Irv Update - January 2011 #6

Today when I got to the hospital, about 8:00 am, Irv was sleeping! He said he had actually had a pretty good night. A new IV assembly was present - it was the pain medicine that he can give himself, up to a predetermined amount, of course. There were some vinyl apparatus' on his legs that squeeze on and off to keep the blood moving. He had nasal cannula delivering 2L. of oxygen, too. Every hour some machine takes his blood pressure and he is supposed to exercise his lungs with some respirator device when that happens. An antibiotic was flowing in with the regular IV.

Because he can't take any medicine by mouth and he will stay on the Cardizem (thanks for the spelling Pat and Kerrin, you dogs) by IV to help keep his heart in a normal rhythm. That also means he will stay in the IMCU until he can take the medicine by mouth because his heart has to be continuously monitored while on this IV drug and the regular floor doesn't do that. He is also getting a form of anti-clotting medicine via a shot in his abdomen to help keep any stray clots from forming in his body since he isn't moving around much.

The nurses tried to get him up into a chair, but he was too dizzy and weak so he has just been sitting on the side of the bed and dangling his legs.

IV Therapy inserted the PICC line and about 3:30 he got his first TPN feeding into his blood system. With this PICC he also can have all the blood draws plus most of the IV's done thru it. The Cardizem needs to be given in normal saline, so it still has its own IV, but at least instead of three Irv still has just two IV's.

One quandary is that Irv's glucose levels are now too high, running around 160-180, with the D5W IV. He was given a couple units of insulin and will be put back on Lactated Ringers solution with the next IV change.

About 2 liters or more of bile and other fluid is still being removed with the NG tube from his stomach each day. So far, no promising bowel sounds. That isn't unexpected.

At least I felt good after seeing him today. He is obviously ill, but seemed to be more hopeful and positive than he has been in a long time. His voice wasn't so dead and lifeless in tone. Does that make sense?

Let all hope and pray this is the start of a miraculous recovery!

Thanks to you all for your notes and encouragement. It does help. I'm also thinking there is a future again. Whew!

Penny