Angie & Jim

Looking Goodby Jim

After an uncomfortable night sleeping on a couch in the atrium, I’m back in the ICU with Angie.  They don’t let visitors in until 10, so I had to exercise some patience (no pun intended), but when I came in I got some great news.  The nurses took her off the Milrinone about 30 minutes before I came in and they shut off her Phenylephrine a few minutes after I came in.  Those two drugs were the ones that were keeping her in the ICU.  They were given to her to help her heart be stable, but she’s done fine without them so far.

Last time she was on the Milrinone, they had to ween her off because it was a heart surgery and her heart really needed it.  This time, it was just a precaution.  So, things are looking up.  They want to watch her for 3 hours after taking her off the Milrinone to make sure she can handle it and then we’ll be waiting for a room on the floor.

Once we’re on the floor, the focus will be on getting the catheter our and the pain under control.  She’s still got the catheter in her back, which means she can’t get up and move around.  After she’s moved to a room, they plan on stopping the catheter meds and giving her oral instead.  Once they are sure the catheter drugs have worn off and the pain is under control with just the oral meds, they can take the catheter out.  Once it is out, Angie can (finally) move around.  We’re hoping that is where will be by the end of the day.  If so, Angie will get to come home tomorrow, which is definitely our goal!

Keep her in your prayers!