| We were told late evening yesterday that Ron's creatinin has increased to 2.1...and that a biopsy may be needed on the kidney to confirm if there is any rejection setting in. I finally had the doctors take a look at the echo that was done on Wed. because I wanted to make sure it was not the heart that was in rejection before they went in and disturbed the kidney. After a prolong period of time this morning I was given some answers to my questions. The echo on the heart looks fine....his ejection fraction is at 55% ...which is very good. There are some other issues going on with the heart that are far too complex for me to try and put to words for you. I will need someone to simplify it for me in the next few days and then I can try to explain...but at this time it is not serious and the doctors will continue to monitor with another echo on Monday and compare it to the echo that was done this week. Given that Ron's creatinine is still at 2 today...we were advised it would be best to move forward with the biopsy so we gave consent this afternoon. He is having the biopsy now and should be done within the hour. The doctors are going to try to push pathology to give results tomorrow rather to put this off until Monday. I don't know what the treatment is if he is in rejection for the kidney. It could be the same as it is when the heart is in rejection...but the renal side of things is new territory for us ...so I am learning this process as we go along. I will keep you informed as soon as I know more. Our hope is that he is just dehydrated which can also cause the creatinine to rise. They have decreased his Lasix by half...which I had been wanting them to do over two weeks ago...but they just decided it was time now. Keep us in prayer....the longer we are here ...the harder it is to keep my patience in check with some of the doctors and staff here. I am in serious need of guidance from the Lord as to whether or not to keep Ron here at UMC or if I should begin speaking with people at Mayo in Scottsdaly and consider a possible transfer. I am torn at this point as to what I should do at this very moment. Or simply wait until he is discharged and then consider having doctors there begin to take over his case. Rob did stand Ron up yesterday and had him take two steps and then pivot to sit in his recliner. He did this three times ...from the bed to the chair. He said it felt so good to be able to move....of course I missed it all....I was out running errands at the time. He had Rob take a picture while he was sitting in the chair so that I would believe him that it really did happen....LOL I will update the blog later today. |
Friday, February 29, 2008
POSSIBLE KIDNEY REJECTION
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
MORE OF THE SAME....BUT IMPROVING
| Time to catch up. It is been a while since I entered a blog. All went well last week with Ron. Still doing much of the same with physical therapy. We make it a point to get him in his wheel chair several times a day and make our way to the cafeteria for lunch and then outdoors for some sunshine. We have had great weather here in Tucson. The high on Sunday was 78!....can't complain about that. The wound on Ron's groin is completely healed. We are still working on the one on his bottom...it is healing nicely but still have to continue treating it and dressing it. The kidney wound continues to show improvement in the healing process. The doctors took a look at it yesterday and are pleased with the progress. Ron did quite a bit of physical therapy yesterday. He can now scoot himself into the wheelchair using a slide board without any assistance from anyone. It was great to see him accomplish this. The next step is a portable toilet ......yeah!!! They are also wanting to start practicing transporting him from the wheelchair into a car. They were looking around for someone who may have a sedan type car. I explained to them this is all well and good for the sake of practicing and regaining strength...but in the end...we don't own a sedan....we own an SUV....so the task will be how to get him into the SUV. This remains to be seen. I may end of up having to sell the SUV and buy something smaller if he does not get to this point soon. Some of the therapist have said it could still be two more months before Ron can walk....if this is the case...we may have to go home with the use of a lot of equipment for him to get around and physical therapy either at home or as an out patient at a local facility. I think by the next week or so we will know more as to the route we are going to have to take. We still have a long road ahead of us ...but hopefully, with the right care, support and equipment ...it will go smoothly. If anyone knows of any good physical therapy facilities you can recommend, please let us know. I want to start getting my resources lined up so as not to wait until the last minute. I would need something in the Goodyear, Avondale, or Glendale area ...for convenience purposes. Thomas was here for the weekend. I actually had to run down to Goodyear to pick him up at daycare because my sister-in-law was out of town for the weekend. I left here right after lunch....picked him up and my niece and turned right back around to head for Tucson. It was hectic watching him and Ron...but it was so nice to have him with us. On Sunday late afternoon I took them back home and stayed with him for his doctor's appointment on Monday. It was important to be there as this appointment would tell us if his ears were still infected and if he would need to see a specialist. As it turns out....he does. One ear was still infected and there was still fluid in both. He has an appointment with the ear specialist next month on the 18th. After his appointment I had to drop him back off at daycare....he broke my heart....he hugged me so tight and cried that I had to leave. He knew I was coming back to Tucson with his dad and I would not be picking him up that evening. He eventually settled down for "story time" and I left....with tears in my eyes, too. This morning, Ron and I had breakfast in the cafeteria early this morning. We are enjoying some quite time in a small sitting area of the hospital as I get caught up on our blog. We look forward to another productive day. I also wanted to share with you that we received a letter from a loved one of our first heart donor yesterday. It was great to finally find out who Ron's donor was two years ago. We plan to respond back to them. They have offered to send us photos. He was 30 years old with two children ....he was from California....and a follower of Christ. I will try to keep the blog up to date as best I can. Hope everyone is well. Keep the prayers coming. God is always listening!!!! |
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
CRUISING ALONG
Hello All.....
We continue to watch Ron build some strength every day. It is a slow process...but to see a little bit more each day makes it all worthwhile. We are truly made to practice patience in this stage of our journey. We must wait for the Lord's plan to come to fruition in Ron's healing process. We know he will walk again...it is only a matter of time....and of course, we know that these things don't happen on our time...but rather on God's time. He knows when the time will be right and he knows what is best for all of us ...especially for Ron.
Yesterday and today I helped scoot Ron into the wheelchair from his bed..it is just a matter of helping him scoot his bottom directly into the chair a little bit at a time...it wears him out...but it feels great..he says..once he is in the chair. We had lunch in the hospital cafeteria both days and then took a stroll outdoors to various areas around the hospital. We had nice talks and people watched as well. The weather was great to be outdoors. We then came back in and cruised the halls and the gift shop. To exercise his legs and arms I would have him pull himself along with his legs and then use his arms to turn the wheels when his legs would get tired. It is good strength training for him.
They had a vendor in the cafeteria selling nurse scrubs and supplies yesterday...they had some with the U of A logo ...he had to have some....so we bought two tops...a red and a blue one. After two heart transplants and one kidney transplant...he has definitely become a Wildcat fan.....sorry ASU alumni and fans....don't hold it against him.
Rob came by from the Wellness Center to see how he was doing and helped him to stand 4 times this evening. He is at the point where he only has to give Ron a boost to start out and then Ron is able to lock up very well on his own. He is getting a little more balance and able to bear more weight on his own...Rob is just there to give support. He is trying to teach him to rock back and forth to shift his weight from one leg to the other. He still has to work on this quite a bit...he loses his balance very quickly as he starts to do this. In time....
The main objective right now ...or the focus, I should say...is to strengthen the torso area....because if this is strong ...then he is able to control the balance of his body better.
His wound is looking very very good now. It is healing very nicely. The renal transplant doctors were in today to do his dressing change and were very pleased with what they saw. The two that were here today felt that we should continue with the treatment we are doing using the wound gel to help stimulate the tissue to continue healing and granulating so well. I have been taking photos of the wound to see its progression. It is so amazing to see how it started ..the size and the condition of the wound and to see how much smaller it is now and how much healthier it looks....quite impressive. We will wait to see what the head surgeons say...hopefully, they will agree with the doctors today. The drawback of closing the wound right now is the risk of more infection. If you close the wound ....it will stay warm and very moist ...a feeding ground for bacteria to grow. So we are all for continuing to let it heal from the inside out. I never thought I would be agreeing to this ...but now, seeing the healing process take place for myself...I realize this was the best route to go.
So...the plan remains the same ....keep exercising to continue strength building...keep pushing on and keep believing in the power of prayer and in the Grace of our Amazing God. He continues to sustain us ....He continues to help us persevere and to stay positive through this all.
One more special note:
I sincerely want to thank those who have made contributions to our donation fund we set up at Washington Mutual. Unfortunately, I am not able to see specifically where the donations are coming from because they just show as "bank by mail" deposits. But, you all know who you are.....I thank you so much. Your generosity is very much appreciated. Every little bit helps right now. Just because I am here ...the bills do not cease back home. We still have the mortgage to pay and utilities to keep up with as well as the living expenses here. I cannot thank you enough......blessings to you always!
"Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given."
Psalm 105:1-5
We continue to watch Ron build some strength every day. It is a slow process...but to see a little bit more each day makes it all worthwhile. We are truly made to practice patience in this stage of our journey. We must wait for the Lord's plan to come to fruition in Ron's healing process. We know he will walk again...it is only a matter of time....and of course, we know that these things don't happen on our time...but rather on God's time. He knows when the time will be right and he knows what is best for all of us ...especially for Ron.
Yesterday and today I helped scoot Ron into the wheelchair from his bed..it is just a matter of helping him scoot his bottom directly into the chair a little bit at a time...it wears him out...but it feels great..he says..once he is in the chair. We had lunch in the hospital cafeteria both days and then took a stroll outdoors to various areas around the hospital. We had nice talks and people watched as well. The weather was great to be outdoors. We then came back in and cruised the halls and the gift shop. To exercise his legs and arms I would have him pull himself along with his legs and then use his arms to turn the wheels when his legs would get tired. It is good strength training for him.
They had a vendor in the cafeteria selling nurse scrubs and supplies yesterday...they had some with the U of A logo ...he had to have some....so we bought two tops...a red and a blue one. After two heart transplants and one kidney transplant...he has definitely become a Wildcat fan.....sorry ASU alumni and fans....don't hold it against him.
Rob came by from the Wellness Center to see how he was doing and helped him to stand 4 times this evening. He is at the point where he only has to give Ron a boost to start out and then Ron is able to lock up very well on his own. He is getting a little more balance and able to bear more weight on his own...Rob is just there to give support. He is trying to teach him to rock back and forth to shift his weight from one leg to the other. He still has to work on this quite a bit...he loses his balance very quickly as he starts to do this. In time....
The main objective right now ...or the focus, I should say...is to strengthen the torso area....because if this is strong ...then he is able to control the balance of his body better.
His wound is looking very very good now. It is healing very nicely. The renal transplant doctors were in today to do his dressing change and were very pleased with what they saw. The two that were here today felt that we should continue with the treatment we are doing using the wound gel to help stimulate the tissue to continue healing and granulating so well. I have been taking photos of the wound to see its progression. It is so amazing to see how it started ..the size and the condition of the wound and to see how much smaller it is now and how much healthier it looks....quite impressive. We will wait to see what the head surgeons say...hopefully, they will agree with the doctors today. The drawback of closing the wound right now is the risk of more infection. If you close the wound ....it will stay warm and very moist ...a feeding ground for bacteria to grow. So we are all for continuing to let it heal from the inside out. I never thought I would be agreeing to this ...but now, seeing the healing process take place for myself...I realize this was the best route to go.
So...the plan remains the same ....keep exercising to continue strength building...keep pushing on and keep believing in the power of prayer and in the Grace of our Amazing God. He continues to sustain us ....He continues to help us persevere and to stay positive through this all.
One more special note:
I sincerely want to thank those who have made contributions to our donation fund we set up at Washington Mutual. Unfortunately, I am not able to see specifically where the donations are coming from because they just show as "bank by mail" deposits. But, you all know who you are.....I thank you so much. Your generosity is very much appreciated. Every little bit helps right now. Just because I am here ...the bills do not cease back home. We still have the mortgage to pay and utilities to keep up with as well as the living expenses here. I cannot thank you enough......blessings to you always!
"Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given."
Psalm 105:1-5
Saturday, February 16, 2008
MORE PHOTOS
Not much to report today. The renal surgeon did come by and mentioned that they will give the wound gel a few more days to work on Ron's wound. By Wednesday they will decide if they want to go in and close up the wound and let it continue healing on its own. If the gel helps the expedite the granulation they want to see in the tissue ..it just may happen. How great that will be. One less thing to worry about once this is done.
I finally added new photos to the blog...there are more to come....enjoy.
There is no greater joy than the love of our family. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful little boy in Thomas...he is just an awesome child. He keeps us young and definitely keeps Ron's will strong to continue fighting to get well."God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection."
Psalm 18:30
Friday, February 15, 2008
SNOW IN TUCSON
We had quite a cold snap here in town overnight. We woke up to quite a bit of rain and the Catalina mountains are covered in snow. It was an incredible view from Ron's room. Too bad the blinds are installed within the glass pain of the windows or I would have been able to get some great pictures.
The rain clouds have completely covered them now. Much more rain is on the way.
The physical therapist had us up at 8am sharp today. He came in to get Ron up into the wheel chair again. This time a sliding board was used. He did fairly well....with our help of course. It is easier for him to scoot into it rather than trying to get him to stand and pivet into it...more chance of him falling this way until he regains more strength.
We ended up leaving the floor and going down to the cafeteria for breakfast. It was nice for him to do something different. He wanted to take a stroll to the gift shop as well...he ended up buying another "painted ponie" ...he collects them.
Once we made our way back to the room the therapist came back to help him back into bed...same process of scooting.
He was pretty exhausted after all that.
His wound care went well today. The area seems to be narrowing...signs of healing...however, we need the base of the wound to start healing a little more quickly than the rest of the wound. It does no good if the outer and upper area of the wound begins to heal and close if the base is still not healing....they would end up having to reopen the wound if that happens. We started an application of a new wound gel last night and again today. The plan is to use it through the weekend and have the doctors check it again on Monday to see if the gel has made any difference. Our hope is that it will.
Everything else has remained the same today. No other changes to report.
Ron's edema continues to return when he is sitting up. His feet are quite puffy right now and very sensitive to the touch.
It will be so much better once he is walking again to redistribute the fluid that keeps building up at his lower extremities.
Of course, the chronic back pain is always there. It never gets below a pain level of 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-10 (even with pain meds). He has never been at zero. Until I can get him upright and eventually treatment for his herniated disc...the pain is going to be continuous in this area.
But, right now the focus is just getting him walking...we will tackle the back at a later time...for now, he relies on a lot of pain meds to get him through the day.
Thomas is also battling another double ear infection. His third in two months. If this one does not clear up ...we will have to start looking at putting tubes in his ears. I was not happy to hear this but it is what it is. Everyone I have spoken to were so happy once their kids had them done...they say it made a world of difference.
He is scheduled to see the doctor again on the 25th. If the fluid in his ears has not cleared up...then an appointment will need to be made with an ear specialist.
One more thing to add to my "to do" list.
We miss him terribly ...there are no words to express how difficult it is to be without him...my heart aches to be with him every day ...to put him to bed...to read stories to him ....to give him his baths ...to make his meals and listen to his funny conversations and those that are not so funny ...they are quite "grown up" for a three year old.
I don't think he will be up this weekend but soon...we hope.
The weekend is here once again....we will continue on our usual routine of exercises and passing the time as best we can.
As I close this blog...staff are running down the hall back and forth...there is a patient coding at the end of the hall from Ron's room. I pray they save whomever it is. It is something we have come to see quite a bit here these past two months. I know the feeling of this all too well...I pray for the family as well.
Have a safe and happy weekend...hug your loved ones every chance you get....to parents...enjoy and embrace every moment with your babies...do not take your time with them for granted.
"1Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2This I declare about the Lord; He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him." Psalm 91:1-2
The rain clouds have completely covered them now. Much more rain is on the way.
The physical therapist had us up at 8am sharp today. He came in to get Ron up into the wheel chair again. This time a sliding board was used. He did fairly well....with our help of course. It is easier for him to scoot into it rather than trying to get him to stand and pivet into it...more chance of him falling this way until he regains more strength.
We ended up leaving the floor and going down to the cafeteria for breakfast. It was nice for him to do something different. He wanted to take a stroll to the gift shop as well...he ended up buying another "painted ponie" ...he collects them.
Once we made our way back to the room the therapist came back to help him back into bed...same process of scooting.
He was pretty exhausted after all that.
His wound care went well today. The area seems to be narrowing...signs of healing...however, we need the base of the wound to start healing a little more quickly than the rest of the wound. It does no good if the outer and upper area of the wound begins to heal and close if the base is still not healing....they would end up having to reopen the wound if that happens. We started an application of a new wound gel last night and again today. The plan is to use it through the weekend and have the doctors check it again on Monday to see if the gel has made any difference. Our hope is that it will.
Everything else has remained the same today. No other changes to report.
Ron's edema continues to return when he is sitting up. His feet are quite puffy right now and very sensitive to the touch.
It will be so much better once he is walking again to redistribute the fluid that keeps building up at his lower extremities.
Of course, the chronic back pain is always there. It never gets below a pain level of 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-10 (even with pain meds). He has never been at zero. Until I can get him upright and eventually treatment for his herniated disc...the pain is going to be continuous in this area.
But, right now the focus is just getting him walking...we will tackle the back at a later time...for now, he relies on a lot of pain meds to get him through the day.
Thomas is also battling another double ear infection. His third in two months. If this one does not clear up ...we will have to start looking at putting tubes in his ears. I was not happy to hear this but it is what it is. Everyone I have spoken to were so happy once their kids had them done...they say it made a world of difference.
He is scheduled to see the doctor again on the 25th. If the fluid in his ears has not cleared up...then an appointment will need to be made with an ear specialist.
One more thing to add to my "to do" list.
We miss him terribly ...there are no words to express how difficult it is to be without him...my heart aches to be with him every day ...to put him to bed...to read stories to him ....to give him his baths ...to make his meals and listen to his funny conversations and those that are not so funny ...they are quite "grown up" for a three year old.
I don't think he will be up this weekend but soon...we hope.
The weekend is here once again....we will continue on our usual routine of exercises and passing the time as best we can.
As I close this blog...staff are running down the hall back and forth...there is a patient coding at the end of the hall from Ron's room. I pray they save whomever it is. It is something we have come to see quite a bit here these past two months. I know the feeling of this all too well...I pray for the family as well.
Have a safe and happy weekend...hug your loved ones every chance you get....to parents...enjoy and embrace every moment with your babies...do not take your time with them for granted.
"1Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2This I declare about the Lord; He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him." Psalm 91:1-2
Thursday, February 14, 2008
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
Hard to believe we are into Thursday already. I don't know where the week went ...but it definitely flew by so quickly...I am, once again, behind on my blogs.
So...let's get caught up.
On Monday, they finally came in to do Ron's echo. Everything came back looking really good..the heart is doing well..healthy and strong.
On Tuesday..they did a chest x-ray...Ron had been having some stinging and burning when he would go to stand up with the therapist...we weren't sure if it was a muscle tear or if one of the pacer wires had come loose....we were told today that the pacer wires are all intact. So it is a minor pulled muscle and/or tear...fortunately the wires are fine...the muscle can heal on its own.
He has had several IV lines go bad and redone the last few days. His veins have just had enough. Two of the lines that were done the last four days were done by the pediatric ICU nurses....which ended up in a finger each time....ouch!
Today the last one in his finger went bad. Today we had a guy come by from one of the labs and was able to get one on his arm again...much better! Hopefully, this one will last a while longer than the others.
Wednesday the wound care nurse was sent in to look at the kidney wound site to see if they can put a wound vac in. She said the wound is healing well...however the base of the wound is not healing as quickly as the upper part of the wound. They want to see the tissue granulating better and it's not...so a wound vac is not recommended at this stage of the healing process. She has also recommended a wound gel that we will start using tonight to see if that will help stimulate the healing process in the base area.
We hope to get one of his antibiotics stopped tonight, Cipro.....which I was happy to hear.
He will remain on the vancomycin while we are using he wound gel.
He also stood a total of 5 times with the help of Rob from the Wellness Center.
For now...everyone is just focusing on the wound care and his rehab. It is still hit or miss when someone comes by to work with him...yesterday..we were on our own...but he exercised on his bike pedals and his leg exercises in bed.
Today was a fun day..not only because it was Valentine's Day ..and even though we spent it here...it was special because we were able to spend it together. We had our favorite for lunch.....SEAFOOD!
The best part of the day was when the physical therapist came in and had him shuffle his bottom along the side of the bed..she then grabbed a wheelchair with a removable arm and had him shuffle into the chair with our help!....it was great to cruise the floor in a wheel chair for a change. She had him do most of the work while he could tolerate it...he would have to move along using his legs to get them stronger and when his legs would turn to jello...he was able to use his arms to turn the wheels...he really enjoyed getting out of his room and visiting everyone. We even escaped the unit and went across the hall to visit the nurses in the ICU. Hopefull, we will do it again later tonight.
He is looking really good...they have adjusted more of his meds ...switched some around and he seems to be responding to them well...his glucose levels are also staying within range ..which is a great thing. To see him sitting up on the side of the bed without any help ..it is hard to believe he cannot walk because he does it so well...but then you see him strain to stand with support and reality sets in that he is starting all over to learn how to walk .....slowly ...but surely...we are hopeful it will come together real soon.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone...may you be filled with love ....especially the love of Christ!
So...let's get caught up.
On Monday, they finally came in to do Ron's echo. Everything came back looking really good..the heart is doing well..healthy and strong.
On Tuesday..they did a chest x-ray...Ron had been having some stinging and burning when he would go to stand up with the therapist...we weren't sure if it was a muscle tear or if one of the pacer wires had come loose....we were told today that the pacer wires are all intact. So it is a minor pulled muscle and/or tear...fortunately the wires are fine...the muscle can heal on its own.
He has had several IV lines go bad and redone the last few days. His veins have just had enough. Two of the lines that were done the last four days were done by the pediatric ICU nurses....which ended up in a finger each time....ouch!
Today the last one in his finger went bad. Today we had a guy come by from one of the labs and was able to get one on his arm again...much better! Hopefully, this one will last a while longer than the others.
Wednesday the wound care nurse was sent in to look at the kidney wound site to see if they can put a wound vac in. She said the wound is healing well...however the base of the wound is not healing as quickly as the upper part of the wound. They want to see the tissue granulating better and it's not...so a wound vac is not recommended at this stage of the healing process. She has also recommended a wound gel that we will start using tonight to see if that will help stimulate the healing process in the base area.
We hope to get one of his antibiotics stopped tonight, Cipro.....which I was happy to hear.
He will remain on the vancomycin while we are using he wound gel.
He also stood a total of 5 times with the help of Rob from the Wellness Center.
For now...everyone is just focusing on the wound care and his rehab. It is still hit or miss when someone comes by to work with him...yesterday..we were on our own...but he exercised on his bike pedals and his leg exercises in bed.
Today was a fun day..not only because it was Valentine's Day ..and even though we spent it here...it was special because we were able to spend it together. We had our favorite for lunch.....SEAFOOD!
The best part of the day was when the physical therapist came in and had him shuffle his bottom along the side of the bed..she then grabbed a wheelchair with a removable arm and had him shuffle into the chair with our help!....it was great to cruise the floor in a wheel chair for a change. She had him do most of the work while he could tolerate it...he would have to move along using his legs to get them stronger and when his legs would turn to jello...he was able to use his arms to turn the wheels...he really enjoyed getting out of his room and visiting everyone. We even escaped the unit and went across the hall to visit the nurses in the ICU. Hopefull, we will do it again later tonight.
He is looking really good...they have adjusted more of his meds ...switched some around and he seems to be responding to them well...his glucose levels are also staying within range ..which is a great thing. To see him sitting up on the side of the bed without any help ..it is hard to believe he cannot walk because he does it so well...but then you see him strain to stand with support and reality sets in that he is starting all over to learn how to walk .....slowly ...but surely...we are hopeful it will come together real soon.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone...may you be filled with love ....especially the love of Christ!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
WEEKEND UPDATE
Not much to report this weekend. It was an uneventful weekend, for the most part.
Ron's antibiotic level was checked yesterday....fortunately it was good...so he continued with the IV treatement yesterday and again today. However, today, his IV occluded ...causing his arm to swell. They had to stop the IV right away and try to get another line it. It took several hours to finally find someone that could get a vein...unfortunately, that vein was in one of his fingers...yes, you read right...his finger. Looks painful...but he said it feels fine. Not sure how long this one will last though.
The doctor came by today to care for his "kidney" wound area...she said it is looking good.
Ron did a lot of exercising on his bike pedals yesterday as well as today. Given that it was the weekend...we did not get visits from physical therapy so we managed on our own. He did really well on the pedals.
He was suppose to have an echo on Friday but they never showed up. We hope to get it done on Monday.
Overall, Ron was in good spirits this weekend.
Friday marked two months since Ron had his transplant surgery. Time is flying by us. We arrived as winter arrived and we will probably be home as Spring enters. How appropriate...Spring is the time of new beginnings ...hopefully, it will be for us as well.
Ron's antibiotic level was checked yesterday....fortunately it was good...so he continued with the IV treatement yesterday and again today. However, today, his IV occluded ...causing his arm to swell. They had to stop the IV right away and try to get another line it. It took several hours to finally find someone that could get a vein...unfortunately, that vein was in one of his fingers...yes, you read right...his finger. Looks painful...but he said it feels fine. Not sure how long this one will last though.
The doctor came by today to care for his "kidney" wound area...she said it is looking good.
Ron did a lot of exercising on his bike pedals yesterday as well as today. Given that it was the weekend...we did not get visits from physical therapy so we managed on our own. He did really well on the pedals.
He was suppose to have an echo on Friday but they never showed up. We hope to get it done on Monday.
Overall, Ron was in good spirits this weekend.
Friday marked two months since Ron had his transplant surgery. Time is flying by us. We arrived as winter arrived and we will probably be home as Spring enters. How appropriate...Spring is the time of new beginnings ...hopefully, it will be for us as well.
Friday, February 8, 2008
GOING FOR FOUR!
Today was a better day over all despite the news we received yesterday. The renal transplant doctor was in today to clean and redress Ron's wound. She cleaned out the pockets that have tunneled...it was quite painful for Ron...but she did say overall the tissue is looking really well considering the infections involved. One of the cardiothoracic surgeons also was present to get a look-see of how the wound was doing. He reassured me that as bad as we think it looks...it is actually looking quite nicely, all things considered. He said he understood our worry with the infection but that the medication he is on is the best thing for it. He is getting one gram of vancomycin every 24 hours...they will do labs to check his levels...if they should get too high...they will stop the antibiotic and wait for his levels to go down...this is to help alleviate any renal problems as a result of the antibiotic. Once the levels are back to normal they can simply restart the IV to continue the treatment. Talk of a wound vac is still there but it is still too soon to put one on Ron's wound. The base of the wound is still not healed enough and his kidney sits right below this area...to install a wound vac now would cause harm to his kidney...so we simply have to wait a bit longer. The doctors have advised this wound could take several months to fully heal.
There is the possibility that once he is ready to be discharged...we will still be dealing with the wound....hopefully, by then, he will be able to go home with the wound vac in place and infection free. They will continue to monitor his infection very closely.
Meanwhile, Rob from the wellness center came to see Ron again today. He had him standing again...this time they made it to FOUR attempts. He did so good...on his fourth try he locked his knees perfectly and stood as straight as he ever has. The motivation is there and his amazing will to walk again is undeniable....he wants it so bad. Soon....very soon.
Have a great weekend everyone......
"Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand,and the power of your right hand saves me. The Lord will work out his plans for my life - for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever." Psalm 138:7-8
There is the possibility that once he is ready to be discharged...we will still be dealing with the wound....hopefully, by then, he will be able to go home with the wound vac in place and infection free. They will continue to monitor his infection very closely.
Meanwhile, Rob from the wellness center came to see Ron again today. He had him standing again...this time they made it to FOUR attempts. He did so good...on his fourth try he locked his knees perfectly and stood as straight as he ever has. The motivation is there and his amazing will to walk again is undeniable....he wants it so bad. Soon....very soon.
Have a great weekend everyone......
"Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand,and the power of your right hand saves me. The Lord will work out his plans for my life - for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever." Psalm 138:7-8
MORE INFECTION
| My apologies for being so behind in my blogs. I cannot believe the week has just gotten away from me. Monday evening they drained the fluid from Ron's chest and sent it for culture. They then wrapped his chest with two large ace bandages to help redistribute any fluid that may still be there. It is looking very good. So far the cultures are negative. However, the news on his open kidney transplant wound was not very good today. They have found several pockets within the tissue that have "tunneled"...causing it very hard to keep those areas clean and dry. Today they had to go in and dig into each pocket...a total of five. In doing so they have discovered a second infection in the tissue. It has also caused a section of Rons outer skin to be very red and irritated. They immediately started him on a very strong broad spectrum antibiotic. As you can well imagine ...I am very concerned. Concerned with the speed or the lack thereof of how the wound is healing and now dealing with two different types of infection ...now two antibiotics to deal with...one that not only kills off bad bacteria but also the good bacteria. I am worried as to how much of these drugs in combination with his anti-rejection drugs the kidney will be able to tolerate. I am concerned what else Ron may catch with this new antibiotic. Most areas of the wound still look very healthy and healing...but I worry of the set back these infections will have on Ron. He still managed to get all of his exercises in despite how sore he was today. Yesterday ...the physical therapist came in and with proper technique and full physical support...He managed to get Ron to stand straight up...not once ...but three times! It was so awesome to see. It was only for approximately 3 seconds each...but for him to do it three times in a row was an incredible accomplishment. I am trying to stay hopeful that the antibiotics will work quickly so that he does not have to be on them very long. Please keep the prayers coming.....Ron has come so far and we are so grateful for this...but he still has a lot of work cut out for him and new obstacles to overcome. Every day I sit and imagine us driving back to Goodyear and stepping foot in our house as one big happy family...Ron walking on his own...strong and healthy. Having a "normal" life and doing things that most people take for granted. I keep hoping for that day to come very soon. "Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them." Psalm 10:17 |
Monday, February 4, 2008
SOMETHING NEW
| It was 11pm last night that Ron and I discovered something new on the right side of his sternum.....fluid. He has a pocket of fluid in his chest. I immediately asked the nurses to call his doctor to see what we should do. There is no pain associated with this and no swelling. You can just tell from looking at it that there is definitely fluid beneath the surface. When you touch it ...it is very soft. Ron says he can feel the fluid move when you touch the area. I actually spoke with his doctor last night on the phone. He said that it is probably fluid buildup when they went in to repair the sternum. It could have been accumulating very slowly. It will more than likely not be an issue provided it is not infected. He wanted to know if Ron was running a fever. I said no....but he is on percocets constantly for pain...which has Tylenol in it...so if there was a fever....we would not know. I had the nurses withhold his percocets over night...and sure enough...Ron has a fever this morning.....an our ago it was at 99.5. It has not been checked again...but I am sure it has climbed. He said he feels very sluggish this morning. I told him it is the fever that is making him feel this way. I will have them check it again. If it is higher...I will go ahead and let them give him the percocet to bring it back down. The doctor told me he would have an X-Ray done today to get a clearer picture of what is going on. I don't know what the process is to drain this fluid if it is in fact infected. Please pray that this is a quick fix without any major surgery involved. I really don't want something else to set him back even further. He was starting to make such good progress. We were looking foward to really having a good physical therapy day today. I want to believe we will still be able to have one. |
Sunday, February 3, 2008
WHAT AN UPSET
Too bad for the Patriots...what an upset....
We really wanted to see them win....so close!
Other than watching the game...we have had a relatively quiet night. We are missing Thomas already.
All weekend he kept telling us that as soon as daddy is all better...we are going back to our house...him , mom and dad...back to our house so he can sleep in his bed and play with all his other toys. He is so ready to have us all home again...I don't blame him...so do I. But, he did say we have to get our car back, first. He worried about our car ever since we dropped it off at the shop...He did not think it was nice of the tow truck driver to take our car. I had to explain to him that he was helping us out by getting the car to the repair shop. He still worried that I did not have our car here.
He did leave in a good mood...hopefully, he slept through the 2 hour drive back home.
Looking forward to another productive week for Ron...I hope they can get him up again as they did on Friday. I am just so anxious to see him start taking steps.
Have a great week.
Blessings.....
"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act."
Psalm 37:7
We really wanted to see them win....so close!
Other than watching the game...we have had a relatively quiet night. We are missing Thomas already.
All weekend he kept telling us that as soon as daddy is all better...we are going back to our house...him , mom and dad...back to our house so he can sleep in his bed and play with all his other toys. He is so ready to have us all home again...I don't blame him...so do I. But, he did say we have to get our car back, first. He worried about our car ever since we dropped it off at the shop...He did not think it was nice of the tow truck driver to take our car. I had to explain to him that he was helping us out by getting the car to the repair shop. He still worried that I did not have our car here.
He did leave in a good mood...hopefully, he slept through the 2 hour drive back home.
Looking forward to another productive week for Ron...I hope they can get him up again as they did on Friday. I am just so anxious to see him start taking steps.
Have a great week.
Blessings.....
"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act."
Psalm 37:7
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
We really had a great weekend....we spent groundhog day with Thomas and with Ron's parents.
I had car issues to deal with but I took Thomas with me so we could at least spend the day together while we had the car towed to a repair shop.
I should know something by Monday.
Thomas and my in-laws just left to head back to Goodyear.
We had a nice visit today. We had an early Super Bowl meal together as a family.
Thomas had a chili dog and a little bit of pizza.
Ron has had a good day. He did some of his exercises early this morning...we will do a few more tonight.
For you super bowl fans out there....hope you are enjoying the game.
We watch tonight in memory of our friend, Cheryl Britton, who was a big Patriots fan.
So, in her honor....we say....."GO PATRIOTS"!.......
We know she is watching from the best seat in the house!
Ron said..."OK Cheryl...it's game time...this one is for you!"
I had car issues to deal with but I took Thomas with me so we could at least spend the day together while we had the car towed to a repair shop.
I should know something by Monday.
Thomas and my in-laws just left to head back to Goodyear.
We had a nice visit today. We had an early Super Bowl meal together as a family.
Thomas had a chili dog and a little bit of pizza.
Ron has had a good day. He did some of his exercises early this morning...we will do a few more tonight.
For you super bowl fans out there....hope you are enjoying the game.
We watch tonight in memory of our friend, Cheryl Britton, who was a big Patriots fan.
So, in her honor....we say....."GO PATRIOTS"!.......
We know she is watching from the best seat in the house!
Ron said..."OK Cheryl...it's game time...this one is for you!"
Friday, February 1, 2008
EVENING REST
| Ron took time to rest this evening. He exercised quite a bit today...so he deserves to take a break for the evening. I ran a few errands while the Patient Care Techs gave him his bath. Unfortunately, I ran into car trouble this evening. Not sure what is wrong with the car right now but I hope to get it resolved tomorrow. When I went to start the car..it made this very loud screaching noise...I immediately cut it off. I tried it again...it did not make the same noise again..so I thought I would attempt to drive it...but, my power steering was completely out...my battery light came on as well as my brake light...but I did not have the emergency brake on...so I found this to be quiet odd. I think it is a belt that broke ....At least I hope that is all it is. I had to leave it in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Roadside assist would only come and tow it to a location and given it was after 6pm..I did not want to leave it somewhere that was already closed...not to mention I am not familiar with any shops here in Tucson. A girlfriend came and picked me up and drove me back to the hospital. I will call roadside assist again in the morning and then find a place to have it serviced. Pray that it is something minor. Happy February everyone..... |
HE STOOD UP!
Amazing...that is all I can say ...is amazing.
Rob..the guy from the Wellness center came by to work with Ron today.
He actually helped him to stand for the first time since Dec. 29th.
It is incredible what can be accomplished when you have someone helping you that knows exactly what to do.
Ron sat up in bed on his own and really impressed Rob as to how well he was able to do this.
He then had Ron rock himself back and forth and try to lift his bottom off the bed by pressing his hands over his knees...Ron kept saying he did not have any strength to do this ...he could not believe how much it took out of him to just do something that seems so basic.
After a few attempts of this...Rob decided to help Ron ...he put his knees up against Ron's knees to support him from buckling. Rob then put his arms under Ron's underarms...once again as support. He then had Ron rock three times and then Rob lifted him. The first time his bottom just barely came off the bed...but we were so excited because that was the most he had done thus far. Rob let him catch his breath for a moment and then they tried it again....this time he went up a bit further...and again we were happy. Then Rob decided he would try one more time. On this attempt...he nearly had Ron completely upright..and he held it for at least 3 seconds. It was so incredible to watch. Ron said it felt so good to do this. But he was very exhausted at that point.
We could not believe it! I was clapping and whooo-hoooing the whole time. It was just awesome. Rob will not be here over the weekend but we will continue with the exercises they have given us to work on. The main thing is the pelvic lifts...this will help a great deal with the muscles that help you to stand. At times it does not seem as though we are excercising enough..but given what Ron did today is an indication that every little bit that you do does make a difference ..so we will continue with what we are doing.
Rob has set a goal to have Ron walking from the bed to the recliner by next Tuesday.
What an accomplishment we have seen today. Praises to our Lord who continues to provide us the strength, perseverance and patience that we need along this part of our journey.
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