Day 35 & 36

*UPDATES*

5/2 @4:30pm

Day #36

Tony's doing well after yesterday's procedures and has been able to eat a bit more today.

There's a lot of new info coming down the pipes with this new team of docs. Some of the doctors are eluding to him being discharged this week, others are discussing gall bladder removal, others are saying he needs to be nutritionally more sound before leaving, others are saying let's wait and see what this drain does. Nurse Nelson is saying, "Um, can we be discharged when he's had more than ONE good day in a row!?" Pretty, please? IF he comes home with ALL. OF. THE. tubes, it's on Nurse Nelson ("Doctor" may be more appropriate at this point, thank you, Lorna) and a Home Health nurse as my backup. I have VERY mixed emotions about this. If the site and tube bled again like it did 2 nights ago, I'm pretty sure we would've been back in the emergency department cause Doctor Nelson would NOT be messing around with any internal bleeding. So, there ya have it. 

Regardless, Tony will eventually have to have the tubes removed, the drain removed, and his gall bladder taken out. This could take place here or as outpatient in the future.

Also, they still have him on the antibiotics through the PICC line. His white blood cells are still acting foolish, and we just really need his bloodwork to get boring. Really boring. Boringly boring.

We want Tony home. We just want him stable. Although the stay and care here has been Ritz-Carlton worthy (without the pool), we don't want to come back ANY time soon.

Can I get an Amen!?

*UPDATES*

5/1 @7pm

Day #35

Overnight, Tony's IR drain (the one that extends from his back/side) started bleeding at the placement site as well as when flushed. His pain went up to an 8 with this, and he needed pain meds, which brought on vomiting. (At least we NOW know what's causing the nausea. He had ZERO nausea when he was off all pain meds.) Doctors were paged and kept a close watch overnight.

The IR team then went in this morning to place a larger drain and assess what was going on. 

He then went into the other OR to have the stints removed and more drainage removed by the GI team. You know the drill: his "one hour" procedure went over TWO. (Lord, have mercy.)

They replaced the stints with a plastic model that MAY be removed in a few months, or if tolerable, can stay indefinitely.

Our hope is that these procedures REALLY help him to feel better overall. That is our prayer.

The last time he had 2 procedures in one day, things got a little rough, so I will stay the night again with him. Please pray that this begins another upswing that STAYS IN PLACE. It sure feels like a pattern that we would like to break: good day, bad day, good day, bad day. BROKEN. 

BREAK. THE. CYCLE. 👏 👏 👏 

 

Tony's blood work is all over the place. So many things need to calm the heck down and stabilize. It's disheartening. But, it feels like some of the things done/ordered to correct one thing cause an issue somewhere else. I wish they'd explained to us a few days ago that they were giving him potassium BEFORE injecting into his feeding tube. (We were both asleep.) We know a few things at this point,  day 35. He can do a potassium drip, not an injection. He can handle oral pain meds, not IV. He reacts badly to morphine. This is no longer our first rodeo. Nurse Nelson knows. the. things.

Coming out of anesthesia was a bit harder this time. He's just REALLY sleepy, but he did ask for Orange Juice... and has repeatedly. (Waiting on food "orders" to be updated in his chart, and then I will order him 76 orange juices.) Maybe 77. The guy's been through The Guilder Fire Swamp and survived. (Princess Bride Reference for those in the back.)

We are here. We are tired. We are relieved. We are frustrated. We are thankful. We are getting stronger. We expect the setbacks. We rejoice in the upswing. We are weary. We are hopeful. We are going to keep on keeping on. We are fighting. For we are warriors in Christ who strengthen us.

*Addendum* (and this is more for me when I look back on this blog) coming out of Tony's room just now, I got to officially meet Dr. Sheppard. He's THE ONE who called the shot to take Tony on over here as a transfer, which was "unheard of." (We've been with Sheppard's care team this entire time, but never met HIM, the head of it all.)  With tears in my eyes, I thanked him. I believe he saved Tony's life by getting him to this hospital. He told me that he was so glad I stopped him in the hallway. He knew Tony needed immediate care and that the situation was dire. He told me that Tony has a long road ahead of him but that he WILL get better. I receive that. He peeked into Tony's room also. (all the emotions) He looked at our family photo and said, "You WILL get back there. Promise." Tony very emotionally thanked him with tears in HIS eyes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."