Mom's friend Martha called this morning and said she was coming up to see Mom and stay. It is nice to have someone, I kind of get lonely. We visited, I gave her a tour of the hospitality house and got her signed in, we visited more, went to eat and to walmart. Glad I have room for someone to stay with me. Tomorrow I am going home for the night to handle bills and business and love on the dogs, maybe Jeff if he is lucky, but going to love on Zach and Luca too!! I will be back on Thursday. So it will be nice that Martha is here while I am away.
I don't want to say it was an uneventful day because every day she is improving and getting her chest muscles stronger. Still doing great on just the oxygen and having many daily breathing treatments.
Cardiologist checked her again today and said he was happy. I got to like the man, he was wearing purple today :O) Wound care nurse said her belly is looking good. She was sitting up this evening when we had to leave.
I think she might of been glad to see someone other than me. I was telling her something this evening and she was looking at Martha and she winked at her. Yes, she did! I have a witness. Actually she was wide awake and interacting alot with Martha and me. Even her nurse said she had not seen her so engaged as tonight. Of course she is usually sleeping in the evening.
She wanted to take a paper away from an aide today. So I got up and got her a piece of paper. She held it, then laid it down. I showed her some things I drew in the notebook, she looked. I drew her a tree, showed it to her and asked her if she knew what it was. She took to notebook and laid it on her lap. Then I tried to give her the notebook and pen and asked her if she could draw something. She took the notebook and quickly laid it on her lap, gave me the eyeroll and shut her eyes and I believe ignored me. Nice to see my real Mom is still there. She looked at her pictures today and watched Luca videos and was happy and smiling. Rich sent me some on the phone and I showed her those and she held the phone and looked at them.
I was expecting a call telling me she got out of her chair after we left, but didn't get one. She works and works at the seatbelt and I think they better watch out!!!
Bunches of Love,
Angela
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Uneventful
Today was a good day, just not much new, but no backtracking either. She is still on her oxygen and doing great, she was at 100% oxygen saturation all day. Was wide awake this morning and interacting with me. She rubbed my face this morning and was playing with my hair. I told her I was going to crawl in bed with her and snuggle with her and she smiled at me.
Got lots of smiles today. I held Jonah and Paige's picture up for her today and she was smiling and she took the picture from me and held it. She would lay it down and then hold it back up and look at it. Then this evening Luca talked to her on the phone and she got a really big smile. I miss that little guy so much, I was so glad to talk to him too! Nanny will be there in a few evenings to hug and kiss you Luca Luca!!!!
The infectious disease doctor checked her this morning. Said her tummy was looking good, less red and more drainage, which was normal. She took her off one antibiotic and put her on another one. Poor girl, she gets 5 different things through IV's. She has lines and tubes running everywhere. Lots of beeping going on at times.
Dr. Winn (might be how you spell it) the cardiologist was in this evening. Said her breathing was a bit labored, but her oxygen sat was perfect, nothing to worry about there. He explained that within a matter of days your lung muscles turn to jelly when they are not used and hers are just working on getting stronger.
She sat up for 2 hours this evening and did fine. Tried to escape again I do believe. One new thing is I noticed a blister that has popped up on her right arm. I know it was not there last night and I am pretty sure it was not there this morning. Told the nurse, she checked it and said they would chart it, keep an eye on it and let the wound nurse know about it.
While she sat in the chair, I laid across the bed and watched and talked to her. That bed is comfy!!! I told her I would stay in it for her tonight and get all the pokes and she could come sleep in my bed. She just rolled those eyes at me. She was staring off into space for quite awhile and I said "Mom, are you in there" and she focused on me and gave me one of those mother looks like I was an idiot. Hey, I was just checking.
As for me, yes everyone, I am taking care of myself and eating. I am more settled here in the house and have a sort of routine. I even painted my toes the other night. Bet you all wanted to know that! I did go to Walmart today and look around for a bit and got some frozen food to eat here at the house and went to Panera and treated myself to a Cinnamon Crunch bagel for breakfast in the morning. Came back and ate a sandwich at the kitchen table. Thunder laid at my feet and made me feel right at home! Time for bed.
Bunches of Love,
Angela
Got lots of smiles today. I held Jonah and Paige's picture up for her today and she was smiling and she took the picture from me and held it. She would lay it down and then hold it back up and look at it. Then this evening Luca talked to her on the phone and she got a really big smile. I miss that little guy so much, I was so glad to talk to him too! Nanny will be there in a few evenings to hug and kiss you Luca Luca!!!!
The infectious disease doctor checked her this morning. Said her tummy was looking good, less red and more drainage, which was normal. She took her off one antibiotic and put her on another one. Poor girl, she gets 5 different things through IV's. She has lines and tubes running everywhere. Lots of beeping going on at times.
Dr. Winn (might be how you spell it) the cardiologist was in this evening. Said her breathing was a bit labored, but her oxygen sat was perfect, nothing to worry about there. He explained that within a matter of days your lung muscles turn to jelly when they are not used and hers are just working on getting stronger.
She sat up for 2 hours this evening and did fine. Tried to escape again I do believe. One new thing is I noticed a blister that has popped up on her right arm. I know it was not there last night and I am pretty sure it was not there this morning. Told the nurse, she checked it and said they would chart it, keep an eye on it and let the wound nurse know about it.
While she sat in the chair, I laid across the bed and watched and talked to her. That bed is comfy!!! I told her I would stay in it for her tonight and get all the pokes and she could come sleep in my bed. She just rolled those eyes at me. She was staring off into space for quite awhile and I said "Mom, are you in there" and she focused on me and gave me one of those mother looks like I was an idiot. Hey, I was just checking.
As for me, yes everyone, I am taking care of myself and eating. I am more settled here in the house and have a sort of routine. I even painted my toes the other night. Bet you all wanted to know that! I did go to Walmart today and look around for a bit and got some frozen food to eat here at the house and went to Panera and treated myself to a Cinnamon Crunch bagel for breakfast in the morning. Came back and ate a sandwich at the kitchen table. Thunder laid at my feet and made me feel right at home! Time for bed.
Bunches of Love,
Angela
Ahhhhh......Air
Morning to everyone :O)
Couldn't use the computer last night, sorry. Another wonderful day on Sunday. I went in and she was completely breathing on her own. She was just getting some oxygen. She tolereated that all day long. Her blood gas was perfect. The put on a little box so she could talk. She made some noises, but didn't talk any. I could actually hear her cough!! Not just see that she was and hear nothing. I also heard a pretty loud sigh at one time. She is still getting her breathing treatments and she was coughing up alot of mucus. But they said that is a good thing that she can cough it up on her own and get rid of it.
If all goes well, she will be on the oxygen for 3 days and then she will just breathe regular air. I asked about how long she would have to keep a trach in. The RT said it just depended on how she was doing and what the doctors felt. She said it is not good to take it out, have the neck to start healing and have to put it back in. So time will tell on that.
She was up sitting in the chair when I had to leave at 8. I didn't like leaving her even thought I know she is "seatbelted" in. It really is an old fashioned seatbelt!! She was staring to move around, so I don't know if she was trying another escape plan.
That's about all for the day. We shall see what today holds.
Bunches of Love,
Angela
Couldn't use the computer last night, sorry. Another wonderful day on Sunday. I went in and she was completely breathing on her own. She was just getting some oxygen. She tolereated that all day long. Her blood gas was perfect. The put on a little box so she could talk. She made some noises, but didn't talk any. I could actually hear her cough!! Not just see that she was and hear nothing. I also heard a pretty loud sigh at one time. She is still getting her breathing treatments and she was coughing up alot of mucus. But they said that is a good thing that she can cough it up on her own and get rid of it.
If all goes well, she will be on the oxygen for 3 days and then she will just breathe regular air. I asked about how long she would have to keep a trach in. The RT said it just depended on how she was doing and what the doctors felt. She said it is not good to take it out, have the neck to start healing and have to put it back in. So time will tell on that.
She was up sitting in the chair when I had to leave at 8. I didn't like leaving her even thought I know she is "seatbelted" in. It really is an old fashioned seatbelt!! She was staring to move around, so I don't know if she was trying another escape plan.
That's about all for the day. We shall see what today holds.
Bunches of Love,
Angela
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Super Saturday
What a wonderful day. A Super Saturday indeed!!!!! When I went in the see Mom this morning I was expecting for her to be down to a 2 on her ventilator. Guess What---She was on CPAP!! That means that the ventilator is not doing any of her breathing for her. She is just getting pressurized air to help her breathe and help her strenghten her chest muscles. She tolerated that very well. I was surprised myself.
The PICC line was put into her arm this morning. I got to stay in the room. I bet Jeff would not of stayed!!!! I had to put on a gown, hat and mask just like the nurses did. You would think that they were performing surgery if you could see all the draping and sterile techniques they go through. They were sure they got it in place correctly. So later on she got a xray and then later the word came they had it in place correctly and they could start using it. So the central line in her neck will come out and hopefully that will help her neck feel better and be more comfortable.
The nurse mentioned to me that she did not seem to respond to her very well and she had read in the notes that Mom was responding to other nurses. So I got closer down to Mom's face and asked her if she was just being stubborn or did she not like that nurse. Well she smiled and the nurse said, she would not take it personally. She was just happy to see that she had responded.
Then the next wonderful thing was they finally got her up in a chair!!!! I was talking with her aide and she was wondering about if she could get up. I told her I knew there was an order for her to get up, but that she had not been up yet. She looked it up and found and order written on the 9th for her to get up everyday at 5. She said she would get her a chair and be back after she got another patient up. When she got back, she found out the problem. You have to be assigned a certain wheelchair and she did not have one yet, so the supervisor got her one. So the process started. I don't know all these correct names and medical terms, so you will all have to bear with me. They use some kind of contraption that raises the patient up and then they swing them over and put them in the chair and then use it to get them up and back in bed. Think of what a stork looks like when its delivery a baby. Well, Mom was the baby (Lynnetta you will have to fill me in and what these things are!)
She was up for 2 hours and they were all thrilled. They said usually 45 minutes is about the time for a first time up. Because of it being her first time up and with her on CPAP, they did a blood gas to make sure all was well and she was tolerating everything ok. Blood gas was perfect. Before they got her back in bed, she was moving and I am pretty sure she was trying to get herself out of the chairk, the aide thought so also. It's just so nice to see her move.
Some information that some of you have asked for.....
She is at Kindred Hospital in Sycamore, IL in room 115
kindredhospitalsyc.com
The house I am staying at is called the Pay It Foward House
payitfowardhouse.org
Check it out, I am in the somonauk room. This house is beautiful and old, which if you know me, you know I love. Everything in the house is donated. It is even prettier than the pictures of it on the inside. I think alot of them were taken when they started and now they have a lot more furniture and decor and more of it matches. The room I have sleeps 5. Anyone going to come stay with me :O)
The best email to use for me is babiak3@yahoo.com
Bunches of Love,
Angela
The PICC line was put into her arm this morning. I got to stay in the room. I bet Jeff would not of stayed!!!! I had to put on a gown, hat and mask just like the nurses did. You would think that they were performing surgery if you could see all the draping and sterile techniques they go through. They were sure they got it in place correctly. So later on she got a xray and then later the word came they had it in place correctly and they could start using it. So the central line in her neck will come out and hopefully that will help her neck feel better and be more comfortable.
The nurse mentioned to me that she did not seem to respond to her very well and she had read in the notes that Mom was responding to other nurses. So I got closer down to Mom's face and asked her if she was just being stubborn or did she not like that nurse. Well she smiled and the nurse said, she would not take it personally. She was just happy to see that she had responded.
Then the next wonderful thing was they finally got her up in a chair!!!! I was talking with her aide and she was wondering about if she could get up. I told her I knew there was an order for her to get up, but that she had not been up yet. She looked it up and found and order written on the 9th for her to get up everyday at 5. She said she would get her a chair and be back after she got another patient up. When she got back, she found out the problem. You have to be assigned a certain wheelchair and she did not have one yet, so the supervisor got her one. So the process started. I don't know all these correct names and medical terms, so you will all have to bear with me. They use some kind of contraption that raises the patient up and then they swing them over and put them in the chair and then use it to get them up and back in bed. Think of what a stork looks like when its delivery a baby. Well, Mom was the baby (Lynnetta you will have to fill me in and what these things are!)
She was up for 2 hours and they were all thrilled. They said usually 45 minutes is about the time for a first time up. Because of it being her first time up and with her on CPAP, they did a blood gas to make sure all was well and she was tolerating everything ok. Blood gas was perfect. Before they got her back in bed, she was moving and I am pretty sure she was trying to get herself out of the chairk, the aide thought so also. It's just so nice to see her move.
Some information that some of you have asked for.....
She is at Kindred Hospital in Sycamore, IL in room 115
kindredhospitalsyc.com
The house I am staying at is called the Pay It Foward House
payitfowardhouse.org
Check it out, I am in the somonauk room. This house is beautiful and old, which if you know me, you know I love. Everything in the house is donated. It is even prettier than the pictures of it on the inside. I think alot of them were taken when they started and now they have a lot more furniture and decor and more of it matches. The room I have sleeps 5. Anyone going to come stay with me :O)
The best email to use for me is babiak3@yahoo.com
Bunches of Love,
Angela
Friday, November 13, 2009
Blog Title
I don't like the blog title that I picked. I wanted Mom's name in it and she loves roses, but I had to think of a title before I could do anything. I will have to brainstorm on something more catchy.
She had another good day today. She was sleepier than yesterday, but awake and alert at times. When I went in this morning she was sleeping and I gave her a kiss. She opened her eyes, smiled at me and went back to sleep.
A cardiologist that specializes in electric physio(something or another) came in and checked her. He said from the heart point of view he thought all was well. He did order a echocardiogram just to check things out.
The nurse mananger was in to see about putting in her pic line. She wanted to wait til tomorrow to do it. She was going to order some meds to help numb her arm and have someone help her do it in the morning.
The hematologist was in and talked to her tonight. He said so far all of her tests have come back good. I know he mentioned those back were her kidney and liver functions, potassium, magnesium and a few others.
She went down to a 4 on her ventilator today and did well. Tomorrow she will go to a 2. If that goes well, she will then get put on a CPAP. That will be supporting her breathing and helping her muscles in her chest get stronger, but will not do the breathing for her.
Let's hope for a good Saturday!
Bunches of Love
Angela
She had another good day today. She was sleepier than yesterday, but awake and alert at times. When I went in this morning she was sleeping and I gave her a kiss. She opened her eyes, smiled at me and went back to sleep.
A cardiologist that specializes in electric physio(something or another) came in and checked her. He said from the heart point of view he thought all was well. He did order a echocardiogram just to check things out.
The nurse mananger was in to see about putting in her pic line. She wanted to wait til tomorrow to do it. She was going to order some meds to help numb her arm and have someone help her do it in the morning.
The hematologist was in and talked to her tonight. He said so far all of her tests have come back good. I know he mentioned those back were her kidney and liver functions, potassium, magnesium and a few others.
She went down to a 4 on her ventilator today and did well. Tomorrow she will go to a 2. If that goes well, she will then get put on a CPAP. That will be supporting her breathing and helping her muscles in her chest get stronger, but will not do the breathing for her.
Let's hope for a good Saturday!
Bunches of Love
Angela
Thursday, November 12, 2009
First Update
Hi everyone!! This is my first attempt at a blog, so bear with me. I will try to update this at least everyother day. Visiting hours at the hospital are from 10 to 8 and cell phones are not allowed in the hospital. So nobody be upset or worried when you can't reach me or I don't call you back for a day or two. I am just really busy and tired and trying to get some kind of routine in place.
So all about Mom.......
Last Saturday they discovered that her feeding tube was infected and pulled it out. They had to put a NG tube back in her nose, which she hates and has pulled out once. The infectious disease doctor came today and checked her belly. She says it looks much better and it not as red and hard as it has been. She still wants a surgeon to come and check it, make sure it does not need to be cleaned out. She was happy she was tolerating the antibiotics well. Since she is allergic to penicillin, it is hard to find something to give her.
Also today, a blood disorder doctor came in and checked her out as much as he could, he did not want to wake her up. I guess her red blood count is down and is anemic and they wanted him to look at her. He said he would run some tests on her and see if anything was going on, but it could just be because she has an infection.
She is down on her ventilator to a 6. That is the ventilator is only breathing for her 6 times a minute and is on 35% oxygen. Her oxygen saturation was at 99%.
She has been really awake and alert in the mornings. Her nurse this morning said they had a really nice conversation. (The nurse talking and Mom blinking) She definitly knows what is going on. She smiles at me all day long and rolls her eyes at me. The past 2 nights when I hugged her goodbye, she was able to pat me. She loves to look at her pictures of Jonah, Paige, and Zach, watch Luca on my phone and listen to Zach's voice on her Birthday card.
I know I don't have too much to tell you, but it is just a slow process. I was told this hospital slowed things way down and used the first 2 weeks to watch a patient and see what was going on in all aspects and go from there.
Just hang in there with me and just keep praying!!
Bunches of love,
Angela
So all about Mom.......
Last Saturday they discovered that her feeding tube was infected and pulled it out. They had to put a NG tube back in her nose, which she hates and has pulled out once. The infectious disease doctor came today and checked her belly. She says it looks much better and it not as red and hard as it has been. She still wants a surgeon to come and check it, make sure it does not need to be cleaned out. She was happy she was tolerating the antibiotics well. Since she is allergic to penicillin, it is hard to find something to give her.
Also today, a blood disorder doctor came in and checked her out as much as he could, he did not want to wake her up. I guess her red blood count is down and is anemic and they wanted him to look at her. He said he would run some tests on her and see if anything was going on, but it could just be because she has an infection.
She is down on her ventilator to a 6. That is the ventilator is only breathing for her 6 times a minute and is on 35% oxygen. Her oxygen saturation was at 99%.
She has been really awake and alert in the mornings. Her nurse this morning said they had a really nice conversation. (The nurse talking and Mom blinking) She definitly knows what is going on. She smiles at me all day long and rolls her eyes at me. The past 2 nights when I hugged her goodbye, she was able to pat me. She loves to look at her pictures of Jonah, Paige, and Zach, watch Luca on my phone and listen to Zach's voice on her Birthday card.
I know I don't have too much to tell you, but it is just a slow process. I was told this hospital slowed things way down and used the first 2 weeks to watch a patient and see what was going on in all aspects and go from there.
Just hang in there with me and just keep praying!!
Bunches of love,
Angela
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