Thursday, May 3, 2007
Thursday, May 3 2007
They need to try to change her IV line in her neck so that it doesn't get infected. They couldn't get a vein to put a PICC in her arm. I don't know what they're going to do. The more she stays in ICU the more likely she is to get infections etc. Kathy said she was more lively during the day. She looked tired tonight. They had to give her benatral for itching probably because her bellarubin is going up. Lets hope she gets off the respirator. They turned down the settings while I was there and she did good. I talked the doctor out of giving her a trach for now. They are going to try to wean her off the respirator. Platelets were up (for her) to 42. Highest they've been while in the hospital.
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4 comments:
Thanks for the update Chris, Kathi also has been wonderful at keeping us posted on Robin's condition.Don't give up Robin is stronger than anyone I know.
Take care of yourself, please give a hug to Robin and the kids from auntie LiseAnne. (Robin always calls me that)
Love from Canada
LiseAnne
From Kathi's Visit With Robin Earlier Today:
Today when I got to the hospital I found Kathy R. from Annunciation waiting in the ICU
waiting room. She said that they had asked her to wait a few minutes
before going back (this was about 9:30 a.m.). So we waited there about 10 minutes and
then I called back and they said we could come on back. When we went in Robin was
sleeping, but we soon woke her up. I noticed right away that she was red and appeared
swollen on her upper chest around her neck. So I found Nurse Susan and asked her about
it and she said it was probably an infection from the central IV line that goes into Robin's
neck. She said that they would try to get another PICC line put in and then take that
one out and culture it and the give Robin some antibiotics for it. By the time I left today
about 4:15 p.m. (Chris was there then) they still had not put in a new PICC or removed
the central line, but they had hung some Flagel (antibiotic). Chris was going to look into
the other.
Robin stayed awake all morning and was quite good with the white board today.
Jean and Lourdes and Lourdes's mom stopped by. Everyone is writing in the journal that
Ethel left there and I think this is such a great idea and I'm sure Robin will enjoy
reading it all sometime soon.
Robin was writing much more clearly. It appears from the questions Robin was writing that
she wants her visitors to keep talking and to tell her about what you have been doing
(especially if it has to do with her kids). She asked Kathy R. about the Girl Scouts'
Trip to Sea World and Kathy told her all about it. Robin sometimes makes a circle with
her index finger which I now think might mean to keep talking or tell me more (not sure,
but that's what I'm beginning to think it means). Robin also wrote that her "head was
itching" so I gently scratched it and she seemed to really like that. About 1:30 p.m.
the Nurse gave Robin a shot of Benedryl to help stop the itching (the nurse she is
itching because of the excess billiruben). Since Benedryl makes you very sleepy, Robin
went to sleep after that for a while.
Chris and I discussed the fact that Robin looked more Jaundice today. We think this
is because they changed her Billiary bag yesterday and when this billiary drain is
draining well, Robin's billiruben count gets much better. So possibly with Robin laying
flat like she is (and this is a gravity drain) and they changed the way they did the
bag yesterday, that this is probably not draining as well as it should. The wound
care nurse yesterday said that they could put suction on this billiary bag is need be,
so Chris was going to check into that after I left.
The "big" news today was the talk of wanting to do a tracheotomy to Robin so
they can attach the ventilator to that and do away with all the tubes in her mouth
and her nose. Robin wrote her opinion of this on the white board "No more surgeries".
We can all understand where she is coming from there. They say she will be more
comfortable without all those tubes in her mouth, but she will still not be able to
talk (although she will be more able to mouth words). I understand that after a
patient has been on a respirator for 10 or so days and it looks like it will continue
on for a while longer, then it is time to discuss a tracheotomy. Ethel left a note in the red
folder this morning saying that the doctor had discussed this this morning before
I got there. Ethel had called Chris to discuss this so I was waiting to hear more
from Chris. It turns out I didn't because Chris didn't have his cell phone. So sometime
this afternoon two anesthesiologists came in this afternoon and introduced themselves
to Robin and said they were there to get some information because Robin was
scheduled for a tracheotomy tomorrow morning. This upset Robin and I told Robin
that I would call Chris. When I did get a hold of him (he actually called me about
that time), I asked if they had called him and gotten permission for the surgery.
He said no and I told him Robin was upset so he said that he would be right there.
After he got there the respiratory therapist happened to come in so we started bombarding
her with questions. To try to make a long story short, she ended up turning Robin's
respirator back down to 2 breaths a minute and let her stay there a while. Then she
tested the oxygen in her blood and looked at other vital signs and said that Robin was
doing fine like that at that time. By the time I left they were going to leave it set
like that and see how Robin did. They were also going to call Dr. Sunshine so Chris
could talk to him (and the respirtory therapist would talk too), so I'm hoping in the
end that she will won't have to have the surgery, but I'm sure they will make the
right decision.
So due to being in a wedding, I will not be in the hospital for the next three days.
Jean says she will be in early tomorrow. Chris may take tomorrow off from work (especially
if any surgeries are planned). I'm sure with all Robin's wonderful friends, she will have plenty
of company. If somebody wants to send out an update that will be great. Otherwise, I
will be back in touch with everyone on Monday!
Sorry for lots of spelling errors and jumping all around, I'm a little bit tired right now!
Everyone take care,
Kathi
Katelyn, Ethel, Erika, Debbie K, and myself all visited Robin tonight from 7:45-930pm. Robin was awake and happy to have so much company.
Katelyn and Erika practiced some of the routine that they'll perform this Saturday at their Dance Finale in front of Robin. I think she really enjoyed the preview of the show! I will take some video of it to show her on Sunday.
Ethel got talking about the upcoming dance, and Robin wanted to write to Ethel and Debbie: "Buy all Katelyn's Dance Stuff". Ethel assured her that all had been taken care of...
We all watched a little of "Grey's Anatomy" in between high kicks and jumping jacks!
The Nurse - Sabrina "another for the good list" told us Robin's platelet count was 40k+ which is better than yesterday's high of 25k! HR 100-93+BPM and breathing was good and steady. They are going to give her a test tomorrow to see if she can breathe without the respirator. Robin can't wait!
Robin is breaking her shackles of tubes slowly and one-by-one! So the prayers and good well wishes are working!!! Keep them coming!
We are thinking of you all and have been reading the updates daily for ...
Hugs from Hotlanta,
Varmint, Beth and Family
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