A NEW BACTERIA

Monday turned out to be a very long day for us. After Ron's biopsy in the cath lab...he returned to his room for a couple of hours and was then taken down for his CAT scan ...he was brought back to his room and within a few minutes he had someone in his room do to an ECHO. Once that was done...I finally had an opportunity to try to get Ron to eat...I went down to the cafeteria to get him a grilled cheese sandwich. By the time I made it back to his room the nurse informed me that they called from dialysis and were on their way up for his treatement......So...I rushed to try to get him to eat. Fortunately once they arrive it takes them a good twenty minutes to prep the machine. So ...fortunately, he was able to eat the sandwich along with some milk and was able to keep it down. His dialysis run did not end until 11pm. I still had to do his dressing change on his wound site and his nurse had to change the dressing on his chest tube...so we "tagged-teamed" him and got them both done at the same time. I then helped her to give his a bath so we could finish quicker and get his bed changed...and give him his meds....By the time it was all said and done...we were going to be close to 1am.....pretty crazy! Today was OK...but still had some things going on. We got him up for breakfast and he sat on the edge of the bed and was able to sit up on his own. Once again I did his wound care and his nurse took care of the dressing around his chest tube. Later in the morning...Rob with the Wellness Center stopped by to get him up to see how well he could stand and transfer to a chair. He was real happy to see how well Ron could stand and balance himself. He advised that tomorrow he will get aggressive and start getting him to take steps. He stayed sitting in his wheelchair for almost an hour.....the Physical therapist and occupational therapist then came around but at this point he had started to get very nauseous. After getting some medication for it....I helped him back in bed. Within the hour ...we were told that he was going to have dialysis and this ran for over 2 hours. Fortunately she was done by 6pm. We also found out that Ron tested positive for C.difficile. A bacteria in his intestinal tract. It can be a very dangerous bacteria which can sometimes cause inflammation of the colon. I think we found Ron's early and hopefully with the antibiotic they started him on today will take care of it quickly. The risk of developing C.difficile is taking broad spectrum antibiotics...which Ron did and anti fungal and chemotherapy drugs ...which Ron also takes. Having a compromised immune system also does not help. We can all contract this type of bacteria...either through soil, water, food, human or animal feces and contaminated surfaces...however the "good" bacteria we have in our system usually helps to fight this type of bacteria. Unfortunately, for Ron..because of the amount of antibiotics he was given...it killed off the good bacteria as well as the bad...and with all the other variables that come into play in his situation...he body was a prime area for this bacteria to multiply. This explain the upset stomach..the cramping ...the loose stools and the nausea...fortunately, he has not had any fevers and has not become dehydrated. The CAT scan they did yesterday also did not show that there were any problems with his intestines or his colon...so was I relieved. Today...Dr. Smith told us she was going to go ahead and put orders in to have his chest tube removed as well as the A-line. She advised he seems strong enough to go to the step down unit tomorrow. She heard that Rob is going to get aggressive in his therapy to get Ron walking so she is confident he will continue giving Ron the attention he needs. I forgot to ask for results on his echo and his biopsy. I do know that nothing was seen in the abdominal CAT scan. While we like being with the nurses in the ICU ...going to the step down unit is one step closer to going home...so I am very happy to make the move. Everyone on that end of the floor is happy to hear we are coming over...they are so eager to get him back. It's funny...because the staff on each unit thinks they can take care of him better than the other. There are still a few here that really care about him and want to see him better and on the road back home. For that...I am grateful. I am also very grateful to those who have continued to stand by us ...to support us and are always looking out for our best interest ....you all know who you are .....Ron and I know who you are....and words will never be able to express how wonderful we think you are and how special you all are to us ...you are a blessing to our lives and a constant reminder from God that good, caring people still do exist in this world and it keeps our faith alive because of the work he continues to do through each of you. All our love to you........