Angie & Jim

The roller coaster ride continuesby Jim

I just got another call from my mom.  They went ahead and put the Vitamin K (Potassium) in her IV, but it started burning and was very uncomfortable.  Finally, when the doctor came in, she turned off the IV and had Angie take a potassium pill.  The doctor arranged for them to have her blood drawn again and tested at 6 so as to let the potassium have as much affect as possible while still allowing enough time to be discharged tonight.

Angie is in good spirits and lots of her strength is back.  She’s already been on a couple of walks and is improving rapidly.  I know that she would improve fastest at home, so please, everyone pray that her blood test at 6 will come back positive so she can come home tonight.

Frustrationsby Jim

Well, I have some bad news.  I just got off the phone with my mom who had the latest update.  The doctors told Angie that they can’t take the catheter out of her back yet because her blood is too thin.  The frustrating part is that they’ve been giving her Heparin twice daily to thin her blood.  To add to the frustration, this isn’t the first time her blood viscosity has been an issue; they delayed her surgery on Wednesday because her blood was too thin.  They gave her some potassium to help thicken her blood so they could start the surgery, which is what they plan to do again so they can remove the catheter.  They’ll do another blood test this afternoon to see if her blood is thick enough, but if the results don’t show what they are looking for, she’ll have to stay another night in the hospital.  Please pray for Angie to have thick blood this afternoon.

Still in the ICUby Jim

Well, I have good and bad news.  The good is that Angie is supposed to be moved to the floor tonight, the bad news is that she hasn’t been moved to the floor yet.  We were hoping it would happen this afternoon.  Oh well.  I think they would have, but some of the medication they gave her lowered her blood pressure below “good”.  She was never in any danger, but they gave her something else in her IV to help, but that just set us back a few hours.  So is life.

Mom and Dad arrived this evening and are staying with Angie right now.  I drove home so I can sleep in a bed and go in to work tomorrow.  My supervisor has been very accomodating and has allowed me to work on Saturday so I don’t have to burn up more sick leave (for not going in today).  Mom and Dad will return to my place late tonight after they get kicked out of the ICU and return tomorrow morning.

Angie was in good spirits when I left, and when last I talked to her, she was watching “My Fair Lady” on my laptop.  With such a classic, she ought to be just fine for the evening.  Thanks again to everyone for your prayers; keep them coming.

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!

Another updateby Jim

I just left the ICU.  The nurses were nice and let me stay an hour past the time visitors normally have to leave.  Angie is doing well, and should be trying to get some sleep by now.  I decided to stay here at Stanford tonight so that I can be near Angie.  They won’t let me stay in the room, but I’ll curl up on a couch here in the atrium and hopefully get some sleep.  I’m not allowed back in to the ICU until 10, but I’ll be close by in any case.

So it looks like she’ll be here for a couple of days, which she isn’t excited about, but at least they’re talking like she’ll be moved to a regular room sometime tomorrow.  She’s playing the Milrinone game again, which is why (I think) they are monitoring her in the ICU.  They can’t let her out until she’s off the Milrinone, which can be a slow process.  It is helping to strengthen her heart, but it can have adverse side effects, so they want to keep an eye on her in the ICU.  So, please keep her in your prayers tonight and tomorrow.

Out of recovery and into the ICUby Jim

I just got back from visiting Angie in the ICU.  I can’t use WiFi in there, so I have to post out in the visitor waiting area.  Angie is in good spirits and seems to be just fine.  Everyone has told us the procedure went very well.  Dr. Jackson (Angie’s anesthesiologist), said it went “perfectly, beautifully, better than I could have imagined”.  And currently, she’s got “the best nurse” (according to the nurse next door).

The visiting hours are a little strange.  I guess you can visit on the even hours for 30 minutes without checking into the front desk.  I asked the nurse, Kim, and she said it should be quiet back in Angie’s room and that she is fine if I hang around.  I don’t know if I can stay the night in the ICU, like I could at Primary Children’s.

Well, I’m going to grab a bite to eat and head back to the ICU.