It's been several weeks since Jackie has been at home and she is working hard at getting healthier. She has lost most of her appetite and Fred stays on top of her to make sure she gets enough nutrition. She is making progress at moving around by herself. Most of her activity is around going from the bed, to the recliner in her bedroom, to the living room chair or the bathroom. She has gotten to the the place where she can make the transitions on her own. Though it is still exhausting for her. The nice weather has allowed her to sit in the sun a couple of days which has been nice since she is always cold.
Physical and operational therapy comes to the house a couple of times a week and she has been working hard with them. A nurse also comes by to check her wound on her back from the surgery. The back surgery seems to have relieved a lot of the pain as it was supposed to. But there were several tears in the dura that the surgeon tried to patch Which seem to have not worked. There is still a lot of spinal fluid leaking and the biggest concern right now is that the tear(s)in her dura (the covering over your spine that holds in the spinal fluid) isn't repairing on its own which would require another back surgery. She is very anxious about the idea of having to go through another back surgery so we are praying it will start healing faster on its own. She will learn soon how they feel it's progressing.
She goes to have the feeding tube from the hospital removed this week and is excited to have it gone. Her kidney function is looking good, which is such a relief. We are still planning on participating in the national kidney foundation walk taking place the morning of May 20 at the Detroit Zoo, which is the Sunday after mother's day and Jackie's birthday. A wheel chair for Jackie if she's up to it, but we are hoping everyone will consider walking with us (they ask for a $20 donation for each walker.) Email me or my mom and we can get you signed up on our team or you can make a donation on our page.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 29
Jackie celebrated leap day by going home! She returned home around 1:00 p.m. and had a pleasantly uneventful day. She is fighting a stomach virus that she picked up in the hospital so she won't be accepting company until it clears up, it is highly contageous. She is on antibiotics, so hopefully it clears quickly.
A nurse will be coming to the house about four times a week to check on her incision. She has physical therapy excercises she is supposed to do daily as well.
Please save the date, May 20, we would love for you to join us for the Kidney Walk taking place at the Detroit Zoo.By joining our team to walk you can support the Foundation with your $20 registration fee and stay after the walk and celebrate Jackie's birthday with her at the picnic that follows the event. Click the "Join My Team Button" and register online.
http://donate.kidney.org/site/TR/Walk/Michigan?px=1922118&pg=personal&fr_id=4415
If you are unable to attend, please consider supporting Jackie, Fred and I by selecting the "Donate" button from one of our walk pages. Your contribution will go to programs and services that benefit kidney patients, transplant recipients, organ donors and their families: early detection screenings, research, education for professionals and patients, and much more.
A nurse will be coming to the house about four times a week to check on her incision. She has physical therapy excercises she is supposed to do daily as well.
Please save the date, May 20, we would love for you to join us for the Kidney Walk taking place at the Detroit Zoo.By joining our team to walk you can support the Foundation with your $20 registration fee and stay after the walk and celebrate Jackie's birthday with her at the picnic that follows the event. Click the "Join My Team Button" and register online.
http://donate.kidney.org/site/TR/Walk/Michigan?px=1922118&pg=personal&fr_id=4415
If you are unable to attend, please consider supporting Jackie, Fred and I by selecting the "Donate" button from one of our walk pages. Your contribution will go to programs and services that benefit kidney patients, transplant recipients, organ donors and their families: early detection screenings, research, education for professionals and patients, and much more.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tuesday, February 28
The best news yet!
Jackie has been scheduled for release from the hospital and will be going home tomorrow morning, Wednesday, February 29. They have closed up her tracheatomy and she is now assessory free. (No bags, bottles, tubes, etc!)
She is doing great, so great in fact, they are confident that her kidney function is back and have removed the dialysis ports! That is the most amazing news, we were very worried that dialysis would be a part of her weekly life and it is such a blessing that she will no longer need these procedures.
We really appreciate all of the support, and wishes and help everyone has offered over the past month. It has meant a lot to our family.
We have learned so much about Kidney Disease over the past four weeks and would like to express our gratitude over her recovery by supporting the National Kidney Foundation at their 2012 Walk taking place on Sunday, May 20 at the Detroit Zoo.
We hope you will consider joining us at the walk, which will take place just one week after Jackie celebrates her 72 birthday. By joining our team to walk you can support the Foundation with your $20 registration fee and stay after the walk and celebrate Jackie's birthday with her at the picnic that follows the event. Click the "Join My Team Button" and register online.
http://donate.kidney.org/site/TR/Walk/Michigan?px=1922118&pg=personal&fr_id=4415
If you are unable to attend, please consider supporting Jackie, Fred and I by selecting the "Donate" button from one of our walk pages. Your contribution will go to programs and services that benefit kidney patients, transplant recipients, organ donors and their families: early detection screenings, research, education for professionals and patients, and much more.
Jackie has been scheduled for release from the hospital and will be going home tomorrow morning, Wednesday, February 29. They have closed up her tracheatomy and she is now assessory free. (No bags, bottles, tubes, etc!)
She is doing great, so great in fact, they are confident that her kidney function is back and have removed the dialysis ports! That is the most amazing news, we were very worried that dialysis would be a part of her weekly life and it is such a blessing that she will no longer need these procedures.
We really appreciate all of the support, and wishes and help everyone has offered over the past month. It has meant a lot to our family.
We have learned so much about Kidney Disease over the past four weeks and would like to express our gratitude over her recovery by supporting the National Kidney Foundation at their 2012 Walk taking place on Sunday, May 20 at the Detroit Zoo.
We hope you will consider joining us at the walk, which will take place just one week after Jackie celebrates her 72 birthday. By joining our team to walk you can support the Foundation with your $20 registration fee and stay after the walk and celebrate Jackie's birthday with her at the picnic that follows the event. Click the "Join My Team Button" and register online.
http://donate.kidney.org/site/TR/Walk/Michigan?px=1922118&pg=personal&fr_id=4415
If you are unable to attend, please consider supporting Jackie, Fred and I by selecting the "Donate" button from one of our walk pages. Your contribution will go to programs and services that benefit kidney patients, transplant recipients, organ donors and their families: early detection screenings, research, education for professionals and patients, and much more.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21
Today we received some great news. Jackie had her first day were her kidney numbers where good enough that she was able to skip dialysis. We are hoping they will stay that way and she can be done, but one day at a time!
She has also been given a release date of Wednesday, February 29. If she continues to progress at her current level she will get to go home in one week. We are proud of how hard she has been working and what a great positive attitude she has kept. She has also been granted a home visit so on Sunday she will get to spend a few hours with family at the house. Such great news!
Because they work her so hard all day she is usually too tired to have visitors at the hospital right now, she prefers to nap when she can. I will let everyone know when she is looking for some company again!
She has also been given a release date of Wednesday, February 29. If she continues to progress at her current level she will get to go home in one week. We are proud of how hard she has been working and what a great positive attitude she has kept. She has also been granted a home visit so on Sunday she will get to spend a few hours with family at the house. Such great news!
Because they work her so hard all day she is usually too tired to have visitors at the hospital right now, she prefers to nap when she can. I will let everyone know when she is looking for some company again!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Friday, February 17 -video
She had her scheduled Friday dialysis and as of Saturday her kidney numbers are moving in the right direction and her urine output is great. We just need the kidneys to start filtering so she can be done with dialysis. The temporary ports are starting to clog a little so we are hoping they kick in soon so they won't have to put new ports in.
She still has a special vac on her back wound which is collecting much more fluid than expected. This, along with the headaches she is having makes the doctors concerned about the possibility of spinal fluid leaking. When they did the original back surgery the protective coating around the spine had tears which the surgeon tried to patch, so this has been a concern from the start.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15
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| The Petosky girls surprised Jackie with a visit on Monday. |
Jackie is progressing nicely and has really been in great spirits with her brother Bob in town. She has been talking up a storm with the cap on her tracheotomy, and we anticipate them removing it all together in the coming days because she is doing so well with her breathing.
She also received news that she is moving to Crittenton's physical therapy floor on Thursday. Great news, this means she doesn't have to be transferred to a nursery home for her physical therapy. Jackie will have to work hard to remain in the unit, three to four hours of theraphy every day. But this will get her strong and home quicker so we are excited for this opportunity.
She is still on dialysis three days a week, and we are still optimistic that once she is up and moving around more that her kidneys will kick back into gear and start functioning all on their own.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Monday, February 13 - SURPRISE!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Saturday, February 11
On Saturday she visited with Debbie in the morning and Donna and Linda spent time with her in the afternoon.
Her kidney numbers were improved yesterday, which is a good sign. We are hoping once she is up more and moving around that the kidneys will kick back in. In the meantime she continues with a Monday, Wednesday, Friday dialysis schedule.
They are talking about moving her to physical therapy on Monday and the Internist at the hospital indicated that they were planning on sending her to the hospitals rehab floor as soon as a bed opens up. That would be great news!
If you would like to visit Jackie at Crittenton, she is in room 837 until she moves to reahb/physical therapy. See Thursday's post if you want to check in with my dad on her schedule for the best time or just stop by, his contact information is listed in that post.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Friday, February 10
Jackie is continuing to make progress. She had her dialysis today and a visit from Physical Therapy. She is eating well. For breakfast she had cream of wheat,a few bits of scrambled eggs,two containers of milk and a cup of hot tea. Lunch was chicken and dinner fish. Once she is consuming enough calories on her own they will discontinue her feeding tube.
At the end of the day she was moved to a new room, 837. She has been stepped down to a room that is still staffed by ICU staff, but isn't considered critical. The nurses said she could probably have been transferred out of ICU but her doctors want to make sure she is getting the personal care she receives in ICU. Lori and I went to see her after work and helped move her into her new room. She was in great spirits and had an enjoyable day with some great company.
Joyce, June and Laverne came and visited with my mom while my dad went to the dentist. He broke off part of his tooth a couple of weeks ago and needed to get in to get a cap put on it. Debbie visited in the aftermoon and brought a couple of quilting squares to decorate her room, which she really enjoyed.
At the end of the day she was moved to a new room, 837. She has been stepped down to a room that is still staffed by ICU staff, but isn't considered critical. The nurses said she could probably have been transferred out of ICU but her doctors want to make sure she is getting the personal care she receives in ICU. Lori and I went to see her after work and helped move her into her new room. She was in great spirits and had an enjoyable day with some great company.
Joyce, June and Laverne came and visited with my mom while my dad went to the dentist. He broke off part of his tooth a couple of weeks ago and needed to get in to get a cap put on it. Debbie visited in the aftermoon and brought a couple of quilting squares to decorate her room, which she really enjoyed.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Thursday, February 9
Another great day. Jackie started with a very early dialysis treatment. This was in addition to her scheduled sessions, but we aren't exactly sure why. She then spent about 75 minutes in her chair. She also practiced standing. We are told that tomorrow they are going to try a few steps.
They did a swallow test with her which she passed with flying colors. Her reward was a real dinner with turkey and sorbet, the real stuff, not purée!. She reported that water has never tasted so good! Ron Sumner visited in the afternoon and Darren visited in the evening. Darren reported she is talking just like the pre-operation Jackie now that she has her entertraceal tube back in. He was so excited to see how much progress she as made in just one week!
She has also been stepped down in the ICU unit, which will result in her room being moved across the floor. We are expecting a visit from the head of the rehab unit tomorrow. He will be evaluating her to see if she is a good candidate for Crittenton's rehab, but they have to believe she is up for 3-4 hours of work each day. If not they will find a skilled nursing home to move her for rehab.
She is scheduled for 10 am dialysis in the morning and then probably back into her chair! Jackie has been enjoying her friends visiting, it is great for her spirits and makes her days more interesting. It is also a huge help for my dad to be able to leave the hospital for a few hours. He has been arriving early and staying late since she arrived over two weeks ago because he doesn't like to leave her without company. If you are able to spare a few hours to sit with her and visit please contact my dad and he can schedule out visits. You can reach him through email at fpeters@cavtel.net or on his cell phone at 586-243-6034.
They did a swallow test with her which she passed with flying colors. Her reward was a real dinner with turkey and sorbet, the real stuff, not purée!. She reported that water has never tasted so good! Ron Sumner visited in the afternoon and Darren visited in the evening. Darren reported she is talking just like the pre-operation Jackie now that she has her entertraceal tube back in. He was so excited to see how much progress she as made in just one week!
She has also been stepped down in the ICU unit, which will result in her room being moved across the floor. We are expecting a visit from the head of the rehab unit tomorrow. He will be evaluating her to see if she is a good candidate for Crittenton's rehab, but they have to believe she is up for 3-4 hours of work each day. If not they will find a skilled nursing home to move her for rehab.
She is scheduled for 10 am dialysis in the morning and then probably back into her chair! Jackie has been enjoying her friends visiting, it is great for her spirits and makes her days more interesting. It is also a huge help for my dad to be able to leave the hospital for a few hours. He has been arriving early and staying late since she arrived over two weeks ago because he doesn't like to leave her without company. If you are able to spare a few hours to sit with her and visit please contact my dad and he can schedule out visits. You can reach him through email at fpeters@cavtel.net or on his cell phone at 586-243-6034.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Wednesday, February 8
Another good day. Jackie started out the morning with dialysis and then she went back into her chair for a couple of hours. Rose and Deb both spend time with her today. She is really enjoying the company!
She also had a visit from physical therapy and they have moved her up to a set of each of the four excercises theybhave given her each hour. They are trying to get her ready for moving to rehab. They had planned on putting in the tube for her tracheotomy which allows her to talk again today, but someone misplaced it so they have to order a new one for tomorrow. They like to change it out at night so her throat can easily be suctioned if she has a problem. They have to get her swallowing back in order so she can keep the mucus out of her throat and try drinking liquids again.
All of her nutrition is still through a feeding tube in her stomach. We learned that this must stay in place for at least three months because if they try to remove it before this amount of time her stomach could collapse. But she is starting to look forward to some real food and has her mind focused on jello right now, and of course the cola too! Not too much longer!
As I mentioned yesterday, Jackie has been enjoying her friends visiting and it is great for both her spirits and helping her get acclimated after having been unresponsive for so many days. She recognizes everyone now and is able to carry on a conversation. It is also a huge help for my dad to be able to leave the hospital for a few hours. He has been arriving early and staying late since she arrived because he doesn't like to leave her without company. If you are able to spare a few hours to sit with her and visit please contact my dad and he can schedule out visits. You can reach him through email at fpeters@cavtel.net or on his cell phone at 586-243-6034.
She also had a visit from physical therapy and they have moved her up to a set of each of the four excercises theybhave given her each hour. They are trying to get her ready for moving to rehab. They had planned on putting in the tube for her tracheotomy which allows her to talk again today, but someone misplaced it so they have to order a new one for tomorrow. They like to change it out at night so her throat can easily be suctioned if she has a problem. They have to get her swallowing back in order so she can keep the mucus out of her throat and try drinking liquids again.
All of her nutrition is still through a feeding tube in her stomach. We learned that this must stay in place for at least three months because if they try to remove it before this amount of time her stomach could collapse. But she is starting to look forward to some real food and has her mind focused on jello right now, and of course the cola too! Not too much longer!
As I mentioned yesterday, Jackie has been enjoying her friends visiting and it is great for both her spirits and helping her get acclimated after having been unresponsive for so many days. She recognizes everyone now and is able to carry on a conversation. It is also a huge help for my dad to be able to leave the hospital for a few hours. He has been arriving early and staying late since she arrived because he doesn't like to leave her without company. If you are able to spare a few hours to sit with her and visit please contact my dad and he can schedule out visits. You can reach him through email at fpeters@cavtel.net or on his cell phone at 586-243-6034.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Tuesday, February 7
Jackie continues to make great progress. She spent a couple of hours in her chair today again (see her picture from yesterday). Her girlfriend Donna came and visited with her for several hours and gave my dad some time to escape the hospital and run errands. The nurses took her off her endotracheal tube and had her practice breathing without it and put the oxygen in her nose. She did really well so today they put in a smaller endotracheal tube that can be capped off to allow her to talk.
If she keeps progressing at this rate she should be trying to drink and eat puréed foods pretty soon. They are also working to prepare her for leaving ICU to move on to physical therapy in the near future. Of course her continued process will determine when for each of these next steps.
Jackie has been enjoying her friends visiting and it is great for both her spirits and helping her get acclimated after having been unresponsive for so many days. She recognizes everyone now and is able to carry on a conversation. It is also a huge help for my dad to be able to leave the hospital for a few hours. He has been arriving early and staying late since she arrived two weeks ago because he doesn't like to leave her without company. If you are able to spare a few hours to sit with her and visit please contact my dad and he can schedule out visits. You can reach him through email at fpeters@cavtel.net or on his cell phone at 586-243-6034.
Thanks for keeping up with her progress and keeping her in your prayers, she has been pleased to know so many people are thinking of her!
If she keeps progressing at this rate she should be trying to drink and eat puréed foods pretty soon. They are also working to prepare her for leaving ICU to move on to physical therapy in the near future. Of course her continued process will determine when for each of these next steps.
Jackie has been enjoying her friends visiting and it is great for both her spirits and helping her get acclimated after having been unresponsive for so many days. She recognizes everyone now and is able to carry on a conversation. It is also a huge help for my dad to be able to leave the hospital for a few hours. He has been arriving early and staying late since she arrived two weeks ago because he doesn't like to leave her without company. If you are able to spare a few hours to sit with her and visit please contact my dad and he can schedule out visits. You can reach him through email at fpeters@cavtel.net or on his cell phone at 586-243-6034.
Thanks for keeping up with her progress and keeping her in your prayers, she has been pleased to know so many people are thinking of her!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday, February 6
They will send in a therapist to make sure she is swallowing correctly and then she would be ready to try baby food and liquids. She still keeps requesting cola, so hopefully she can get her wish soon!
She was visited by the physical therapist on Sunday as well. They showed her five excercises they want her to work on which include making fists, lifting her arms and legs up and rotating her ankles. They should be back again on Monday.
While things are progressing, she is very weak and even talking takes a lot out of her. With her back surgery she is very uncomfortable and agitated so it is hard for her to get the sleep and rest she needs.
She will also have her scheduled dialysis on Monday. It would be amazing to have her kidneys start working again, so please keep the prayers coming because it is still possible and we aren't out of the woods yet.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sunday, February 5
We have received so many messages over the past couple of days about prayers being said, prayer circles and chains being started and masses being said for Jackie's recovery that we don't think it is a coincidence that she has really seen great improvement over the last two days!
As I mentioned yesterday, my brother Steve flew in from Texas on Friday. He showed up to her room early on Saturday and she was wide awake with her covers off. He asked her if she was cold and she nodded yes, so he got her all covered up. Her being aware of her surroundings and communicating to us is new, and very exciting.
She has the tracheotomy which we had been told will mean she can’t talk until they switch out the tube, yet the nurse did say that their more stubborn patients seem to talk around it. Yes, you guessed it; Jackie is talking around the tube. She told us that she is weak and asked for a cola. When I told her we couldn’t get her a cola she gave me a pouty face. Then proceeded to ask the nurse for a cola when she came in. When the nurse said no she asked, “why can’t I have a cola?” The nurse explained that with the incision in her throat for the tracheotomy she could get the liquid into her lungs which could cause pneumonia, so drinking or eating isn’t an option yet. (She has a feeding tube and IVs for this purpose.)
We shared with her stories of everyone who has been calling, emailing and visiting and if I asked her about someone who I hadn’t met previously she would nod to let me know that she did know who I was talking about and would smile. As the day wore on she started saying she wanted to get out of bed and would try (which she is not ready for). Eventually the nurses told us we were getting her too worked up and had to sedate her to get her to relax and kicked all but two of us out at a time.
While this is all really exciting news she has a lot of work ahead of her. Twelve days out of surgery and she is still well behind where we expected her to be the day after surgery, so keep the prayers coming. We have to get her strength up enough for her to get out of bed and out of the hospital. The longer she is lying in a hospital the more risk of complications such as infection, blood clots and pneumonia. We also need her kidneys to start working on their own, this will be a big hurdle to overcome and it is in the hands of her body and God.
Today the surgeon who put in her tracheotomy will be replacing the tube (not the technical term I am sure) with the next step down which will allow her to talk. And Monday physical therapy is scheduled to work with her. She seems to have a lot of strength in her legs, but her arms are very weak. She can lift them up, but doesn’t have much strength in her hands right now.
Keep the prayers coming; she has lots of work left to do! I look forward to having more good thinks to post in the coming days.
As I mentioned yesterday, my brother Steve flew in from Texas on Friday. He showed up to her room early on Saturday and she was wide awake with her covers off. He asked her if she was cold and she nodded yes, so he got her all covered up. Her being aware of her surroundings and communicating to us is new, and very exciting.
She has the tracheotomy which we had been told will mean she can’t talk until they switch out the tube, yet the nurse did say that their more stubborn patients seem to talk around it. Yes, you guessed it; Jackie is talking around the tube. She told us that she is weak and asked for a cola. When I told her we couldn’t get her a cola she gave me a pouty face. Then proceeded to ask the nurse for a cola when she came in. When the nurse said no she asked, “why can’t I have a cola?” The nurse explained that with the incision in her throat for the tracheotomy she could get the liquid into her lungs which could cause pneumonia, so drinking or eating isn’t an option yet. (She has a feeding tube and IVs for this purpose.)
We shared with her stories of everyone who has been calling, emailing and visiting and if I asked her about someone who I hadn’t met previously she would nod to let me know that she did know who I was talking about and would smile. As the day wore on she started saying she wanted to get out of bed and would try (which she is not ready for). Eventually the nurses told us we were getting her too worked up and had to sedate her to get her to relax and kicked all but two of us out at a time.
While this is all really exciting news she has a lot of work ahead of her. Twelve days out of surgery and she is still well behind where we expected her to be the day after surgery, so keep the prayers coming. We have to get her strength up enough for her to get out of bed and out of the hospital. The longer she is lying in a hospital the more risk of complications such as infection, blood clots and pneumonia. We also need her kidneys to start working on their own, this will be a big hurdle to overcome and it is in the hands of her body and God.
Today the surgeon who put in her tracheotomy will be replacing the tube (not the technical term I am sure) with the next step down which will allow her to talk. And Monday physical therapy is scheduled to work with her. She seems to have a lot of strength in her legs, but her arms are very weak. She can lift them up, but doesn’t have much strength in her hands right now.
Keep the prayers coming; she has lots of work left to do! I look forward to having more good thinks to post in the coming days.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Saturday, February 4
Friday was a great day for progress! I am not sure if Jackie was giving Rose a birthday gift, or was excited that Steve flew in to visit her from Texas, but she was a super star. She had her dialysis in the morning and then they took her off the ventilator and she was breathing on her own all day, and is still off the ventilator this morning with great results.
Deb and my dad sat with her in the morning and my Aunt Mary Ann and Charlie arrived from Grand Rapids in the afternoon for a weekend visit. When I arrived she was very alert and looked really good. Steve arrived shortly later and she seemed to really recognize him. She wiggled her toes for him on command. Brenda stopped by and she seemed to respond well to all of the interaction.
My dad talked to Meg, the night nurse, and she reported a really restful night. And this morning when Meg asked her if she wanted the television on she nodded no, which is a new response! Then when Meg was adjusting the bedding she asked my mom to lift her bottom and she complied!
Very exciting and promising progress! She has a long road ahead of her, but it looks like we are starting our engines!
Deb and my dad sat with her in the morning and my Aunt Mary Ann and Charlie arrived from Grand Rapids in the afternoon for a weekend visit. When I arrived she was very alert and looked really good. Steve arrived shortly later and she seemed to really recognize him. She wiggled her toes for him on command. Brenda stopped by and she seemed to respond well to all of the interaction.
My dad talked to Meg, the night nurse, and she reported a really restful night. And this morning when Meg asked her if she wanted the television on she nodded no, which is a new response! Then when Meg was adjusting the bedding she asked my mom to lift her bottom and she complied!
Very exciting and promising progress! She has a long road ahead of her, but it looks like we are starting our engines!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Friday, Febuary 3, 2012
I hope that this blog is short lived, because that will mean my mom's recovery has been speedy! There are so many people who want to be updated on her progress I thought this would be the best way to keep everyone informed. I'll start this first post with the full story and then future posts will provide updates.
Jackie went to Crittenton hospital on Tuesday, January 24 for scheduled back surgery at 9am. It was more complicated than expected and she ended up on the operating table for over thirteen hours. The length of time under anesthesia was very hard on her body. She was foggy on Wednesday, but seemed to know who me and my dad were, and responded especially to my dad. They gave her morphine for her back pain and she was put on a ventilator to help her breath.
She got more foggy after the morphine and when they tried to take her off the ventilator she wasn't getting enough oxygen and the CO2 build up was keeping her from being responsive. They put her back on the ventilator to increase her oxygen levels. On Friday they also started dialysis because her kidneys weren't yet functioning on their own. She is on a MWF dialysis schedule until her kidneys recover. The morphine was discontinued and replaced by a different medication. She has moments where she will wiggle her toes or nod in response but it isn't consistent. They are trying to balance her pain management with wanting to get her alert.
On Monday they took her for an EEG to check her brain activity and the results looked good. On Tuesday they gave her a CAT scan to verify there wasnt anything else going on keeping her from being more responsive. Her surgeon talked to the lead radiologist who indicated that she moved during the scan so it wasn't clear, and he felt that it looked fine and there was nothing to be concerned with. A nuero surgeon was consulted and he confirmed that while the scan wasn't very clear, there was no indication of anything unusual.
On Wednesday she came down with a fever and rash, which they felt were in response to the antibiotics they had her on to protect from pneumonia, and possibly the lotion they were using on her. They discontinued them and the fever went away, but the rash continues to irritate her.
Thursday they took her to have a tracheotomy so that they could remove the tubes in her throat. She will be more comfortable and it will allow her to try being off the ventilator more easily which they want to begin right away. She has been breathing on her own, but the breaths had not been deep or frequent enough. On Thursday afternoon a peg was put in her stomach to allow the feeding tube to be removed from her nose. The nutrition is an important part of her recovery and having food in her gut keeps the stomach bacteria doing there job and not causing other problems.
I know my mom is a big believer in prayer, as am I, so please keep her in your prayers.
Jackie went to Crittenton hospital on Tuesday, January 24 for scheduled back surgery at 9am. It was more complicated than expected and she ended up on the operating table for over thirteen hours. The length of time under anesthesia was very hard on her body. She was foggy on Wednesday, but seemed to know who me and my dad were, and responded especially to my dad. They gave her morphine for her back pain and she was put on a ventilator to help her breath.
She got more foggy after the morphine and when they tried to take her off the ventilator she wasn't getting enough oxygen and the CO2 build up was keeping her from being responsive. They put her back on the ventilator to increase her oxygen levels. On Friday they also started dialysis because her kidneys weren't yet functioning on their own. She is on a MWF dialysis schedule until her kidneys recover. The morphine was discontinued and replaced by a different medication. She has moments where she will wiggle her toes or nod in response but it isn't consistent. They are trying to balance her pain management with wanting to get her alert.
On Monday they took her for an EEG to check her brain activity and the results looked good. On Tuesday they gave her a CAT scan to verify there wasnt anything else going on keeping her from being more responsive. Her surgeon talked to the lead radiologist who indicated that she moved during the scan so it wasn't clear, and he felt that it looked fine and there was nothing to be concerned with. A nuero surgeon was consulted and he confirmed that while the scan wasn't very clear, there was no indication of anything unusual.
On Wednesday she came down with a fever and rash, which they felt were in response to the antibiotics they had her on to protect from pneumonia, and possibly the lotion they were using on her. They discontinued them and the fever went away, but the rash continues to irritate her.
Thursday they took her to have a tracheotomy so that they could remove the tubes in her throat. She will be more comfortable and it will allow her to try being off the ventilator more easily which they want to begin right away. She has been breathing on her own, but the breaths had not been deep or frequent enough. On Thursday afternoon a peg was put in her stomach to allow the feeding tube to be removed from her nose. The nutrition is an important part of her recovery and having food in her gut keeps the stomach bacteria doing there job and not causing other problems.
I know my mom is a big believer in prayer, as am I, so please keep her in your prayers.
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