No news – so not much to blog about today. Sorry.
I went home after lunch today and crashed on the couch with our big blanket. ZZzzzz. Felt so good after so little sleep last night. I think I slept almost 2 hours. Got up, showered, then back to the hospital. Had time to throw the lasagna in the oven (thanks Laurie and Lana) so I went back to the hospital with two containers, each containing a big hunk of lasagna. Yum!
Had a few visitors today (thanks Bruce & Cherie, Sherrie, and Rose) which helped break up the day. Oh – and Amanda actually got to venture outside the boundaries of her room today. Ted took her for a walk down the hall by the elevators and vending machines. Woo Hoo! Big scenic tour! haha.
Now I am feeling good vibes for tomorrow – Monday. I just know we’ll be headed north to Detroit tomorrow. Do you feel the vibes?? Oh Lord please may it not just be my phone vibrating.

just Laurel

Good Morning Wyandotte.

Have you ever seen the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell? It’s about a weatherman who finds himself waking up and living the same day over and over again. Well it feels like we are living our own version of that movie: wake up to blood-thirsty phlebotomists at 6am, wash up and get out of bed, take meds, order an omelet for breakfast, then sit around all day waiting for things to change.

Oh what a night we had, though. Sleep? What’s that? I may have dozed off a little after midnight. Hard to tell. But somewhere around 1-1:30 there were nurses and respiratory therapists poking their heads in the door. Now our room is pretty much dark and it’s bright in the hall – so when you crack the door open, the light floods the room and pretty much you are awake. The pulmonary doctor was on the phone and wanted to know the settings on Amanda’s bi-pap (the machine and mask people use for sleep apnea – Amanda has used one for 5 years but because of this bout of pneumonia, they have yet to find the best settings for her – still trying to get her to exhale/blow off the CO2 her body is hanging on to). The settings on the machine were just not working. From 1:30 to 3am they were in and out, switching settings, changing masks, on the phone with the doc. Finally satisfied they told Amanda she could sleep now. I was wide awake. Hello Facebook! I got the ‘ole laptop out and was looking around – nobody else was awake to talk to though 🙁 . I think I dozed off around 4. And then the phlebotomist came a knocking at 5:30. Yeah – they turn on the overhead lights so they can see. And so night ended and we were up for the day.

Well despite the night with no sleep, all the fussing and changes paid off with a morning CO2 of 52.3 – HUGE drop from the day before where we started at 89. I am sure the doctor will be gleeful when he shows up today. I may not be awake to talk to him, though.

Still need to get to Children’s Hospital. I cannot rest until she is seen by the Neuorsurgeon and we can rule out any neurological issues. If no transfer today, I may see if we can take her there ourselves tomorrow (Monday) if we get the pulmonary doctor to concur.

Have a good day everyone.

just Laurel

Just another day in room 219.
Amanda has been up all day – maybe one short nap. Her CO2 level keeps bouncing everywhere and keeps everyone guessing. It was sky-high this morning at 89 and this afternoon it sunk to 68.
We are starting to go a little stir-crazy.
The only relief today was the visitors we got. Thank you, neighbors Jake and Kristen, for stopping by. And thanks, Jill, for seeing us as well. You all were a wonderful break from the monotony of the hospital.
I wish I had more news.
Maybe tomorrow.
Gotta hope for tomorrow.

just Laurel

Last night I slept.
And slept.
And slept.
I think I went to bed at 10pm. Although I woke a few times, I was in bed until 7am.
Have been working on paperwork that piles up when a person is gone from home. On laundry load number 3, getting some banking ready and a small grocery list. I need milk for my coffee and we’re almost out of shampoo! Again – it’s the little things 🙂
Ted and Amanda had as good a night as you can expect. Just got word of her morning CO2 and it took a huge jump up again. If it is a true reading – then Amanda is a mystery as to how she can be sitting up, chatting away, and acting as lucid as she is.
I am getting restless to finish up all these little errands and get over to the hospital. The hospital has become home – because home is where your family is – and Ted and I have not been in our house together for 2 weeks now – and being home by myself like I am this morning although peaceful, it is very lonely. I miss Ted and the only place I get to see him right now is at the hospital.
Prayers for hurting families at the 2 funerals at church today. Prayers for the nasty flu outbreak to take leave and allow families to get back to health. Prayers for God’s will for Amanda and for rest and patience for her parents.

just Laurel

Things are the same.
Amanda’s PCO2 isn’t moving (an increase would be bad, a decrease would be nice).
Still at Wyandotte Hospital.
Stuck in a limbo world of hospital life.
I heard the doctor waiting to see us at Children’s was wondering today where we were and when we were coming – maybe he can have a temper tantrum and get us moved in there?
I heard that our nurse today called twice about a bed there for Amanda and they repeated the same reply: “No beds”.
Sad for two funerals at our church tomorrow for friends who have left this world to be in their heavenly home.
Thankful for Ted’s safe drive to and from Indiana today.
Thankful for hospital visits by Clara and the Busse family.
Exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep – hope Amanda and Ted have the same.

just Laurel

Two weeks! We’ve been here two weeks! 🙁 Half a month – gone.

Unbelievable.

Yes, we are still at Wyandotte. Yes Amanda is having an omelet for breakfast. Yes I’ve had coffee this morning (the vending machine actually produces an acceptable cup o’ joe). Yes Amanda is pretty much the same. Her CO2 is about the same – at 69 today – heading the right direction as it was 70 yesterday.

Thankful for the little things. Trusting there is a reason we are here so long and having to wait for our transfer to Children’s Hospital.

Amanda and I both slept relatively undisturbed from about midnight to 6am. Not bad. Ted slept fairly well at home and is on a round trip drive to Indiana and back. Prayers for safe and alert driving.

Hope y’all are healthy (keep away from that flu!) and tgif everybody!

just Laurel

Still here.
Amanda’s pulmonary doctor is happy with how she is doing but was not comfortable releasing her yet to home. Ted and I agree. I can measure if a wound is bleeding or if she is eating or puking but I cannot measure her CO2 – and that’s scary. So we stay. The doc said the flu was backing off and that he was hopeful we could get to Children’s soon.

So we sit.

just Laurel

Maybe it will be a lucky day 13? I just don’t know. But here’s the scoop:

Amanda seems stable now. Everyone walks by her room and says, “Are you still here?” Apparently the flu this season has been super nasty and Children’s Hospital is bursting at the seams with sick kids. Obviously, we don’t have a room yet and with the weekend coming, chances will probably be even more slim for us getting in. One doctor this morning suggested we go home for the weekend. That makes me a little nervous – but if they are comfortable with it – then I am. I already sent a note to the clinic nurse at Children’s Hospital to let her know the situation. Maybe she could push some buttons and get her in over there today. Another doctor just stopped by and said it would be up to the head Pulmonary Doctor to make the decision – home or not. I made it clear that although going home would be nice that I don’t want to do it if it’s the wrong choice for Amanda. Don’t want to risk going home and having respiratory failure.

So we are sitting on the fence – waiting to see which way we’re gonna fall. Hunkering down here another day? Getting moved to Children’s? Going home?

Stay tuned for the next episode!

just Laurel

Sorry, readers, but I must report that Wyandotte Hospital is still our home. So that’s the bad news. Good news is that Amanda had a good day. She looked wonderful (thanks to her morning shampoo) and has been up in her wheelchair all day. They had her on 3 liters of Oxygen for the past week – they squeaked it down to 2 liters to see if she could do well with that – and has done fine all day. She ate a good breakfast, noshed on Cheetohs and diet coke in the afternoon, had a cup of ice cream, and we are now waiting for Ted to bring in dinner. Tonight we are dining on SUSHI! There happens to be a fairly good sushi place near Wyandotte Hospital and once we go to Children’s Hospital in Dee-troit we won’t be browsing the neighborhood for food. The medical center rather stands alone with no restaurants nearby.

I want to shout out a big thank you to Cathy Tuxbury – a church choir friend. She came by to visit today with lots of healthy stuff – apples, bananas, and oranges plus bottles of water, diet coke for Amanda, and some naughty but delicious powder sugar dusted German walnut cookies. (I’ve eaten two already – and they are big!) Cathy and I talked and visited for over two hours. Thanks, Cathy, for breaking up our day with you visit! <3

So, in the words of Goethe: we are trying to "Enjoy what you can; endure what you must."

All is well for now. Hope all is well for y'all.
Thanks for reading.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

just Laurel