutic care and talent that she knows is possible when compared with the level available here comes up somewhat lacking.
So, she is hanging in there and I'm trying to keep up with her. We often used to say that it was the two of us against the world - we are a good team, and we're going to get through this together.
However, despite all these challenges, she is doing very well. She got out of bed, stood and walked several steps to her chair, stayed in her chair for about an hour, had lunch, then got up and walked back to bed, completely unaided. Her fine motor skills are also improving, and she is able to accomplish a lot on her own that she couldn't do even a few days ago. I'm so proud of her.
Eating continues to be a challenge - her lack of appetite, and now the new advent of the nausea, make it very unappealing for her. However, she soldiers through the rotten hospital food, supplemented with any treats I can think of from home.
Pain control and sleep are the other two areas it seems to be difficult to get a handle on. We keep working on it though.
So, Mom is facing a lot of challenges. I strongly feel though that as soon as she can get some relief from the intense pain from her wounds and incisions, she will take off like a shot in terms of her progress - the fact that she is progressing so beautifully despite all of these challenges is very telling. She is one determined lady, as all of you know.
Otherwise, things are going well. Her vital signs continue to be excellent. And she is so impressively strong - much more than I can manage to be most of the time. However, we make a great therapy team and often say that we would be doing just great if the hospital pt and ot staff would just stay out of our way! Joking aside, she is getting good care - but the level of therapeutic care and talent that she knows is possible when compared with the level available here comes up somewhat lacking.
So, she is hanging in there and I'm trying to keep up with her. We often used to say that it was the two of us against the world - we are a good team, and we're going to get through this together.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Good Day
Sorry I missed posting yesterday - some days seem to be too full to allow for it. I do my best not to skip days, but sometimes it is unavoidable.
Diana continues to do well and progress despite many challenges. Yesterday she sat up in her chair for about 4 hours, which was perhaps a little too much as she was completely worn out afterward, but was an accomplishment that we were both happy with.
Yesterday was a bit of a hard day in general, but we found out a number of useful/important things:
1. We need to be doing more for pain control. Since Mom is now able to take medications by mouth, they are trying some oral pain meds in addition to her pain med patch. They are also keeping a closer eye on her pain in general. It has been better for the past two days, and even when the pain gets to a higher level, she seems to be tolerating it somewhat better.
2. She is anemic. This was a big "ah ha" for us, because she has been so extremely weak and exhausted - although, she certainly has other good reasons for both of these things. However, she got 2 units of blood yesterday, and seems to be feeling somewhat better already. We told her that we always knew she had vampire tendencies, and clearly all she needed was a little snack of blood. : )
3. Sleep is magic! She has slept fairly well for the last 2 nights, and it makes such a difference in her energy and alertness. Unfortunately, this is one of the most challenging parts of being in the hospital - most patients get very little sleep.
4. Food is a good thing. She still doesn't have much appetite, but we are now treating food like one of her medicines, and she tries to take as much as she can, even when she really doesn't want to.
Paul and I were both surprised and impressed by the improvement and change in her energy level and alertness from yesterday to today. She stood and walked several steps to her chair this morning, had some breakfast, did Occupational Therapy, stood and walked back to bed - all before 10am! And she was still able to talk to us in an animated way when we arrived, and wasn't completely exhausted.
Her doctor has advanced her to a regular diet today, so she is looking forward to lunch with some "normal" food. But, we are also encouraged to bring her any sort of food that might sound good to her, so we're trying to think of treats that might tempt her. As she is still on the liquid nutrition that she gets through her IV site, she is getting an adequate amount of calories - but we'd like her to get off of that as soon as possible. Once that is gone, she won't actually have any medications via IV anymore, and will just retain her PICC line for IV pain meds when she needs them.
So, though its still early, its been a good day. We are so encouraged by her progress, and the challenges still ahead seem manageable, at least for now. Mom and I both agree though that this "one day at a time" stuff is hard.
Mom is such a fighter. All of her doctors, nurses and therapists are impressed with her attitude and determination - and the only complaint any of her nurses have had about her is that she is too polite and won't tell them when she's hurting. We were joking yesterday that Mom should run for Queen of 8 East at St. Vincent's - she would surely win. : )
Diana continues to do well and progress despite many challenges. Yesterday she sat up in her chair for about 4 hours, which was perhaps a little too much as she was completely worn out afterward, but was an accomplishment that we were both happy with.
Yesterday was a bit of a hard day in general, but we found out a number of useful/important things:
1. We need to be doing more for pain control. Since Mom is now able to take medications by mouth, they are trying some oral pain meds in addition to her pain med patch. They are also keeping a closer eye on her pain in general. It has been better for the past two days, and even when the pain gets to a higher level, she seems to be tolerating it somewhat better.
2. She is anemic. This was a big "ah ha" for us, because she has been so extremely weak and exhausted - although, she certainly has other good reasons for both of these things. However, she got 2 units of blood yesterday, and seems to be feeling somewhat better already. We told her that we always knew she had vampire tendencies, and clearly all she needed was a little snack of blood. : )
3. Sleep is magic! She has slept fairly well for the last 2 nights, and it makes such a difference in her energy and alertness. Unfortunately, this is one of the most challenging parts of being in the hospital - most patients get very little sleep.
4. Food is a good thing. She still doesn't have much appetite, but we are now treating food like one of her medicines, and she tries to take as much as she can, even when she really doesn't want to.
Paul and I were both surprised and impressed by the improvement and change in her energy level and alertness from yesterday to today. She stood and walked several steps to her chair this morning, had some breakfast, did Occupational Therapy, stood and walked back to bed - all before 10am! And she was still able to talk to us in an animated way when we arrived, and wasn't completely exhausted.
Her doctor has advanced her to a regular diet today, so she is looking forward to lunch with some "normal" food. But, we are also encouraged to bring her any sort of food that might sound good to her, so we're trying to think of treats that might tempt her. As she is still on the liquid nutrition that she gets through her IV site, she is getting an adequate amount of calories - but we'd like her to get off of that as soon as possible. Once that is gone, she won't actually have any medications via IV anymore, and will just retain her PICC line for IV pain meds when she needs them.
So, though its still early, its been a good day. We are so encouraged by her progress, and the challenges still ahead seem manageable, at least for now. Mom and I both agree though that this "one day at a time" stuff is hard.
Mom is such a fighter. All of her doctors, nurses and therapists are impressed with her attitude and determination - and the only complaint any of her nurses have had about her is that she is too polite and won't tell them when she's hurting. We were joking yesterday that Mom should run for Queen of 8 East at St. Vincent's - she would surely win. : )
Friday, June 8, 2007
Hanging in there
Today Diana continues her steady improvement. She is doing well despite the fact that she is constantly exhausted and often disheartened by the prospect of the long way she has to go. We try to bolster each other and keep our spirits up - we are reading a silly, funny book and already enjoying the fact that Mom's new room has a DVD player, so we can watch movies when the mood strikes.
She did finally sleep last night, and thus was feeling a bit better this morning. However, the looming specter of the dressing change today is making us both tense - it is such a painful process for her, and as with every procedure here, we never know when its going to happen, just "some time today." The anticipation lends greatly to the unpleasantness of the process.
She sat in her chair for over 2 hours today, which was good, but exhausting. She did stand and pivot from the chair to the bed, so we are both proud of how well she is progressing with physical therapy. She also had a visit from occupational therapy, which went well despite the fact that she was very tired and in some pain by the time the therapist arrived.
We also met with the discharge coordinator, who talked to us about options when Mom leaves the hospital. The one we are most excited about is an "Intensive Rehab" unit at another hospital in Portland - they would have to agree to admit her, after verifying that she is able to endure three hours of PT and OT per day. If accepted she would likely stay at this unit for 1 to 2 weeks - it sounds like the perfect option as it is still a hospital so she would be carefully looked after and taken care of, but the concentration would be on therapy and getting her mobile again. Please lend some of the positive energy you are sending Mom to getting her into the intensive rehab unit, as we feel it would be ideal and would give her a great start into her recovery.
In all other aspects, Diana is doing very well - her wounds are healing, her vital signs are all strong and stable, and the infection is resolving. Her main challenges now are keeping her pain under control and keeping her energy level up so that she feels strong and is motivated for therapy.
Thank you for continuing to send Diana your good and positive thoughts and prayers - she appreciates and needs them all, as she moves slowly down the seemingly long road back to her old self.
She did finally sleep last night, and thus was feeling a bit better this morning. However, the looming specter of the dressing change today is making us both tense - it is such a painful process for her, and as with every procedure here, we never know when its going to happen, just "some time today." The anticipation lends greatly to the unpleasantness of the process.
She sat in her chair for over 2 hours today, which was good, but exhausting. She did stand and pivot from the chair to the bed, so we are both proud of how well she is progressing with physical therapy. She also had a visit from occupational therapy, which went well despite the fact that she was very tired and in some pain by the time the therapist arrived.
We also met with the discharge coordinator, who talked to us about options when Mom leaves the hospital. The one we are most excited about is an "Intensive Rehab" unit at another hospital in Portland - they would have to agree to admit her, after verifying that she is able to endure three hours of PT and OT per day. If accepted she would likely stay at this unit for 1 to 2 weeks - it sounds like the perfect option as it is still a hospital so she would be carefully looked after and taken care of, but the concentration would be on therapy and getting her mobile again. Please lend some of the positive energy you are sending Mom to getting her into the intensive rehab unit, as we feel it would be ideal and would give her a great start into her recovery.
In all other aspects, Diana is doing very well - her wounds are healing, her vital signs are all strong and stable, and the infection is resolving. Her main challenges now are keeping her pain under control and keeping her energy level up so that she feels strong and is motivated for therapy.
Thank you for continuing to send Diana your good and positive thoughts and prayers - she appreciates and needs them all, as she moves slowly down the seemingly long road back to her old self.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Continuing Improvement
Diana is doing well, still making impressive progress, especially when one thinks of where she was even four days ago.
She had PT again today, and accomplished an excellent transfer to a chair, almost completely unassisted. She was very proud of herself, especially as she was very tired at the time.
She has now graduated to taking many of her medications by mouth, which is a great thing both because she has fewer lines running in, and because it means that her stomach is healing very well and her doctors feel that she is improved enough to advance to this level.
She is now on what is called "full liquids" which means that she can have cream soups, custards, etc. She is not yet very hungry, which the doctors tell us is expected and normal, but she is enjoying the taste of the food. And, we are told that the more she eats, the more her appetite will increase, and the more all of her other healing processes will improve as well.
Her pain is now manageable most of the time, and if she could just get a little more sleep, she would probably feel pretty good.
Her pneumonia is gone - or, more correctly, she never had a pneumonia. The chest films showed something that her doctors thought was a pneumonia, but it was actually a part of her larger infection lodged on the chest wall. It was great news when her ICU doc confirmed that her lungs were clear and sounding good.
Also, she has been moved from ICU into a private room - however, because of her infection and extreme exhaustion, her doctors have asked that we continue to limit visitors. I will sure let everyone know when she can have visitors though, because I know she would so enjoy seeing more of the folks she loves.
We are now starting to actively plan her recovery and rehabilitation period. It seems very soon to be talking about this to me, as I constantly worry about leaving her alone in her room even at the hospital - but I know that the shorter her stay in the hospital, the shorter her total recovery time. I'm hoping that as her pain issues continue to resolve she will be able to get some sleep at night and have lots of energy to devote to her PT and OT.
We were wondering today, as we watched a special on "The World's Best Beach Resorts" on the travel channel, why they don't have intensive rehabilitation centers in Aruba?? : )
Diana has improved tremendously in the past week, and every day I see her getting stronger and healthier. She told me today that she should be the poster child for her medical team - I'm sure that they are all proud of what they accomplished with her, and we are so grateful for what they have done and continue to do. She is getting great care, which makes it possible for me to go home at night, feeling that she is in good hands.
I will continue to update the blog each day. Thank you all for your great comments and of course your thoughts, wishes and prayers. Mom and I are both so very grateful for our wonderful friends and family.
She had PT again today, and accomplished an excellent transfer to a chair, almost completely unassisted. She was very proud of herself, especially as she was very tired at the time.
She has now graduated to taking many of her medications by mouth, which is a great thing both because she has fewer lines running in, and because it means that her stomach is healing very well and her doctors feel that she is improved enough to advance to this level.
She is now on what is called "full liquids" which means that she can have cream soups, custards, etc. She is not yet very hungry, which the doctors tell us is expected and normal, but she is enjoying the taste of the food. And, we are told that the more she eats, the more her appetite will increase, and the more all of her other healing processes will improve as well.
Her pain is now manageable most of the time, and if she could just get a little more sleep, she would probably feel pretty good.
Her pneumonia is gone - or, more correctly, she never had a pneumonia. The chest films showed something that her doctors thought was a pneumonia, but it was actually a part of her larger infection lodged on the chest wall. It was great news when her ICU doc confirmed that her lungs were clear and sounding good.
Also, she has been moved from ICU into a private room - however, because of her infection and extreme exhaustion, her doctors have asked that we continue to limit visitors. I will sure let everyone know when she can have visitors though, because I know she would so enjoy seeing more of the folks she loves.
We are now starting to actively plan her recovery and rehabilitation period. It seems very soon to be talking about this to me, as I constantly worry about leaving her alone in her room even at the hospital - but I know that the shorter her stay in the hospital, the shorter her total recovery time. I'm hoping that as her pain issues continue to resolve she will be able to get some sleep at night and have lots of energy to devote to her PT and OT.
We were wondering today, as we watched a special on "The World's Best Beach Resorts" on the travel channel, why they don't have intensive rehabilitation centers in Aruba?? : )
Diana has improved tremendously in the past week, and every day I see her getting stronger and healthier. She told me today that she should be the poster child for her medical team - I'm sure that they are all proud of what they accomplished with her, and we are so grateful for what they have done and continue to do. She is getting great care, which makes it possible for me to go home at night, feeling that she is in good hands.
I will continue to update the blog each day. Thank you all for your great comments and of course your thoughts, wishes and prayers. Mom and I are both so very grateful for our wonderful friends and family.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
More progress
Diana is doing quite well today, although controlling her pain adequately remains a constant struggle - when her pain is completely controlled she is sleepy, so they are constantly trying to strike a balance between being in too much pain to be motivated, and being awake enough to make therapy and recovery as productive as possible.
She did have another hour of physical therapy this morning, which went very well - three reps of coming to a full standing position, and she was able to take one unassisted step toward her therapist. She is progressing very well with her therapist.
Her doctors decided to do a dressing change on the large incision on her side today, which was extremely painful. However, the good news is that her surgeons tell us they are very pleased with how the wound is healing and feel that the next dressing change will be less painful.
She is now cleared to have clear fluids by mouth, which is a great advance. She has found a new favorite treat: apple juice slushy (made by putting a glass of apple juice in the freezer for half an hour.) Our expectations for happiness and pleasure have certainly had to undergo an adjustment.
We hope that she will be cleared for soft foods later today or tomorrow.
Her doctors are still thinking that she may soon be transferred to a room on a regular floor - she has been certified as medically stable by her ICU team, so we are just waiting for surgery to make sure she has everything in place that she needs for her move.
It has been a good, if exhausting, day once again. Diana's progress continues its upward climb, and she is certainly determined - a strong personality trait that is definitely serving her well right now!
We are now beginning to think of and talk about her long term recovery. Although she is finally making daily progress, and it is big progress given her condition even two days ago, the work ahead will be long and difficult. She told me today that she is empathizing so much right now with her patients who have gone through a difficult recovery process. Also, it is an interesting if very bittersweet experience for her to now have intimate knowledge of what my Dad went through during his long hospitalization and recovery process - we were with him during that period as caregivers and cheerleaders, but she tells me that experiencing it from this side gives her a whole new appreciation of what he went through.
Thank you for all of your great comments - I read them to Mom daily and she loves hearing what you have to say.
She did have another hour of physical therapy this morning, which went very well - three reps of coming to a full standing position, and she was able to take one unassisted step toward her therapist. She is progressing very well with her therapist.
Her doctors decided to do a dressing change on the large incision on her side today, which was extremely painful. However, the good news is that her surgeons tell us they are very pleased with how the wound is healing and feel that the next dressing change will be less painful.
She is now cleared to have clear fluids by mouth, which is a great advance. She has found a new favorite treat: apple juice slushy (made by putting a glass of apple juice in the freezer for half an hour.) Our expectations for happiness and pleasure have certainly had to undergo an adjustment.
We hope that she will be cleared for soft foods later today or tomorrow.
Her doctors are still thinking that she may soon be transferred to a room on a regular floor - she has been certified as medically stable by her ICU team, so we are just waiting for surgery to make sure she has everything in place that she needs for her move.
It has been a good, if exhausting, day once again. Diana's progress continues its upward climb, and she is certainly determined - a strong personality trait that is definitely serving her well right now!
We are now beginning to think of and talk about her long term recovery. Although she is finally making daily progress, and it is big progress given her condition even two days ago, the work ahead will be long and difficult. She told me today that she is empathizing so much right now with her patients who have gone through a difficult recovery process. Also, it is an interesting if very bittersweet experience for her to now have intimate knowledge of what my Dad went through during his long hospitalization and recovery process - we were with him during that period as caregivers and cheerleaders, but she tells me that experiencing it from this side gives her a whole new appreciation of what he went through.
Thank you for all of your great comments - I read them to Mom daily and she loves hearing what you have to say.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Good things
Today has been a good, if exhausting, day so far. Last night was a bit of a rough night for Diana - they kept doing procedures, so, not much rest. As she improves, and becomes less fragile, her nurses and doctors cease walking on eggshells, do more stuff to her, and thus she gets very little sleep! However, this is a good sign that she is improving, if not the most fun result of that.
She had a bit of a cry this morning, which I was encouraged by, in a strange way - it means that she is beginning to deal with everything she's been through, and is no longer too sick to be able to realize what's going on. And, I told her, I've had many crying spells, so if she didn't have at least one, I would feel like a real wimp!
Here are the good things from today:
1. Her pain is down to nearly a manageable level now, which is a great relief. This will be a struggle for a while, but she seems to be maintaining at a "6 out of 10" (10 being the worst) pain level, as opposed to the "9 out of 10" she was at most of yesterday. They are also going to try to move her to a patch for her pain medication,as opposed to the constant drip - this will be in addition to her PCA (the self administered pain med device.) We were happy about this as it means that she will have one less line going in.
2. She had her first visit from Physical Therapy today, and they worked with her for over an hour. It went well - she put weight on her feet and lifted her bum off of the bed! Her nurse today jokingly said that she's not allowed to call that "standing" yet, but that's our story and we're sticking to it. : )
She liked her therapist very much and said that the therapist and the nurse worked together very well. And she did her best not to give them too much direction (although they could learn a thing or two from her.) When I came in this morning, she was sitting up straight in bed, at her manageable pain level and had a great feeling of accomplishment at her progress.
They are also talking about another visit from PT this afternoon - very exciting!
3. I hesitate to mention this, as no decisions have been made, and the "plan" seems to change from hour to hour sometimes, but...there is definite talk of letting her have some soft food today. She has been allowed to have small, cautious sips of water already today, so we are hopeful that they will go that one step further. This would be enormously cheering for her, and also will speed her healing and recovery.
So, even though we have a long way to go, I am allowing myself some cautious optimism now, and feeling that we are finally on the road, as opposed to the days of nail biting waiting well behind the starting line.
Again, I can't thank everyone enough for your sweet and loving comments, cards and letters - Mom loves to hear all of it so much. And she tells me often how unbelievable it is the number of people thinking of her and sending her wonderful energy and prayers. We are very fortunate in our kind, generous and truly loving friends and family, and we are so grateful for you all.
She had a bit of a cry this morning, which I was encouraged by, in a strange way - it means that she is beginning to deal with everything she's been through, and is no longer too sick to be able to realize what's going on. And, I told her, I've had many crying spells, so if she didn't have at least one, I would feel like a real wimp!
Here are the good things from today:
1. Her pain is down to nearly a manageable level now, which is a great relief. This will be a struggle for a while, but she seems to be maintaining at a "6 out of 10" (10 being the worst) pain level, as opposed to the "9 out of 10" she was at most of yesterday. They are also going to try to move her to a patch for her pain medication,as opposed to the constant drip - this will be in addition to her PCA (the self administered pain med device.) We were happy about this as it means that she will have one less line going in.
2. She had her first visit from Physical Therapy today, and they worked with her for over an hour. It went well - she put weight on her feet and lifted her bum off of the bed! Her nurse today jokingly said that she's not allowed to call that "standing" yet, but that's our story and we're sticking to it. : )
She liked her therapist very much and said that the therapist and the nurse worked together very well. And she did her best not to give them too much direction (although they could learn a thing or two from her.) When I came in this morning, she was sitting up straight in bed, at her manageable pain level and had a great feeling of accomplishment at her progress.
They are also talking about another visit from PT this afternoon - very exciting!
3. I hesitate to mention this, as no decisions have been made, and the "plan" seems to change from hour to hour sometimes, but...there is definite talk of letting her have some soft food today. She has been allowed to have small, cautious sips of water already today, so we are hopeful that they will go that one step further. This would be enormously cheering for her, and also will speed her healing and recovery.
So, even though we have a long way to go, I am allowing myself some cautious optimism now, and feeling that we are finally on the road, as opposed to the days of nail biting waiting well behind the starting line.
Again, I can't thank everyone enough for your sweet and loving comments, cards and letters - Mom loves to hear all of it so much. And she tells me often how unbelievable it is the number of people thinking of her and sending her wonderful energy and prayers. We are very fortunate in our kind, generous and truly loving friends and family, and we are so grateful for you all.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Improving
Sorry I missed posting yesterday - it was a long day, although a good one, that just didn't allow me time to get to everything I usually manage.
Diana is off the ventilator, off her sedation and awake and alert now. It is so good to see her eyes, and be able to talk to her. Her confusion and disorientation and upset are now almost completely gone - she is always able to answer all of the doctors questions when they come to see her (i.e., "Do you know: where you are, what year it is?" etc.) Actually, when they asked her the date today, she knew and I didn't! Maybe someone should be giving me neuro checks, instead of Mom!
She is progressing quite well. Her doctor told us this morning that the wound on her side is looking very good, and shows visible improvement, even from yesterday. Her stats are extremely good: blood pressure stable and good, without any "presser" drug support or extra fluid support; oxygen level steady and good; no temperature; no further spikes in her white blood cell count. She also has much less swelling in her hands, arms, feet and legs today, which is a good sign that the infection is starting to resolve. The infection is not yet resolved, but these signs of progress are very encouraging, as there was no progress for many days.
Her doctors will change the "wound vac" dressing today, which we are not looking forward to as it will be painful. However, they tell us that, as the wound is progressing so well, the dressing changes will be less and less painful.
Also, they will remove her central line today and replace it with a "PICC" line in her arm - even though this is another "un fun" procedure, it is a good sign of progress because it means that she now needs many fewer lines for the meds going in, and they are no longer concerned that they will need access to give her more meds unexpectedly.
Also, her abdominal incision is looking good, she is having very little pain in her belly. Her doctors tell us that they are very pleased with her progress there. And, her pneumonia seems to be responding to the new antibiotic they are giving her.
She is a lot of pain today, as they are currently trying to titrate her pain medication. As many of you know she is somewhat hard to medicate, so they are searching for the best option. Although it is terribly difficult to see and hear her in pain, I am so encouraged by the excellent comments from the doctors and just to see her eyes and talk to her again. I knew there wasn't anything to worry about, but I must say that I'm so relieved to see that she is completely "in there" once again. Of course, now I sometimes wish that she could be less present at certain points, to control the pain. There's no pleasing me, I guess. : )
I started to read her the many emails that have come to both of us, which she liked a lot. Also, I'm reading her the comments posted on the blog, and the cards and letters which she's enjoying so much. We both thank you all for your loving and kind words, thoughts and prayers. This is a rocky road, but she is navigating it with her usual grace, strength and humor. She is, as she has been my whole life, my role model and who I want to be when I grow up.
Thank you again for all of your support and concern. Everyone, from my employer and co-workers, to our friends and loved ones throughout the world, has been so generous and wonderful. Mom and I and our whole family, appreciate it so very much.
Diana is off the ventilator, off her sedation and awake and alert now. It is so good to see her eyes, and be able to talk to her. Her confusion and disorientation and upset are now almost completely gone - she is always able to answer all of the doctors questions when they come to see her (i.e., "Do you know: where you are, what year it is?" etc.) Actually, when they asked her the date today, she knew and I didn't! Maybe someone should be giving me neuro checks, instead of Mom!
She is progressing quite well. Her doctor told us this morning that the wound on her side is looking very good, and shows visible improvement, even from yesterday. Her stats are extremely good: blood pressure stable and good, without any "presser" drug support or extra fluid support; oxygen level steady and good; no temperature; no further spikes in her white blood cell count. She also has much less swelling in her hands, arms, feet and legs today, which is a good sign that the infection is starting to resolve. The infection is not yet resolved, but these signs of progress are very encouraging, as there was no progress for many days.
Her doctors will change the "wound vac" dressing today, which we are not looking forward to as it will be painful. However, they tell us that, as the wound is progressing so well, the dressing changes will be less and less painful.
Also, they will remove her central line today and replace it with a "PICC" line in her arm - even though this is another "un fun" procedure, it is a good sign of progress because it means that she now needs many fewer lines for the meds going in, and they are no longer concerned that they will need access to give her more meds unexpectedly.
Also, her abdominal incision is looking good, she is having very little pain in her belly. Her doctors tell us that they are very pleased with her progress there. And, her pneumonia seems to be responding to the new antibiotic they are giving her.
She is a lot of pain today, as they are currently trying to titrate her pain medication. As many of you know she is somewhat hard to medicate, so they are searching for the best option. Although it is terribly difficult to see and hear her in pain, I am so encouraged by the excellent comments from the doctors and just to see her eyes and talk to her again. I knew there wasn't anything to worry about, but I must say that I'm so relieved to see that she is completely "in there" once again. Of course, now I sometimes wish that she could be less present at certain points, to control the pain. There's no pleasing me, I guess. : )
I started to read her the many emails that have come to both of us, which she liked a lot. Also, I'm reading her the comments posted on the blog, and the cards and letters which she's enjoying so much. We both thank you all for your loving and kind words, thoughts and prayers. This is a rocky road, but she is navigating it with her usual grace, strength and humor. She is, as she has been my whole life, my role model and who I want to be when I grow up.
Thank you again for all of your support and concern. Everyone, from my employer and co-workers, to our friends and loved ones throughout the world, has been so generous and wonderful. Mom and I and our whole family, appreciate it so very much.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Holding her own
Diana is still very ill, but stable and "holding her own." The kind of massive infection that she has is really scary, but her doctors are treating it aggressively and thoroughly, so we feel that she is in very good hands.
Actually, Mom's surgeon's daughter is one of Mom's patients - kind of a neat connection and one that makes me feel sure that he is giving her all of his best efforts and attention.
They extubated Mom today, which is definitely a good thing. However, as she has been on heavy sedation for almost 5 days, and gone under general anesthesia twice in that time (3 times total, over 7 days) she was very confused, disoriented and upset when they woke her up. Her nurses and doctors have asked that she have as much rest as possible right now, and have limited even visits from immediate family to very small periods of time.
In general, she is very fragile right now. I know there are many of you wanting to visit, send things to her room and get her messages. But, because of her still critical condition, we are limiting her visitors - those folks who are helping to spell me in being with her are already in place, though I thank the many of you who have offered this to me. When she is better, and moves to a regular room and out of the ICU, that will mean that she will be able to have more visitors, and we will let you know via the blog. Also, she is not allowed to have deliveries of any kind in the ICU, so that will also unfortunately have to wait until she is in a regular room. As for messages, the best way to get those to her is through me - so please do feel free to post comments on this blog or send a card or letter to her home or to the office. I will check comments often and read them to Mom myself, and will certainly make sure that she sees all of her cards and letters when she's able.
I'm sorry that I'm unable to return phone calls, voicemails and emails right now. I am trying to fill Mom's shoes at the moment, and all of you who know her know what a daunting task that is. So, trying to do that, deal with my own commitments and be there for Mom and our family is more than overwhelming for me - most of the time, I don't feel I'm doing a very good job of any of it, so trying to get to anything else is pretty much impossible. That is why Paul set up this blog for me, so that all of the folks who love and care about Mom throughout the world would be able to keep up on her progress. I thank you in advance for your understanding, as I try to find my way through this terrible time.
Again, thank you to all of the people sending their love and support and prayers. Our family feels very fortunate in the outpouring of good will that we've experienced. My Mom is an extraordinary person, and I feel proud and fortunate to be her daughter - and proud and fortunate that there are so many kind people in her life who recognize how wonderful she is and want to send her their love. She is hanging in there, and I think we all just have to do the same.
Actually, Mom's surgeon's daughter is one of Mom's patients - kind of a neat connection and one that makes me feel sure that he is giving her all of his best efforts and attention.
They extubated Mom today, which is definitely a good thing. However, as she has been on heavy sedation for almost 5 days, and gone under general anesthesia twice in that time (3 times total, over 7 days) she was very confused, disoriented and upset when they woke her up. Her nurses and doctors have asked that she have as much rest as possible right now, and have limited even visits from immediate family to very small periods of time.
In general, she is very fragile right now. I know there are many of you wanting to visit, send things to her room and get her messages. But, because of her still critical condition, we are limiting her visitors - those folks who are helping to spell me in being with her are already in place, though I thank the many of you who have offered this to me. When she is better, and moves to a regular room and out of the ICU, that will mean that she will be able to have more visitors, and we will let you know via the blog. Also, she is not allowed to have deliveries of any kind in the ICU, so that will also unfortunately have to wait until she is in a regular room. As for messages, the best way to get those to her is through me - so please do feel free to post comments on this blog or send a card or letter to her home or to the office. I will check comments often and read them to Mom myself, and will certainly make sure that she sees all of her cards and letters when she's able.
I'm sorry that I'm unable to return phone calls, voicemails and emails right now. I am trying to fill Mom's shoes at the moment, and all of you who know her know what a daunting task that is. So, trying to do that, deal with my own commitments and be there for Mom and our family is more than overwhelming for me - most of the time, I don't feel I'm doing a very good job of any of it, so trying to get to anything else is pretty much impossible. That is why Paul set up this blog for me, so that all of the folks who love and care about Mom throughout the world would be able to keep up on her progress. I thank you in advance for your understanding, as I try to find my way through this terrible time.
Again, thank you to all of the people sending their love and support and prayers. Our family feels very fortunate in the outpouring of good will that we've experienced. My Mom is an extraordinary person, and I feel proud and fortunate to be her daughter - and proud and fortunate that there are so many kind people in her life who recognize how wonderful she is and want to send her their love. She is hanging in there, and I think we all just have to do the same.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Update
Diana is still doing well, although progress when fighting a serious infection like this is always slow.
Yesterday her white blood cell count was a little elevated, so her surgeon took her in to the operating room to check on the incision on her side and make sure it was healing as well as they had thought - he also ordered a CAT scan of her abdomen, to check on the progress of the ulcer repair. Everything looked very good, the ulcer repair and incision on her stomach healing very well and the incision on her side healing well - he found no further infection or problems. However, he did remove her central line and place another central line in another location, as he thought that the first one might be the source of a small infection.
Otherwise she did very well, with her blood pressure remaining stable, which is one of the things her doctors and nurses are concentrating on most.
She is still sedated and on the ventilator. However, all of her vital signs are very good and her lungs look clear and good. Her surgeon wants to give her a day of complete rest today, as having those procedures and being under anesthesia yesterday was a lot of stress on her body, though she did very well.
Right now, I'm being told that the next step is to put a new dressing in place on the incision on her side called a wound vac. This is a dressing which only requires changing every three days and causes less pain when its in place. However, the wound needs to be extremely healthy to tolerate this, so her surgeon wants to wait a day or so, to make sure that the wound continues to progress as well as it has been. He is very cautious, which I appreciate so much, as forging ahead too fast and then suffering a set back would be extremely discouraging for Mom, her doctors and everyone.
Several people have told me that revising my expectations to small, steady improvements is the way to go, and I agree - and she is making small, steady improvements everyday.
Mom's office manager tells me that she has collected all of the many cards and letters friends and patients have sent and will deliver them when Mom is awake. We will make sure to display them in her room, so she can see them all.
The outpouring of love and concern is so wonderful and I tell Mom every day that she has so many people sending her positive energy and love and praying for her, we can't even count them all. I know that she's touched and helped so many people in her life, and will continue to - all of your wonderful responses are just evidence of this. Thank you.
Again, I apologize for not being able to return emails and phone calls as I would like to. The days seem very short and extremely long at the same time - the minutes pass slowly in Mom's hospital room as there is little I can do for her right now except talk to her and hold her hand, but then it will suddenly be 9:00 at night and I won't remember where the time went. I have what Mom and I took to calling "hospital brain" when my Dad was so ill for so long - it means that you can remember every detail of what happened to the person being treated, but often not what day it is, or what you've told someone else just an hour before.
Anyway, I want you all to know that I'm not failing to respond because I don't care or appreciate your love and concern for Mom - I'm just existing day by day right now, and I can never predict what I'm going to be able to accomplish, as all my energy is going toward Mom, and often when I come home, I have very little left for anything else. Thank goodness I have wonderful support around me, so the things that I might not be able to manage are being taken care of. I guess we all just need to hang in there for right now, and concentrate on Mom's health and healing.
Yesterday her white blood cell count was a little elevated, so her surgeon took her in to the operating room to check on the incision on her side and make sure it was healing as well as they had thought - he also ordered a CAT scan of her abdomen, to check on the progress of the ulcer repair. Everything looked very good, the ulcer repair and incision on her stomach healing very well and the incision on her side healing well - he found no further infection or problems. However, he did remove her central line and place another central line in another location, as he thought that the first one might be the source of a small infection.
Otherwise she did very well, with her blood pressure remaining stable, which is one of the things her doctors and nurses are concentrating on most.
She is still sedated and on the ventilator. However, all of her vital signs are very good and her lungs look clear and good. Her surgeon wants to give her a day of complete rest today, as having those procedures and being under anesthesia yesterday was a lot of stress on her body, though she did very well.
Right now, I'm being told that the next step is to put a new dressing in place on the incision on her side called a wound vac. This is a dressing which only requires changing every three days and causes less pain when its in place. However, the wound needs to be extremely healthy to tolerate this, so her surgeon wants to wait a day or so, to make sure that the wound continues to progress as well as it has been. He is very cautious, which I appreciate so much, as forging ahead too fast and then suffering a set back would be extremely discouraging for Mom, her doctors and everyone.
Several people have told me that revising my expectations to small, steady improvements is the way to go, and I agree - and she is making small, steady improvements everyday.
Mom's office manager tells me that she has collected all of the many cards and letters friends and patients have sent and will deliver them when Mom is awake. We will make sure to display them in her room, so she can see them all.
The outpouring of love and concern is so wonderful and I tell Mom every day that she has so many people sending her positive energy and love and praying for her, we can't even count them all. I know that she's touched and helped so many people in her life, and will continue to - all of your wonderful responses are just evidence of this. Thank you.
Again, I apologize for not being able to return emails and phone calls as I would like to. The days seem very short and extremely long at the same time - the minutes pass slowly in Mom's hospital room as there is little I can do for her right now except talk to her and hold her hand, but then it will suddenly be 9:00 at night and I won't remember where the time went. I have what Mom and I took to calling "hospital brain" when my Dad was so ill for so long - it means that you can remember every detail of what happened to the person being treated, but often not what day it is, or what you've told someone else just an hour before.
Anyway, I want you all to know that I'm not failing to respond because I don't care or appreciate your love and concern for Mom - I'm just existing day by day right now, and I can never predict what I'm going to be able to accomplish, as all my energy is going toward Mom, and often when I come home, I have very little left for anything else. Thank goodness I have wonderful support around me, so the things that I might not be able to manage are being taken care of. I guess we all just need to hang in there for right now, and concentrate on Mom's health and healing.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Progress
Diana is doing well, although she is still sedated and on the ventilator.
Her doctors tell me that the incision on her side is looking good, healing well and not draining as much - they are considering going to a once every-other-day dressing change, rather than every day, as its doing so well.
Her blood pressure remains stable, which is a very good sign. In addition, there are good breath sounds in both lungs, which is good as it means that there is no pneumonia (which is always a risk when on a ventilator.) Also, there are some good bowel sounds, which means that her repaired ulcer and stomach are healing and progressing very well.
Her respiratory therapist turned her sedation and the ventilator down yesterday, to test how she would respond to breathing on her own, etc. Her response was excellent and immediate - she was breathing really well, she opened her eyes, squeezed my hand, nodded and tried to talk in response to me talking to her. Although I knew there would be no problems with getting her off of the ventilator or with her responses, it was still really comforting to see all of those things, and especially to see her eyes and let her know I was there.
Her doctors are talking about extibating her in the next couple of days, depending on how she tolerates the changing of the dressing on the incision on her side. As that wound heals it should become less and less painful to deal with - however, that surgery was only Tuesday morning, so its only been two days.
She is recieving excellent care and her nurses and doctors are all so kind and caring. I am in her room for many hours each day and call them several times a day as well, and everyone is always very kind, willing to answer all my questions and generous with their time.
Diana is recieving so many phone calls from her friends and colleagues, and we appreciate the outpouring of support and love so very much. I'm sorry that I can't talk to more of you personally or return more messages, but though I have great support, I really have all I can do to be at the hospital and take care of critical things right now. But please don't think that her family and I don't care or that we don't appreciate your concern and offers of help - the situation is overwhelming, but I am also overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support for Diana and me and our family.
I told her yesterday that she has prayers being said for her in nearly every faith and denomination, and more love and good energy being directed toward her than we can even imagine. Thank you.
Her doctors tell me that the incision on her side is looking good, healing well and not draining as much - they are considering going to a once every-other-day dressing change, rather than every day, as its doing so well.
Her blood pressure remains stable, which is a very good sign. In addition, there are good breath sounds in both lungs, which is good as it means that there is no pneumonia (which is always a risk when on a ventilator.) Also, there are some good bowel sounds, which means that her repaired ulcer and stomach are healing and progressing very well.
Her respiratory therapist turned her sedation and the ventilator down yesterday, to test how she would respond to breathing on her own, etc. Her response was excellent and immediate - she was breathing really well, she opened her eyes, squeezed my hand, nodded and tried to talk in response to me talking to her. Although I knew there would be no problems with getting her off of the ventilator or with her responses, it was still really comforting to see all of those things, and especially to see her eyes and let her know I was there.
Her doctors are talking about extibating her in the next couple of days, depending on how she tolerates the changing of the dressing on the incision on her side. As that wound heals it should become less and less painful to deal with - however, that surgery was only Tuesday morning, so its only been two days.
She is recieving excellent care and her nurses and doctors are all so kind and caring. I am in her room for many hours each day and call them several times a day as well, and everyone is always very kind, willing to answer all my questions and generous with their time.
Diana is recieving so many phone calls from her friends and colleagues, and we appreciate the outpouring of support and love so very much. I'm sorry that I can't talk to more of you personally or return more messages, but though I have great support, I really have all I can do to be at the hospital and take care of critical things right now. But please don't think that her family and I don't care or that we don't appreciate your concern and offers of help - the situation is overwhelming, but I am also overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support for Diana and me and our family.
I told her yesterday that she has prayers being said for her in nearly every faith and denomination, and more love and good energy being directed toward her than we can even imagine. Thank you.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Slow and Steady
Diana is progressing slowly, but well. She is still sedated and on a ventilator, but there are some good signs:
1. The infection seems to be abating as the skin around the incision site from her surgery early Tuesday morning is now no longer swollen and discolored, as it once was. When her surgeon looked at the site yesterday afternoon, he said he was very happy about this as it meant that they had gotten all of the infection out in the surgery and it was definitely no longer advancing.
Diana's main surgeon likes to say that she's still on the steep part of the hill she's climbing, but the top is in sight, and he feels confident that she will recover.
Also, even though she is under heavy sedation, she is still able to respond appropriately to painful stimuli, and sometimes responds to the sound of my voice, which is also good, although it means we have to be careful not to give her too much stimulus, because she needs to rest.
I know that Diana has so many friends and loved ones that want to visit her - however, because she is sedated and on a ventilator, and trying so hard to fight that infection, her nurses and doctors are really limiting the folks that can visit (as visitors to the ICU are very limited anyway.) Right now, immediate family are allowed to visit, and friends are allowed very short visits only if her nurse approves, given her condition at that time.
So, the best way to check on her is really to check back to the blog, which we will update as often as we can, and at least once a day.
I know you all extend your love and thoughts to her, and they are so appreciated. And, they are working!
1. The infection seems to be abating as the skin around the incision site from her surgery early Tuesday morning is now no longer swollen and discolored, as it once was. When her surgeon looked at the site yesterday afternoon, he said he was very happy about this as it meant that they had gotten all of the infection out in the surgery and it was definitely no longer advancing.
2. Her blood pressure seems to be stabilizing a bit, and this is one of the main goals her team of doctors is working on right now. Blood pressure often gets very low when the body is fighting a large infection, so Diana's doctors have been giving her large amounts of fluids and drugs to increase her blood pressure. Yesterday, they were able to wean the amount of fluids they are giving her, and her pressure remained stable. This morning they were able to wean the amount of "pressers" (blood pressure increasing drugs) and her blood pressure remained stable - this is a good sign.
3. All of her other vital signs remain strong and good, all other functions (kidneys, etc.) are strong and maintaining.
Diana's main surgeon likes to say that she's still on the steep part of the hill she's climbing, but the top is in sight, and he feels confident that she will recover.
Also, even though she is under heavy sedation, she is still able to respond appropriately to painful stimuli, and sometimes responds to the sound of my voice, which is also good, although it means we have to be careful not to give her too much stimulus, because she needs to rest.
I know that Diana has so many friends and loved ones that want to visit her - however, because she is sedated and on a ventilator, and trying so hard to fight that infection, her nurses and doctors are really limiting the folks that can visit (as visitors to the ICU are very limited anyway.) Right now, immediate family are allowed to visit, and friends are allowed very short visits only if her nurse approves, given her condition at that time.
So, the best way to check on her is really to check back to the blog, which we will update as often as we can, and at least once a day.
I know you all extend your love and thoughts to her, and they are so appreciated. And, they are working!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Diana's progress
Thanks to everyone who has been checking in on Diana to hear about her progress - there are so many people who love and care about her, which is such a wonderful thing. She often says how lucky she is in all of her friends and family, whom she cherishes.
We've decided to create this blog so that her many friends and colleagues can check on her progress and see how she's doing.
Late last week she was taken to the emergency room after battling what she had been told was the flu and a small infection for about a week. What her doctors discovered upon running some tests was that she had a perforated stomach ulcer and a resultant infection. They did surgery to repair the perforation and tried to deal with the infection non-surgically. The repair to the ulcer went well and her progress in healing from that is good. However, the infection did not resolve with medications alone.
Yesterday evening her doctors decided to address the infection surgically. The surgery went well, but because the infection was advanced the wound from the surgery is sizable. Since her system has already been compromised with the perforation, the previous surgery and the infection, her doctors have chosen to keep her sedated and on a ventilator until she is more stable and the surgical site is healing well and not apt to give her so much pain.
Though it can be a scary thought to have her on a ventilator, this is often the way treating physicians choose to deal with a serious infection - by giving the body the best possible chance to rest and heal, and provide as much oxygen as possible to promote the healing process. She is definitely in critical condition, but doing as well as can be expected.
We will update this blog as often as we can, and let you know Diana's progress. We all know that she is an incredibly strong woman with a joy in life that few can match, and these are things that will help her a great deal as she recovers. In the mean time, your love, thoughts and prayers are all so very important and appreciated.
We'll keep you posted, so check back whenever you like.
We've decided to create this blog so that her many friends and colleagues can check on her progress and see how she's doing.
Late last week she was taken to the emergency room after battling what she had been told was the flu and a small infection for about a week. What her doctors discovered upon running some tests was that she had a perforated stomach ulcer and a resultant infection. They did surgery to repair the perforation and tried to deal with the infection non-surgically. The repair to the ulcer went well and her progress in healing from that is good. However, the infection did not resolve with medications alone.
Yesterday evening her doctors decided to address the infection surgically. The surgery went well, but because the infection was advanced the wound from the surgery is sizable. Since her system has already been compromised with the perforation, the previous surgery and the infection, her doctors have chosen to keep her sedated and on a ventilator until she is more stable and the surgical site is healing well and not apt to give her so much pain.
Though it can be a scary thought to have her on a ventilator, this is often the way treating physicians choose to deal with a serious infection - by giving the body the best possible chance to rest and heal, and provide as much oxygen as possible to promote the healing process. She is definitely in critical condition, but doing as well as can be expected.
We will update this blog as often as we can, and let you know Diana's progress. We all know that she is an incredibly strong woman with a joy in life that few can match, and these are things that will help her a great deal as she recovers. In the mean time, your love, thoughts and prayers are all so very important and appreciated.
We'll keep you posted, so check back whenever you like.
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