| 10:00pm I was not sure if I was even going to have the energy tonight to write this blog. I tried earlier today and just stared at my computer and I just couldn't do it. But, as I sit here in Ron's room now, I knew it was something I had to do. I needed to get the word out to everyone so that the prayer warriors out there could help us out once again. At appromately 12:30pm this afternoon Ron went into cardiac arrest. I had just made my way back into the hospital entrance when the nurse called me on my cell to inform me there was an emergency in Ron's room....they had started compressions immediatetly .....I told him I was in the hospital and I was on my way up .....I ran down the hospital hallways towards the elevators...had I felt better I probably would have taken the stairs to the 4th floor but I had just left urgent care and was afraid I would pass out. I made it to the ICU and ran towards his room ...it was a mini-OR once again....everyone was in there working on him ....doctors and nurses and techs...all taking turns to do compressions on him....meds were being pushed through IV lines. The only option they had was to put Ron on an ECMO machine...it is like a bypass machine that basically takes over for his heart and lungs. It is pushing the blood through his body for him. He is back on the ventilator as well and heavily sedated. They are keeping his temp very low right now so as to preserve his brain function. They are not sure how much oxygen was lost to the brain during his cardiac arrest,. We had to move him to the pediatric ICU on the 6th floor because there are only a certain number of nurses that are certified on the ECMO machine. The best nurses are in this ICU for this type of equipment. No one really knows for sure what caused this. He had been having issues with his bowels and his stomach for a few days but they were giving him medicine to help with this. He had been trying to go to the bathroom when all this took place so the nurse thinks he may have pushed down too hard and strained too much causing him him to go into v-tach and asystoli. Or, it could also be that his electrolytes may have gone out of balance. We are really just not sure right now. They did a quick echo and found that his heart function did not decrease at all and his blood pressure is doing well....which they tell me are all good signs. At one point he came out of the sedation and they stopped the paralytic drug to see how he would respond ....he responded to my voice and squeezed my hand when I asked him to and he would blink his eyes ...I asked him to squeeze my hand if he was in pain and he didn't ...I then asked him to squeeze my hand if he was o.k. and he did. That was very comforting to me. I told him everyone was here and he had nothing to be afraid of. I explained there were machines around to help it out and he was doing really well. I don't know what the next 24 hours will bring. I can only keep the faith and hope that all will go well for Ron. He has been through so much. It breaks my heart to see him go through this again. We were so close to moving out of the ICU this week ..just days away. He has once again taken everyone by surprise. I am fortunate that there have been so many people here to support us ...the nurses have been wonderful... The hospital chaplain stayed by my side the whole time they were working on Ron to get him stablized. He prayed with me and helped with some of my things to bring to the new unit. I called one of the nursed whom we have become good friends with to let her know what was going on...she immediatley came to the hospital to sit with me until Ron's family arrived. She was nice enough to go and get my prescriptions filled at the pharmacy for me as I had just returned from urgent care when everything was happening. I have an ear infection and a really bad cough. Ron's family arrived ...Thomas is here too. It was good to put him in my arms and get lots of hugs from him. I really don't know what to feel right now. I am quite numb from all of this....mostly because I am just so exhausted. My heart aches for Ron and everything he has had to endure. Tomorrow morning they plan to bring his temperature back up and take him back to the O.R. They will have repair his sternum...when they were doing compressions ...his incision was torn. We are in desperate need of prayer ....Once again I am giving this to God...it is completely in his hands. I love you all .... P.S. One more note. Please keep my friend Cheryl Britton in prayer too. I received a call from her husband this evening and it appears she took a turn for the worse today as well. If you can go online and find the Sunday edition of the Arizona Daily Star, you will find the article on transplants on the first page and our picture is on the pages following. |
Sunday, December 30, 2007
A SERIOUS SETBACK FOR RON
Saturday, December 29, 2007
9:14 On the quite side .....
Ron and I had a quite dinner. He sat back in his chair around 5:15pm and he is still in it. We asked him if he was ready to get back in bed and he said no...he was doing just fine. His back was NOT hurting! Amazing!
We watched the Bourne Supremacy on TV. It has been a very quite night for us.
Hopefully, he will have a better night's sleep tonight.
None of the doctors came by to pull his chest tube...so it may have to wait until tomorrow. They were pretty busy earlier today with several transplants, heart and lungs...so they did not make it back to his room today.
His echo is scheduled for Monday.
Have a wonderful night.
"I will be with you always." Matthew 28:20
Ron and I had a quite dinner. He sat back in his chair around 5:15pm and he is still in it. We asked him if he was ready to get back in bed and he said no...he was doing just fine. His back was NOT hurting! Amazing!
We watched the Bourne Supremacy on TV. It has been a very quite night for us.
Hopefully, he will have a better night's sleep tonight.
None of the doctors came by to pull his chest tube...so it may have to wait until tomorrow. They were pretty busy earlier today with several transplants, heart and lungs...so they did not make it back to his room today.
His echo is scheduled for Monday.
Have a wonderful night.
"I will be with you always." Matthew 28:20
WEEK THREE AT UMC
12:33pm
Ron had a rough night. Having a lot of issues with his stomach. We aren't sure if it is his GERDS that is acting up...his hyatel hernia...or possibly the H-Pylori bacteria is back. He had it back in August. He says the pain feels similar to the pain he had in August. We are having blood drawn to run tests to see if that is the problem. If so..it can easily be treated with antibiotics and relief will come fast.
Dr. Copeland just stopped in. They will go ahead and treat Ron for the H-pylori since he probably still has the antibodies from it ..this way they don't have to go in with a scope to run further tests. He went ahead and ordered another echo on his heart. He reviewed his chest x-ray taken this morning. He said it looks good so the tube will come out.
He also wanted to know when the newspaper article is suppose to come out on our story...we told him it is suppose to be tomorrow. He was impressed they were putting us in the Sunday edition...he laughed and said it will probably be on the front page!
Ron was out of bed this morning and we had him in the regular chair. We have decided no more cadillac chair. He needs to start using his legs and getting up to sit. This is the only way he is going to regain his strength. I gave him a long pep talk last night on the importance of taking new strides to recovery. Staying in bed is easy...it is time to persevere and challenge himself because I know he can do it. He has overcome so much...this is just a small hurdle to getting his legs stronger. He did a great job today. He sat in the chair for about an hour and that is only because the dialysis nurse came in to give him his treatment. We probably could have gone a little longer. So, he is back in bed now and getting dialysis today for two hours. He seems to be resting comfortably.
Ron had a rough night. Having a lot of issues with his stomach. We aren't sure if it is his GERDS that is acting up...his hyatel hernia...or possibly the H-Pylori bacteria is back. He had it back in August. He says the pain feels similar to the pain he had in August. We are having blood drawn to run tests to see if that is the problem. If so..it can easily be treated with antibiotics and relief will come fast.
Dr. Copeland just stopped in. They will go ahead and treat Ron for the H-pylori since he probably still has the antibodies from it ..this way they don't have to go in with a scope to run further tests. He went ahead and ordered another echo on his heart. He reviewed his chest x-ray taken this morning. He said it looks good so the tube will come out.
He also wanted to know when the newspaper article is suppose to come out on our story...we told him it is suppose to be tomorrow. He was impressed they were putting us in the Sunday edition...he laughed and said it will probably be on the front page!
Ron was out of bed this morning and we had him in the regular chair. We have decided no more cadillac chair. He needs to start using his legs and getting up to sit. This is the only way he is going to regain his strength. I gave him a long pep talk last night on the importance of taking new strides to recovery. Staying in bed is easy...it is time to persevere and challenge himself because I know he can do it. He has overcome so much...this is just a small hurdle to getting his legs stronger. He did a great job today. He sat in the chair for about an hour and that is only because the dialysis nurse came in to give him his treatment. We probably could have gone a little longer. So, he is back in bed now and getting dialysis today for two hours. He seems to be resting comfortably.
Friday, December 28, 2007
T.G.I.F.
We are coming up on week 3 of our stay here at UMC. For us it seems much longer.
Ron had another productive day of Plasma Pherises and Dialysis.
He did not have much of an appetite today. The narcotics are really doing a number on him now. They are giving him antacids and laxatives to help him out as best as possible.
The results came back on the renal scan. It appears the donor heart has been shocked by the rejection but it is not damaged...this is a good thing. It has the potential to come back. The scan also showed that Ron's original left kidney is also showing signs of some function. His original right kidney is sluggish. The doctors are hopeful that the donor kidney and Ron's original left kidney will come back once they get this rejection under control and get his blood pressure up to a consistent normal rate that will allow the blood to profuse fully to the kidneys. We are very pleased with the news.
I have been told unofficially he may be moving out of ICU in approximately 5 days. They don't want to rush it...no need for any unnecessary set backs.
We are hoping they will remove his last chest tube in a couple of days. They have clamped it off to make sure his body absorbes any existing fluid. Chest X-Rays are being done every morning to check for fluid build up. If all is fine within 48 hours...it will be removed.
I made another trip to urgent care today. This time for myself. I have had a sore throat for a couple of days. Today the pain was more than I cared to tolerate. I have a throat infection. They did a rapid strep test...it came back negative. So, some cough medicine with Vicodin...pain is gone. I reserved a room at a nearby hotel for a couple of nights so that I can try and get some uninterrupted sleep...not easy to do when you stay here at the hospital. Hopefully, a couple of nights of good rest will help to kick this bug.
Ron will probably get a break tomorrow from dialysis unless labs show that he really needs to have it. Plasma treatments are all done. Hopefully, we can just take it easy over the weekend. Looking forward to our cousins visiting tomorrow. Thomas will stay home in Goodyear this weekend. We miss him...but I talk to him on the phone every chance I get. He is enjoying KinderCare more and more now that he is going full weeks.
Have a wonderful night!
"The ways of God are without fault." Psalm 18:30
Ron had another productive day of Plasma Pherises and Dialysis.
He did not have much of an appetite today. The narcotics are really doing a number on him now. They are giving him antacids and laxatives to help him out as best as possible.
The results came back on the renal scan. It appears the donor heart has been shocked by the rejection but it is not damaged...this is a good thing. It has the potential to come back. The scan also showed that Ron's original left kidney is also showing signs of some function. His original right kidney is sluggish. The doctors are hopeful that the donor kidney and Ron's original left kidney will come back once they get this rejection under control and get his blood pressure up to a consistent normal rate that will allow the blood to profuse fully to the kidneys. We are very pleased with the news.
I have been told unofficially he may be moving out of ICU in approximately 5 days. They don't want to rush it...no need for any unnecessary set backs.
We are hoping they will remove his last chest tube in a couple of days. They have clamped it off to make sure his body absorbes any existing fluid. Chest X-Rays are being done every morning to check for fluid build up. If all is fine within 48 hours...it will be removed.
I made another trip to urgent care today. This time for myself. I have had a sore throat for a couple of days. Today the pain was more than I cared to tolerate. I have a throat infection. They did a rapid strep test...it came back negative. So, some cough medicine with Vicodin...pain is gone. I reserved a room at a nearby hotel for a couple of nights so that I can try and get some uninterrupted sleep...not easy to do when you stay here at the hospital. Hopefully, a couple of nights of good rest will help to kick this bug.
Ron will probably get a break tomorrow from dialysis unless labs show that he really needs to have it. Plasma treatments are all done. Hopefully, we can just take it easy over the weekend. Looking forward to our cousins visiting tomorrow. Thomas will stay home in Goodyear this weekend. We miss him...but I talk to him on the phone every chance I get. He is enjoying KinderCare more and more now that he is going full weeks.
Have a wonderful night!
"The ways of God are without fault." Psalm 18:30
Thursday, December 27, 2007
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
I finally put some photos on a cd so that I could download onto the blog. Hope you enjoy! Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the blog. There is a funny picture sure to bring smiles to everyone's faces. I have also included a survey . Be sure to vote....I will let you know the outcome when it is complete.
It was another busy day for Ron. We had Physical therapy here in the morning, the news reporter mid-morning and down to nuclear medicine for a renal gram of his kidney which took about 45 minutes. He did sleep for a while as I made my way to Wal-Mart to get the cd made of the photos. The news reporter called the PR department asking for a family photo....good thing I thought to take one on Christmas day!
Have a wonderful evening...until tomorrow.....
It was another busy day for Ron. We had Physical therapy here in the morning, the news reporter mid-morning and down to nuclear medicine for a renal gram of his kidney which took about 45 minutes. He did sleep for a while as I made my way to Wal-Mart to get the cd made of the photos. The news reporter called the PR department asking for a family photo....good thing I thought to take one on Christmas day!
Have a wonderful evening...until tomorrow.....
IN THE NEWS
Hello Everyone....a good day to report thus far.
Ron had a good night. He was up sitting in a chair at 7am today and sat for approximately 2 hours. He was given his bath and ready to go for an interview with the Tucson Daily Star! Yes, that's right....Ron is going to become a local celebrity....Ha!-Ha! ....and for those that know Ron....he loves a good story! We had a 45 minute interview with the medical reporter for the local newspaper. They will be doing a write up on the transplant teams and the new director on board who did Ron's kidney transplant. The fact that Ron is the first patient to receive a kidney/heart dual transplant is the start of new things to come here at UMC. It is a really big deal...especially since he is recovering so well. She really enjoyed hearing our story when it all first began for Ron 13 years ago....how things developed last year and getting us to where we are today. We are not sure just yet how much of our story will be printed but she said she would do her best to include as much as possible. The story should be out in Sunday's paper.
Just another note....we have been advised here in the ICU unit that we can no longer keep our cell phones on. There is a new patient on the floor that has a special ventilator in use that is not protected from cell phone use....cell phones could cause the unit to shut down. So, I will not be reachable by cell. Should you need to reach us, Ron does have a phone in his room. I am around 95% of the time to answer it. The number is 520-694-3108. Otherwise you can reach me by email at webbsiteaz@yahoo.com.
We continue to thank our amazing God for his constant, unwavering love. For the many miracles we have witnessed while we have been here and for his continued presence in our lives.
I ask one more thing of everyone reading this today. I received news this morning about a good friend of mine who is battling cancer. She started Chemotherapy treatment this past week and ended up with a very serious and rare reaction to the treatment. It is so so rare and so severe it can be fatal at times. Her name is Cheryl Britton. She lives in San Antonio TX, (my home town)...she is currently at the The Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. Please keep her in prayer ...that she may overcome this obstacle before her and begin a postive road to recovery. Her husband, Rick, has set up a blog to keep us all informed of her journey through cancer treatement. The site is http://www.rickbnsa.blogspot.com/
They have a son Sean. He attends college in San Antonio and works part-time.
I pray that God will keep them all strong during this challenging time and that Cheryl will continue her strong will to fight.
"I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid." John 14:27
Ron had a good night. He was up sitting in a chair at 7am today and sat for approximately 2 hours. He was given his bath and ready to go for an interview with the Tucson Daily Star! Yes, that's right....Ron is going to become a local celebrity....Ha!-Ha! ....and for those that know Ron....he loves a good story! We had a 45 minute interview with the medical reporter for the local newspaper. They will be doing a write up on the transplant teams and the new director on board who did Ron's kidney transplant. The fact that Ron is the first patient to receive a kidney/heart dual transplant is the start of new things to come here at UMC. It is a really big deal...especially since he is recovering so well. She really enjoyed hearing our story when it all first began for Ron 13 years ago....how things developed last year and getting us to where we are today. We are not sure just yet how much of our story will be printed but she said she would do her best to include as much as possible. The story should be out in Sunday's paper.
Just another note....we have been advised here in the ICU unit that we can no longer keep our cell phones on. There is a new patient on the floor that has a special ventilator in use that is not protected from cell phone use....cell phones could cause the unit to shut down. So, I will not be reachable by cell. Should you need to reach us, Ron does have a phone in his room. I am around 95% of the time to answer it. The number is 520-694-3108. Otherwise you can reach me by email at webbsiteaz@yahoo.com.
We continue to thank our amazing God for his constant, unwavering love. For the many miracles we have witnessed while we have been here and for his continued presence in our lives.
I ask one more thing of everyone reading this today. I received news this morning about a good friend of mine who is battling cancer. She started Chemotherapy treatment this past week and ended up with a very serious and rare reaction to the treatment. It is so so rare and so severe it can be fatal at times. Her name is Cheryl Britton. She lives in San Antonio TX, (my home town)...she is currently at the The Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. Please keep her in prayer ...that she may overcome this obstacle before her and begin a postive road to recovery. Her husband, Rick, has set up a blog to keep us all informed of her journey through cancer treatement. The site is http://www.rickbnsa.blogspot.com/
They have a son Sean. He attends college in San Antonio and works part-time.
I pray that God will keep them all strong during this challenging time and that Cheryl will continue her strong will to fight.
"I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid." John 14:27
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
HUMP DAY
7:50pm
Midweek is almost over. Not much to report today. Ron had a good breakfast today...he ate really well. Everyday I see his appetite increasing. His arm strength is getting better. We still need to work on his legs more. Cardiac rehab should be coming to see him soon to start working on some physical therapy with him. He had his plasma treatment this morning. We had a good lunch and then they quickly started him on his dialysis. The machine kept giving them trouble...his blood kept clotting...so they had to add some heparin to the line to thin his blood a bit. It finally started to work properly. It turned into a full evening event. They are almost done. Ron slept through the majority of it. We are trying to decide what he wants for dinner now.
I woke up this morning with a nasty sore throat. I have kept a mask on the whole time I am in Ron's room. Don't want to take any chance on passing any germs to him. I have felt quite run down today as I did late yesterday. The nurses tell me it has been going around...so it is not surprising I have caught a bug. I hope it is short lived. I am taking Tylenol for headache and pain and Cloraseptic to numb my throat. Luckily, no fever to report. This too shall pass.
Thomas is doing better. He went back to daycare today and is back in Goodyear with our family. We enjoyed our Christmas together ...he had such a good time opening his presents from Santa. Big thanks to all our friends and family who were a part of making his Christmas special. To our PVC family who sent gifts to him....how wonderful you all are! We loved the bible, the aquadoodle, his coloring books, the memory game...everything is going to go to good use. He was a happy child! Thank you for the movies you sent to Ron and myself....we will definitely watch them while we are here...every so often..when Ron is up to it ...we have a nice "movie night" here together. So glad we have a dvd player with our TV here. To all our friends who brought us food...the tamales, pozole, the pastries and breads...they were wonderful...we enjoyed them all....Christmas was here for us with a lot of love and spirit....THANK YOU!
"You took away my clothes of sadness, and clothed me in happiness." Psalm 30:11
Midweek is almost over. Not much to report today. Ron had a good breakfast today...he ate really well. Everyday I see his appetite increasing. His arm strength is getting better. We still need to work on his legs more. Cardiac rehab should be coming to see him soon to start working on some physical therapy with him. He had his plasma treatment this morning. We had a good lunch and then they quickly started him on his dialysis. The machine kept giving them trouble...his blood kept clotting...so they had to add some heparin to the line to thin his blood a bit. It finally started to work properly. It turned into a full evening event. They are almost done. Ron slept through the majority of it. We are trying to decide what he wants for dinner now.
I woke up this morning with a nasty sore throat. I have kept a mask on the whole time I am in Ron's room. Don't want to take any chance on passing any germs to him. I have felt quite run down today as I did late yesterday. The nurses tell me it has been going around...so it is not surprising I have caught a bug. I hope it is short lived. I am taking Tylenol for headache and pain and Cloraseptic to numb my throat. Luckily, no fever to report. This too shall pass.
Thomas is doing better. He went back to daycare today and is back in Goodyear with our family. We enjoyed our Christmas together ...he had such a good time opening his presents from Santa. Big thanks to all our friends and family who were a part of making his Christmas special. To our PVC family who sent gifts to him....how wonderful you all are! We loved the bible, the aquadoodle, his coloring books, the memory game...everything is going to go to good use. He was a happy child! Thank you for the movies you sent to Ron and myself....we will definitely watch them while we are here...every so often..when Ron is up to it ...we have a nice "movie night" here together. So glad we have a dvd player with our TV here. To all our friends who brought us food...the tamales, pozole, the pastries and breads...they were wonderful...we enjoyed them all....Christmas was here for us with a lot of love and spirit....THANK YOU!
"You took away my clothes of sadness, and clothed me in happiness." Psalm 30:11
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
MERRY CHRISTMAS
I hope this finds everyone in good spirits and good health. Merry Christmas to you all! Christmas Eve was a status quo day for us. Ron had his third treatment of plasma pheresis and 2 hours of dialysis. He sat up on the edge of his bed but that was the extent of it. He was too tired to move into a chair today. The nurse did not force him to so as not to over exert him today. I managed to get away for a few hours to do some last minute shopping for Ron. I had not been able to do much given the past weeks events. I spent some time with Thomas as well. Thomas did better today. His eyes are slowly starting to clear up and he did not run a fever today. He did not have any ear aches today either. My hope is that tomorrow will be even better so he can come up and open presents with his dad.
Ron will get a break today from his plasma treatment and dialysis...everything will resume on Wednesday. Today he will simply get to enjoy Christmas with us and the staff here who has become a second family.
May you all enjoy your time with family and friends this Christmas and remember the true reason for the season......Jesus Christ! Do not forget to take a moment to reflect on the precious gift God gave us in Jesus Christ. Remember to appreciate and be thankful for the family and friends you have with you today ...be mindful of the blessings our Lord has placed before you and remember to give thanks and praise to HIM!
Our family has been given a precious gift this Christmas....a new heart and kidney for Ron. We will take a moment today to think of his donor's family and the loss they are feeling this holiday without their loved one. We ask God to bless them and to bring peace to their hearts in knowing that their loved one has made such a positive impact in our lives, Ron's life ...and so many other organ recipients. I hope someday they will come to know how much we appreciate them and what they have done for us.
"Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord."
Luke 2:11
Ron will get a break today from his plasma treatment and dialysis...everything will resume on Wednesday. Today he will simply get to enjoy Christmas with us and the staff here who has become a second family.
May you all enjoy your time with family and friends this Christmas and remember the true reason for the season......Jesus Christ! Do not forget to take a moment to reflect on the precious gift God gave us in Jesus Christ. Remember to appreciate and be thankful for the family and friends you have with you today ...be mindful of the blessings our Lord has placed before you and remember to give thanks and praise to HIM!
Our family has been given a precious gift this Christmas....a new heart and kidney for Ron. We will take a moment today to think of his donor's family and the loss they are feeling this holiday without their loved one. We ask God to bless them and to bring peace to their hearts in knowing that their loved one has made such a positive impact in our lives, Ron's life ...and so many other organ recipients. I hope someday they will come to know how much we appreciate them and what they have done for us.
"Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord."
Luke 2:11
Sunday, December 23, 2007
A STRESS FILLED DAY
Another busy day which kept me from blogging today. Ron had another good night. He did not have much urine output overnight but he did first thing this morning. Another treatement for his plasma was started first thing this morning. It was a 2 hour treatment. A few hours later they started his dialysis. Later in the afternoon ...he was helped out of bed and put in a regular chair for a couple of hours. He was not happy with it because it is very uncomfortable for him...but he was a trooper and got through it.
I actually had to leave around noon time to take care of Thomas. He has come down with a double ear infection and pink eye. He had been running a low grade fever the night before and was feeling pretty lousy. So I took him down to urgent care here at the hospital ...we were there around 2 1/2 hours. At that time he only had one eye that was irritated...by the time we left ...the other eye was infected as well. While waiting in the waiting room ...he threw up...crying as he held his ear because it hurt. He had a rough day. I finally took him back to the hotel with grandma...filled his prescriptions and spent a little time with him to get him to take his medicine. He was not happy and he did not want me to leave him. Eventually, he took his meds and I managed to leave to get back to the hospital with Ron. He has had a peaceful night but he is wiped out with todays activities he had here. Hopefully, Thomas will get to feeling better tomorrow and the pink eye will clear up really soon.
I actually had to leave around noon time to take care of Thomas. He has come down with a double ear infection and pink eye. He had been running a low grade fever the night before and was feeling pretty lousy. So I took him down to urgent care here at the hospital ...we were there around 2 1/2 hours. At that time he only had one eye that was irritated...by the time we left ...the other eye was infected as well. While waiting in the waiting room ...he threw up...crying as he held his ear because it hurt. He had a rough day. I finally took him back to the hotel with grandma...filled his prescriptions and spent a little time with him to get him to take his medicine. He was not happy and he did not want me to leave him. Eventually, he took his meds and I managed to leave to get back to the hospital with Ron. He has had a peaceful night but he is wiped out with todays activities he had here. Hopefully, Thomas will get to feeling better tomorrow and the pink eye will clear up really soon.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
THE PROGRESS CONTINUES
I apologize for getting this blog in so late. We have a full day today. My in-laws brought Thomas back to town for the Christmas weekend. It was so good to hold him again. I went back to the hotel last night so that I could see him first thing in the morning. He was as happy as could be. He is fighting a bit of a cold right now ...to be expected after of a week of daycare....
He was very happy to see his daddy today. He had to keep his distance though since he has a cold. Daddy's face lit up as soon as he saw him, too.
Ron had another good day. I was told that overnight his kidney started working! He had really good output for his first night off the dialysis machine. The kidney doctors were very happy this morning. They were able to take his catheter out today as well. He was very happy about this. He started back on his plasma treatement today. He will have another tomorrow. He may have dialysis tomorrow just depends on how they feel his total output was today. I did not get the final total from the nurse but she said it was looking to be a really good day for him. He is still having a lot of weakness in his legs ...a lot of this not only stems from the fact that he was in bed for a full week after surgery but also because of the paralysis medication he was on...I have been told this takes time to recover from ...your muscles need to learn how to work all over agan. He stood for about 30 seconds today...it took quite a lot out of him. He sat in a chair for about two hours. He was so ready to be put back in bed after that. He slept off and on most of the day. Our new friend, Tracy, who also attends PVC, was kind enough to make the drive down from Goodyear to visit us. She also came to bring gifts to Thomas from Santa. We are so appreciative of her kindness and generosity...we really enjoyed our visit with her.
The doctors are slowly starting to switch a lot of his medications he is receiving via IV to pill form. So...the IV lines are slowly being removed. They are also planning to remove his A-Line and place a PIC line instead ....since most of the IV lines will no longer be needed. I know he will be happy with this. He gets so frustrated when the IV lines gets to tangled in his bed. Most of the nurses are real good about keeping them neat...but sometimes they do get overlooked. Ron was a little cranky today ...he is very sore ...his lower back continues to give him problems...and he is a bit overwhelmed by how weak he is. I continued to give him encouragement that with every little bit of movement he makes a day...the closer he will be to regaining his strength. Two surgeries is a lot for any body to handle....he will just need to be patient with himself...it will all come together and he will be walking before long. He still continues to eat well. Tonight he was not in the mood for hospital food so he sent me out to get him a sandwich from subway..only a 6".....he ate it all! I was very impressed. We are still waiting on final results on his biopsy. Hopefully, some news will come our way tomorrow. Until then.....
You will know that God's power is very great for us who believe. Ephesians 1:19
He was very happy to see his daddy today. He had to keep his distance though since he has a cold. Daddy's face lit up as soon as he saw him, too.
Ron had another good day. I was told that overnight his kidney started working! He had really good output for his first night off the dialysis machine. The kidney doctors were very happy this morning. They were able to take his catheter out today as well. He was very happy about this. He started back on his plasma treatement today. He will have another tomorrow. He may have dialysis tomorrow just depends on how they feel his total output was today. I did not get the final total from the nurse but she said it was looking to be a really good day for him. He is still having a lot of weakness in his legs ...a lot of this not only stems from the fact that he was in bed for a full week after surgery but also because of the paralysis medication he was on...I have been told this takes time to recover from ...your muscles need to learn how to work all over agan. He stood for about 30 seconds today...it took quite a lot out of him. He sat in a chair for about two hours. He was so ready to be put back in bed after that. He slept off and on most of the day. Our new friend, Tracy, who also attends PVC, was kind enough to make the drive down from Goodyear to visit us. She also came to bring gifts to Thomas from Santa. We are so appreciative of her kindness and generosity...we really enjoyed our visit with her.
The doctors are slowly starting to switch a lot of his medications he is receiving via IV to pill form. So...the IV lines are slowly being removed. They are also planning to remove his A-Line and place a PIC line instead ....since most of the IV lines will no longer be needed. I know he will be happy with this. He gets so frustrated when the IV lines gets to tangled in his bed. Most of the nurses are real good about keeping them neat...but sometimes they do get overlooked. Ron was a little cranky today ...he is very sore ...his lower back continues to give him problems...and he is a bit overwhelmed by how weak he is. I continued to give him encouragement that with every little bit of movement he makes a day...the closer he will be to regaining his strength. Two surgeries is a lot for any body to handle....he will just need to be patient with himself...it will all come together and he will be walking before long. He still continues to eat well. Tonight he was not in the mood for hospital food so he sent me out to get him a sandwich from subway..only a 6".....he ate it all! I was very impressed. We are still waiting on final results on his biopsy. Hopefully, some news will come our way tomorrow. Until then.....
You will know that God's power is very great for us who believe. Ephesians 1:19
Friday, December 21, 2007
ANOTHER WEEK'S END
10:50AM
Ron had another good night. He seemed rested this morning. I took a break and went back to the hotel last night. I ordered his breakfast and he ate relatively well. He was a bit achy today but it is to be expected. His feet are getting puffy so he will be starting hemodialysis today to try and remove some fluid.
We received the "ok" to decorate his room for Christmas....they did not have to tell us twice..my mother in law and I made the trip to Wal-Mart and brought him a few things to liven up his room and give it the feel of Christmas. He has a small Christmas tree...the Holy Family and decorations around his cork board on the wall....with red bows and all the Christmas cards we have received from friends and family. It turned out very nice...all the nurses and doctors really like it. His mom also bought him a red car with santa and his reindeer...when you press the button...it bounces up and down ...has lights on the bottom and plays "Low-Ri-Der".....it is quite hilarious.
Dr. Smith came by to fill us in on their weekly meeting. They have decided to go ahead and run another treatment of the plasma pherises ....the process where they remove his plasma and the antibodies ...it will run another series of 5 treatments for seven days. One of the kidney doctors indicated it can sometimes take a month long of treatments before they can get the antibodies to start getting used to the organ which is what the objective is. Fortunately, this is a very gentle treatment to his body ....he actually feels better after the treatements...which is a good thing.
We also hope to get back the results of his biopsy later today. We generally do not find out anything until late afternoon the following day. Some of them we may not know for a couple of days. He is on an antibiotic right now as they wait for blood cultures to come back since he did run a fever a few nights ago...we just want to make sure if anything was brewing ...we caught it in time.
Praise God....we are near the end of another week of progress...I am so proud of Ron and everything he has overcome up to this point. I can't imagine what it must be like to go through all this ...and wake up after a week of being completely out ....to find that things did not go completely as we had hoped....and yet, he still finds the will to keep fighting and keep perservering....it is incredible and truly the work of the Lord.
"When a believing person prays, great things happen". James 5:16
Ron had another good night. He seemed rested this morning. I took a break and went back to the hotel last night. I ordered his breakfast and he ate relatively well. He was a bit achy today but it is to be expected. His feet are getting puffy so he will be starting hemodialysis today to try and remove some fluid.
We received the "ok" to decorate his room for Christmas....they did not have to tell us twice..my mother in law and I made the trip to Wal-Mart and brought him a few things to liven up his room and give it the feel of Christmas. He has a small Christmas tree...the Holy Family and decorations around his cork board on the wall....with red bows and all the Christmas cards we have received from friends and family. It turned out very nice...all the nurses and doctors really like it. His mom also bought him a red car with santa and his reindeer...when you press the button...it bounces up and down ...has lights on the bottom and plays "Low-Ri-Der".....it is quite hilarious.
Dr. Smith came by to fill us in on their weekly meeting. They have decided to go ahead and run another treatment of the plasma pherises ....the process where they remove his plasma and the antibodies ...it will run another series of 5 treatments for seven days. One of the kidney doctors indicated it can sometimes take a month long of treatments before they can get the antibodies to start getting used to the organ which is what the objective is. Fortunately, this is a very gentle treatment to his body ....he actually feels better after the treatements...which is a good thing.
We also hope to get back the results of his biopsy later today. We generally do not find out anything until late afternoon the following day. Some of them we may not know for a couple of days. He is on an antibiotic right now as they wait for blood cultures to come back since he did run a fever a few nights ago...we just want to make sure if anything was brewing ...we caught it in time.
Praise God....we are near the end of another week of progress...I am so proud of Ron and everything he has overcome up to this point. I can't imagine what it must be like to go through all this ...and wake up after a week of being completely out ....to find that things did not go completely as we had hoped....and yet, he still finds the will to keep fighting and keep perservering....it is incredible and truly the work of the Lord.
"When a believing person prays, great things happen". James 5:16
Thursday, December 20, 2007
3pm
Ron did well during the heart cath procedure. The doctors did have to warn me when he first went in that he was at high risk because his blood pressure was running low today and his heart rate was elevated in the 130's again in tachycardia. All I could do was pray that the Lord would stay near him and help the doctors do what needed to be done quickly and carefully. My prayer was answered. He came back up to the room and was ready for lunch. Every day he has been eating better and more. I think this is also helping him to recover better as well.
I did something today while in the waiting room in the cath lab as I waited for Ron's procedure to be done that I have never done before and so glad that I did. There was a family in the waiting room waiting for their young son who was also having a heart procedure. The doctor came out to speak with them and apparently the procedure was not going as well as they had hoped for and the options they were left with were not the best they had wanted either way. The father and mother were obviously very distraught and were struggling with making a decision. As the doctor went back to work on their son I was compelled to approach them and ask the name of their son...they said it was Jorge. I asked if I could pray with them and they said yes. I gathered hands with them and prayed for them and their son. I am so glad I did. When the doctor returned ...they were able to make a decision they felt good about and hopefully things will turn around for their son. I wished them well as I left to meet up with Ron.
It was such a good feeling to actually ACT on something I felt I should do. So many times we vocalize to people we will keep them in prayer ..sometimes we remember to do it and sometimes we get busy with our day and may forget....so the next time...if you see someone in need of prayer ...just stop what your doing and pray with them. The power of prayer is great and as christians we must ACT to help others and put our faith to proper use.
( I am listening to you Pastor Greg) .......
Ron did well during the heart cath procedure. The doctors did have to warn me when he first went in that he was at high risk because his blood pressure was running low today and his heart rate was elevated in the 130's again in tachycardia. All I could do was pray that the Lord would stay near him and help the doctors do what needed to be done quickly and carefully. My prayer was answered. He came back up to the room and was ready for lunch. Every day he has been eating better and more. I think this is also helping him to recover better as well.
I did something today while in the waiting room in the cath lab as I waited for Ron's procedure to be done that I have never done before and so glad that I did. There was a family in the waiting room waiting for their young son who was also having a heart procedure. The doctor came out to speak with them and apparently the procedure was not going as well as they had hoped for and the options they were left with were not the best they had wanted either way. The father and mother were obviously very distraught and were struggling with making a decision. As the doctor went back to work on their son I was compelled to approach them and ask the name of their son...they said it was Jorge. I asked if I could pray with them and they said yes. I gathered hands with them and prayed for them and their son. I am so glad I did. When the doctor returned ...they were able to make a decision they felt good about and hopefully things will turn around for their son. I wished them well as I left to meet up with Ron.
It was such a good feeling to actually ACT on something I felt I should do. So many times we vocalize to people we will keep them in prayer ..sometimes we remember to do it and sometimes we get busy with our day and may forget....so the next time...if you see someone in need of prayer ...just stop what your doing and pray with them. The power of prayer is great and as christians we must ACT to help others and put our faith to proper use.
( I am listening to you Pastor Greg) .......
9:15am
Looking forward to a better day....
Ron is going down to the cath lab in a few minutes to have his right heart cath done with a biopsy. They plan on doing 6 biopsies....but the amount of tissue taken is only the size of a bread crumb. He had a much more peaceful night which was nice for me, too. He has been sitting up in a chair this morning for 1 1/2 hours. He is off the CRRT machine which has been dialyzing him. He will switch to the hemodialysis machine when he comes back from the cath lab.
More updates to come
Looking forward to a better day....
Ron is going down to the cath lab in a few minutes to have his right heart cath done with a biopsy. They plan on doing 6 biopsies....but the amount of tissue taken is only the size of a bread crumb. He had a much more peaceful night which was nice for me, too. He has been sitting up in a chair this morning for 1 1/2 hours. He is off the CRRT machine which has been dialyzing him. He will switch to the hemodialysis machine when he comes back from the cath lab.
More updates to come
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
5:40pm
Ron tried to get out of bed earlier today but did not have much luck. His legs were so weak it was very hard to hold him up to get him to the chair. It took a lot out of him. The nurse will be trying again shortly but they will use a special type of chair that lays flat so that they can simply slide him over and then raise him to a seating position. We still do not know what his last echo showed as all his doctors have been in surgery and have not had a chance to view it. Dr. Smith has ordered a right heart cath to biopsy his heart tomorrow morning. They just want to screen for both cellular and antibody rejection. This is standard shortly after transplant. He has begun eating more with every meal. Hopefully, with each day he will build more strength. His heart function is doing better as is his blood pressure and temperature.
Ron tried to get out of bed earlier today but did not have much luck. His legs were so weak it was very hard to hold him up to get him to the chair. It took a lot out of him. The nurse will be trying again shortly but they will use a special type of chair that lays flat so that they can simply slide him over and then raise him to a seating position. We still do not know what his last echo showed as all his doctors have been in surgery and have not had a chance to view it. Dr. Smith has ordered a right heart cath to biopsy his heart tomorrow morning. They just want to screen for both cellular and antibody rejection. This is standard shortly after transplant. He has begun eating more with every meal. Hopefully, with each day he will build more strength. His heart function is doing better as is his blood pressure and temperature.
A Slight Bump In the Road
8:45am....
Ron had a rough night last night ...I should say we both did....We have had maybe 3 hours of sleep.
Around 10pm he started to spike a fever and his heart rate started to climb back up into the the 130-140 range having tachycardia. His blood pressure kept dropping..at some point in the 70's systolic. They tried small dosages of medicine to bring the heart rate down and small dosages of meds to bring his blood pressure ...it did not make a difference. Around 4am Dr. Smith was paged and she had them increase the meds....in the meantime I started stripping blankets off of him and putting wet towels on his head and lowering the temperature in the room. By 5am ...his heart rate started to come back down and his blood pressure is back to normal range. His fever right now is low grade..his heart continues to go back and forth ..for the most part it is staying in the mid 120's...but it still tends to go into the 130's from time to time. Once the cultures come back they can get him started on an antibiotic to take care of whatever is in his system.
No word yet on the echo that was done yesterday evening. We hope to know more later today.
He is sleeping now.
Ron had a rough night last night ...I should say we both did....We have had maybe 3 hours of sleep.
Around 10pm he started to spike a fever and his heart rate started to climb back up into the the 130-140 range having tachycardia. His blood pressure kept dropping..at some point in the 70's systolic. They tried small dosages of medicine to bring the heart rate down and small dosages of meds to bring his blood pressure ...it did not make a difference. Around 4am Dr. Smith was paged and she had them increase the meds....in the meantime I started stripping blankets off of him and putting wet towels on his head and lowering the temperature in the room. By 5am ...his heart rate started to come back down and his blood pressure is back to normal range. His fever right now is low grade..his heart continues to go back and forth ..for the most part it is staying in the mid 120's...but it still tends to go into the 130's from time to time. Once the cultures come back they can get him started on an antibiotic to take care of whatever is in his system.
No word yet on the echo that was done yesterday evening. We hope to know more later today.
He is sleeping now.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Many Thanks
So many have asked if we had a special account set up to receive donations to assist with all our out of pocket expenses insurance will not cover while we are in Tucson. I can't thank everyone enough for being so kind to think of such things. I have been praying for God to find a way to provide for our needs while we are here and he manages to do so once again. I even have people in Texas who I don't even know putting together a collection to send to us. I called Washington Mutual and set up a special account...it is under my name under account #9341312413. Donations should be made payable to me with "for deposit only" written on the back of the check and mailed to their bank by mail address: Washington Mutual P.O. Box 30810 Los Angeles CA 90030-0810. Again....I am truly appreciative of everyone who has graciously offered to help us. You are forever in our prayers for the Lord to bless you as he has blessed our family. Mary
A GREAT DAY CONTINUES
4PM....
They were finally able to get the A-line in Ron. They had to use a special doppler machine to get it in....even with that it took a while...but it's done...that is all that matters. They have removed the one he had in his leg..so hopefully he will be in a chair by later this evening. The renal doctors have confirmed with the cardiothoracic surgeons they will go ahead and start him on hemodialysis later today or tomorrow depending on how long the CRRT machines decides to run..once it clogs ..which is does often...they will stop it then and begin hemodialysis. We had a visit from Santa today...he was making his rounds through the hospital. Ron really enjoyed the visit. Santa gave us a teddy bear and asked what we wanted for Christmas....I am sure everyone knows what we asked for .....nothing but good health for the coming year ....that would be the ultimate gift for us!
They were finally able to get the A-line in Ron. They had to use a special doppler machine to get it in....even with that it took a while...but it's done...that is all that matters. They have removed the one he had in his leg..so hopefully he will be in a chair by later this evening. The renal doctors have confirmed with the cardiothoracic surgeons they will go ahead and start him on hemodialysis later today or tomorrow depending on how long the CRRT machines decides to run..once it clogs ..which is does often...they will stop it then and begin hemodialysis. We had a visit from Santa today...he was making his rounds through the hospital. Ron really enjoyed the visit. Santa gave us a teddy bear and asked what we wanted for Christmas....I am sure everyone knows what we asked for .....nothing but good health for the coming year ....that would be the ultimate gift for us!
A GREAT DAY
11:00 am
Dr. Smith came by this morning to give us great news on Ron's recent echo results. His heart function has increased to 40-45%! This is incredible...awesome...so exciting! The Lord is definitely listening and answering our prayers....he is an Awesome God! We hope to have the last chest tube removed today as well. Dr. Smith is currently trying to get a new A-Line in Ron's arm...still a challenge because he has so much scar tissue in his arteries and veins. She is not giving up though..she is working hard to get it in. Hopefully, once this is done ..he can get up and moved into a chair today. One of his renal doctors also came by and mentioned they will try to take him off one of the dialysis machines he has been on and switch to another machine that will help remove more fluid off of him. They feel he is at a point where he can handle hemodialysis vs the CRRT that he has been on. His creatinin has come down to 2.2..which is great seeing as how he has been lingering in the mid 3 range. Just so everyone knows...a normal creatinin level is 1.5. This is a really good sign that the kidney is trying to come back. He may need to continue with hemodialysis for a while but the doctors say that will be ok to help out his kidney for while and given that the heart function is really improving this will help the kidney as well. Praises and more praises to our wonderful Lord...who has been with us through this all and has made this all possible.
No luck on the A-line....Dr. Smith has worked on him for 15-20 minutes...she wants to give Ron a break. Not sure what else they will be able to do.
Dr. Smith came by this morning to give us great news on Ron's recent echo results. His heart function has increased to 40-45%! This is incredible...awesome...so exciting! The Lord is definitely listening and answering our prayers....he is an Awesome God! We hope to have the last chest tube removed today as well. Dr. Smith is currently trying to get a new A-Line in Ron's arm...still a challenge because he has so much scar tissue in his arteries and veins. She is not giving up though..she is working hard to get it in. Hopefully, once this is done ..he can get up and moved into a chair today. One of his renal doctors also came by and mentioned they will try to take him off one of the dialysis machines he has been on and switch to another machine that will help remove more fluid off of him. They feel he is at a point where he can handle hemodialysis vs the CRRT that he has been on. His creatinin has come down to 2.2..which is great seeing as how he has been lingering in the mid 3 range. Just so everyone knows...a normal creatinin level is 1.5. This is a really good sign that the kidney is trying to come back. He may need to continue with hemodialysis for a while but the doctors say that will be ok to help out his kidney for while and given that the heart function is really improving this will help the kidney as well. Praises and more praises to our wonderful Lord...who has been with us through this all and has made this all possible.
No luck on the A-line....Dr. Smith has worked on him for 15-20 minutes...she wants to give Ron a break. Not sure what else they will be able to do.
Monday, December 17, 2007
7:35pm
Ron has had two of the three chest tubes removed today. He has had some relief from this.
The doctors are attempting to put in a new A-line. He currently has one in the upper part of his thigh and it is time to have it removed to prevent any infection. The problem they had this morning was that his arms have some swelling due to edema so it is hard to get a good line in.
We have been waiting for his doctors today but they have all been in surgery. We are hoping Dr. Smith can get one in. We still do not know what the echo showed they did yesterday...and given the surgeons have been in surgeries all day...I doubt they have had a chance to take a look at it. It is doubtful we will get much information tonight in regards to this. Tomorrow, Ron should be able to have the third chest tube removed. He slept quite a bit today as he was up a lot last night with the nurses doing all sort of things. We had a wonderful visit today with our dear friends from North Dakota who were down visiting family as well and took the time to make the drive to Tucson to see us. We have missed them so much ...thank you Tim and Joleen...we love you!
Everyone that has stopped by Ron's room today are so excited to see him looking so well....without the breathing machine and his eyes open and him speaking with everyone. People are genuinely happy to see him making so much progress. The machines are also slowly coming out of his room...yesterday is was the ventilator...today they removed another machine that was giving him something to help him tansition to breathing on his own...just another item used to help when patients first come off the ventilator. Next may be the dialysis machine he is on. The renal doctors are planning to run a test on his kidney to see how much it was affected and whether or not it will come back. Once this test is done..depending on the results..will determine if they can remove the dialysis equipment. They have also decreased the amount of IV lines he has ...thus less medications.
It is so amazing to see where he is today in comparison to last Monday....Thank you Jesus!
Ron has had two of the three chest tubes removed today. He has had some relief from this.
The doctors are attempting to put in a new A-line. He currently has one in the upper part of his thigh and it is time to have it removed to prevent any infection. The problem they had this morning was that his arms have some swelling due to edema so it is hard to get a good line in.
We have been waiting for his doctors today but they have all been in surgery. We are hoping Dr. Smith can get one in. We still do not know what the echo showed they did yesterday...and given the surgeons have been in surgeries all day...I doubt they have had a chance to take a look at it. It is doubtful we will get much information tonight in regards to this. Tomorrow, Ron should be able to have the third chest tube removed. He slept quite a bit today as he was up a lot last night with the nurses doing all sort of things. We had a wonderful visit today with our dear friends from North Dakota who were down visiting family as well and took the time to make the drive to Tucson to see us. We have missed them so much ...thank you Tim and Joleen...we love you!
Everyone that has stopped by Ron's room today are so excited to see him looking so well....without the breathing machine and his eyes open and him speaking with everyone. People are genuinely happy to see him making so much progress. The machines are also slowly coming out of his room...yesterday is was the ventilator...today they removed another machine that was giving him something to help him tansition to breathing on his own...just another item used to help when patients first come off the ventilator. Next may be the dialysis machine he is on. The renal doctors are planning to run a test on his kidney to see how much it was affected and whether or not it will come back. Once this test is done..depending on the results..will determine if they can remove the dialysis equipment. They have also decreased the amount of IV lines he has ...thus less medications.
It is so amazing to see where he is today in comparison to last Monday....Thank you Jesus!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Sunday 12/16/07 9:10pm
Ron has started to try and eat tonight. He had a little bit of Jello-O and some Ginger Ale. He is taking it slow...only clear fluids tonight. They may try to see if he can handle drinking a Glucerna later. They want to increase his intake as best as possible so that they can remove the feeding tube. He has had some queeziness which is to be expected. The doctors have not been by to remove his chest tubes which they mentioned would come out tonight. It may get pushed to tomorrow morning. They also would like to get him up and into a chair tomorrow. This will be his next big hurdle.
Ron has started to try and eat tonight. He had a little bit of Jello-O and some Ginger Ale. He is taking it slow...only clear fluids tonight. They may try to see if he can handle drinking a Glucerna later. They want to increase his intake as best as possible so that they can remove the feeding tube. He has had some queeziness which is to be expected. The doctors have not been by to remove his chest tubes which they mentioned would come out tonight. It may get pushed to tomorrow morning. They also would like to get him up and into a chair tomorrow. This will be his next big hurdle.
Sunday, 4:35pm...12/16/07
Ron continues to do well off the ventilator. Dr. Smith made rounds this morning and was pleased to see how well he was doing.. She discussed with Ron the week's events as well. Advised him where his heart function was with his last echo. Another echo was done today. I don't know yet if she will review it tonight and let us know results...or wait until tomorrow.
She did give us positive news in regards to the type of rejection Ron had. There is a good chance that his heart function could fully recover ...as they have had good results with treatment when it comes to antibody rejection.
Thomas was able to see his daddy today and was very pleased to do so. He told his daddy he loved him and asked him if he was ok. Ron was happy to see him too...and assured him he was fine. Thomas told him to get well soon. He went back to Goodyear today with his aunt and uncle and cousin. He will stay with them this week so that he can get back to his normal routine of daycare/preschool. He enjoys being with his friends and playing. So, it is better for him this way. I think it is harder on mom more than anything. Another day has just about passed and positive things continue to take place for Ron. We are moving in the right direction....
Ron continues to do well off the ventilator. Dr. Smith made rounds this morning and was pleased to see how well he was doing.. She discussed with Ron the week's events as well. Advised him where his heart function was with his last echo. Another echo was done today. I don't know yet if she will review it tonight and let us know results...or wait until tomorrow.
She did give us positive news in regards to the type of rejection Ron had. There is a good chance that his heart function could fully recover ...as they have had good results with treatment when it comes to antibody rejection.
Thomas was able to see his daddy today and was very pleased to do so. He told his daddy he loved him and asked him if he was ok. Ron was happy to see him too...and assured him he was fine. Thomas told him to get well soon. He went back to Goodyear today with his aunt and uncle and cousin. He will stay with them this week so that he can get back to his normal routine of daycare/preschool. He enjoys being with his friends and playing. So, it is better for him this way. I think it is harder on mom more than anything. Another day has just about passed and positive things continue to take place for Ron. We are moving in the right direction....
A Week to Remember
12/16/07 11:15am.....
The ventilator has been removed! Praise God! Ron is awake and talking. I have been filling him in on the week's events. He does not remember anything. Nurses and doctors have been by telling him how wonderful it is to have him back and how great he looks. I shared with him the genuine concern everyone on this floor has had for him. I explained to him the tears that were shed by many when he took a turn for the worse. So, he is to expect a lot of cheerful people coming by his room. His blood gases check out very good. He is oxygenating very well.
He is receiving his plasma treatment as I am writing this. Blood pressure looks very good as does his blood flow index and his temperature is normal.
I hope everyone is enjoying there Sunday church service whereever it may be. Give thanks to our loving God for all that he is given us especially the gift of his son whose birth we celebrate this month.
To my PVC family...I miss being with everyone today. I will catch up on Pastor Greg's message via video while I am here at the hospital.
I know many have inquired on a special checking account to make donations for our out of pocket expenses while we are here. I thank you so much for your thoughtful generosity. I am in the process of setting up an account at Washington Mutual. Once everything has been activated I will share the information with you.
I thank God for everyone who has shown us so much love, compassion and human kindness....I wish you all the same blessings he has given my family and more........Mary
The ventilator has been removed! Praise God! Ron is awake and talking. I have been filling him in on the week's events. He does not remember anything. Nurses and doctors have been by telling him how wonderful it is to have him back and how great he looks. I shared with him the genuine concern everyone on this floor has had for him. I explained to him the tears that were shed by many when he took a turn for the worse. So, he is to expect a lot of cheerful people coming by his room. His blood gases check out very good. He is oxygenating very well.
He is receiving his plasma treatment as I am writing this. Blood pressure looks very good as does his blood flow index and his temperature is normal.
I hope everyone is enjoying there Sunday church service whereever it may be. Give thanks to our loving God for all that he is given us especially the gift of his son whose birth we celebrate this month.
To my PVC family...I miss being with everyone today. I will catch up on Pastor Greg's message via video while I am here at the hospital.
I know many have inquired on a special checking account to make donations for our out of pocket expenses while we are here. I thank you so much for your thoughtful generosity. I am in the process of setting up an account at Washington Mutual. Once everything has been activated I will share the information with you.
I thank God for everyone who has shown us so much love, compassion and human kindness....I wish you all the same blessings he has given my family and more........Mary
Sunday, 12:35am...
I am stayinge at the hospital tonight with Ron. Since he is waking up more and still on the ventilatore..he motioned for me to stay with him tonight. I think it puts him more at ease. He has had a rough few hours tonight. He has had a lot of junk in his lungs that they had to suction out several times. It's a tough thing to watch. But I stay tough for him and hold his hand so he can squeeze mine as tight as he wants.
We had hoped the vent would have been out by now but he was still sleeping quite a bit and the doctors felt more comfortable with him being more alert. It just makes it harder being on the vent when he is further a long on the waking up process...which is where we are right now.
He is getting washed up as I write this and starting to calm down a bit. The coughing and suctioning really wear him out. It seems to have subsided for now.
He will receive his last treatment of plasma pherises later this morning to remove the antibodies that are rejecting his heart. He will then have another echo done to see if there has been any further progress in his heart function. More later......
I am stayinge at the hospital tonight with Ron. Since he is waking up more and still on the ventilatore..he motioned for me to stay with him tonight. I think it puts him more at ease. He has had a rough few hours tonight. He has had a lot of junk in his lungs that they had to suction out several times. It's a tough thing to watch. But I stay tough for him and hold his hand so he can squeeze mine as tight as he wants.
We had hoped the vent would have been out by now but he was still sleeping quite a bit and the doctors felt more comfortable with him being more alert. It just makes it harder being on the vent when he is further a long on the waking up process...which is where we are right now.
He is getting washed up as I write this and starting to calm down a bit. The coughing and suctioning really wear him out. It seems to have subsided for now.
He will receive his last treatment of plasma pherises later this morning to remove the antibodies that are rejecting his heart. He will then have another echo done to see if there has been any further progress in his heart function. More later......
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Hello again...at 11:15 this morning they set Ron's ventilator to CPAP mode...which basically means he is breathing on his own...but the ventilator is kept in place should he need assistance. They will run blood gases again at 12pm to see if he is oxygenating well...if everything looks good...he may be able to come off the ventilator by 12:30! One step closer in the right direction...
A NEW DAY OF HOPE
It is Saturday, December 15th. One week post transplant.
Hard to believe we are mid-month already. The past week has been quite fuzzy...as things have taken place so quickly and intensly here at the hospital with Ron. But, thanks to our amazing God...we survived! More importantly, Ron is still with us. In the midst of this incredible storm, we continue to see the multitude of blessings the Lord showers upon us through wonderful family, friends and our brothers and sisters in Christ...(some whom we have yet to meet) who are standing by us physically, spiritually, and emotionally....we are very fortunate.
This morning I arrived at the hospital at 6am. My Ron opened his eyes ever so slowly and I could tell he knew it was me. I told him good morning and welcomed him back. He gave me a slight smirk ..as best he could with the ventilator tube in his mouth. I told him I loved him and as best he could he mouthed to me "I know".....something he always says to me .....I would ask him various questions and he would respond with a nod. I asked if he wanted to see Thomas..and he nodded yes...So, I told him he needed to start waking up so we could remove his breathing tube ...and then Thomas could come back into his room. He gave me another smile.
His night nurse said he had a good night. Things are staying steady. He still continues to have an irregular heart beat and at times he goes into what they refer to as sinus tachy. I have learned that an irregular hear beat is when the heart will do a normal rythum of beat...thump/thump....then thump/thump/thump....it is not a regular two thump beat in intervals...they are sporadic....whereas...sinus tachy is the heart just thumping constantly without pausing or any rythum....if we had to choose between the lesser of two evils...we would prefer the irregular heart beat....many people live just fine with that....tachy can wear the heart down very quickly. So, hopefully, the heart will start to behave itself and fall into the best rythum it can.
So, I hope by my next blog, Ron will be closer to coming off the ventilator and talking with us sooner rather than later.
My love to everyone who reads this ...God's blessings to you all during this wonderful Christmas season of hope! Mary
Hard to believe we are mid-month already. The past week has been quite fuzzy...as things have taken place so quickly and intensly here at the hospital with Ron. But, thanks to our amazing God...we survived! More importantly, Ron is still with us. In the midst of this incredible storm, we continue to see the multitude of blessings the Lord showers upon us through wonderful family, friends and our brothers and sisters in Christ...(some whom we have yet to meet) who are standing by us physically, spiritually, and emotionally....we are very fortunate.
This morning I arrived at the hospital at 6am. My Ron opened his eyes ever so slowly and I could tell he knew it was me. I told him good morning and welcomed him back. He gave me a slight smirk ..as best he could with the ventilator tube in his mouth. I told him I loved him and as best he could he mouthed to me "I know".....something he always says to me .....I would ask him various questions and he would respond with a nod. I asked if he wanted to see Thomas..and he nodded yes...So, I told him he needed to start waking up so we could remove his breathing tube ...and then Thomas could come back into his room. He gave me another smile.
His night nurse said he had a good night. Things are staying steady. He still continues to have an irregular heart beat and at times he goes into what they refer to as sinus tachy. I have learned that an irregular hear beat is when the heart will do a normal rythum of beat...thump/thump....then thump/thump/thump....it is not a regular two thump beat in intervals...they are sporadic....whereas...sinus tachy is the heart just thumping constantly without pausing or any rythum....if we had to choose between the lesser of two evils...we would prefer the irregular heart beat....many people live just fine with that....tachy can wear the heart down very quickly. So, hopefully, the heart will start to behave itself and fall into the best rythum it can.
So, I hope by my next blog, Ron will be closer to coming off the ventilator and talking with us sooner rather than later.
My love to everyone who reads this ...God's blessings to you all during this wonderful Christmas season of hope! Mary
Friday, December 14, 2007
Update on Ron
Today is day 6 post transplant for Ron. We continue to some improvement in Ron's condition a little bit at a time. His last echo which was done yesterday showed about 5% improvement in his heart function. His blood pressure is doing well and all his other stats. His heart rate has come down some ...he seems to be staying in the 114-120 range....far better than 130-140. The doctors are continuing with his plasma treatment to remove the antibodies that are rejecting his heart. He will have his last treatment on Sunday. They also continue to give him dialysis treatment to help out his new kidney. It has been affected by all of this as well. It has not had much output so the dialysis is doing what it would normally do. The doctors are hopeful once they get the heart situation under control, the kidney will recover. They are planning to remove the chest tubes today and start to bring him out of sedation. Once this is done they will try to weane him off the ventilator. For now...we take it day by day and give it to God, who is all mighty...all loving and never leaves us. We are thankful for our prayer warriors...you are all awesome....we are blessed to be a part of our Palm Valley Church family. I will continue to add to our blog as more updates come. I find an amazing calm come over me when I focus on our Lord and know that his plan is the perfect plan...until next time...Mary Webb
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