Amanda 7.2

… more duh-duh-duh-Ddddddddd’s …

“D” is for DONE. Test was done real quick.  She was a champ and did not even need sedation.  First impression of the spinal fluid was that it was “nice and clear”.  That’s a good thing.  Infected fluid is cloudy fluid.  Now they will look at it microscopically and try to see if they can grow any staph or other bacteria.

“D” is also for …

DELICIOUS.

Amanda sat up in bed at lunch and ate some chicken noodle soup and a buttered roll. She did pretty good.  Musta been delicious.  (I sampled it and it was pretty good – you know – for hospital food.)

Popcorn is also delicious – and my dear Teddy knows that I really really like popcorn – good ‘ole buttered, caramel, cheddar, or kettle corn. He’s been buying me bags of it so I have something to snack on either at the hospital or at home when I’m recharging my batteries.

“D” is for DEAR.

There I was, waiting my turn at the hair salon last night with my eyes closed … and just as I drifted off to sleep someone starts kicking my foot. A co-worker at the surgical center I work at had read my postings and knew I was going to be at the salon and she happened to have an appointment right near mine and came with a lovely gift:  a very sweet card, a puzzle book !!!!!  Yay Yay Yay!  I have a puzzle book to work on at the hospital when I’m bored.  And a bag of chocolates – not just any chocolates but Hershey’s HUGS.  I really like my job – I tell people that all the time.  But when you can work with people you like (and Krista – my salon friend- is not the only co-worker I can say I like) and to be able to call them my friends – THAT is so very DEAR.

Enough duh-duh-duh Dddddd’s for now.

Just Laurel

Day seven in the hospital is brought to you by the letter “D”

“D” is for DRIVE and today Ted has to drive to Cleveland and back for his job. He was up early and that brings us to another lovely “D” …

DELIVER

He stopped by the hospital on his way down the road to deliver me a cup of coffee   🙂    It was lovely.  However, the nurse was nice enough earlier to also bring me a cup of coffee (not as good as the one from home) but that resulted in too much caffeine.  One of those should have been DECAF.

Amanda slept a lot last night but is doing this DESAT thing.

What is that “D” word you ask?

Amanda’s oxygen levels all night would DROP and she would ‘desaturate’ – meaning she was not receiving enough oxygen through her lungs – and the alarms would go off and her heart rate would soar to try and move the oxygen-carrying blood. It’s like watching a roller coaster … all … night … long … and with all the bells and whistles and alarms.  Okay – I shouldn’t complain ‘cuz we both slept pretty well from 10p to 3a … and THEN the roller coaster ride commenced.

“D” is for DREAM. As I was sitting next to Amanda’s bed and DOZING off I had a dream that Amanda was in our kitchen at home and sitting in her wheelchair.  She started turning purple and all those other awful colors that she turned last Saturday and I said, “Oh look everyone, look at her color, she’s going to crash” …. And then I woke up.  Bad dream.  Bad bad dream.

So right now I wait while she finally has her spinal tap – or lumbar puncture – whatever you want to call it. We need to see if her staph infection is in her shunt and brain.  That will DETERMINE what happens next.

ttyl

just Laurel

The letter of the day is “A”

But you should already know that since this is day 6 … part 2.

And “A” stands for

Advances … as in … we are making advances. Finally.  Went for a CT scan of the head and spine so that they can get ready to do the spinal tap.

We’ve been waiting for this because it will give us…

Answers.

I pray the staph infection has not invaded her head and shunt. If it HAS then we might be looking at a transfer to Children’s Hospital of Michigan and having her shunt replaced.

But it is better to have answers than to sit in the despondent valley of the unknown and unanswerable.

“A” is also for appointment.

I feel guilty because I had a hair appointment today at 5pm and I was going to cancel it but Ted said I should go. Treat myself.  Don’t reschedule.  Clara said I should go too.

Ted can hold down the fort

See you all back here in awhile. (not really an “A” word – they are two separate words – but I feel like doing what I want to do since I don’t really have much choice for the rest of what’s happning around me right now!)

just Laurel

Day six of Amanda’s stay in the hospital is brought to you by the letter “A”.

A is for airway – and Amanda is definitely breathing better with her oxygen requirements turned way down. When she is awake she continues to breathe without her mask and gets by with the nasal cannula.

When Amanda is awake, however (another A word if you hadn’t noticed) she is irritable and uncomfortable – she keeps repeating “I don’t feel good I don’t feel good” and when I ask her where she feels bad she replies, “Allover.” (another A word)

The answer?

Acetaminophen

For those of you who don’t know – that’s the generic drug name for Tylenol. We have found that a healthy dose of acetaminophen swallowed down with some applesauce has done wonders for making her comfortable.  She must feel just awful.  Tylenol is the answer.  She got a good dose at 6am and has rested quietly for 3 hours now.

A is for awesome.

That’s what my cup of coffee made by Teddy and delivered to me piping hot from home just the way I like it at 6:30am tastes.

A is for anniversary.

Today is my daughter Jillian and her husband Andy’s 4^th Wedding Anniversary.  Happy Anniversary <3

Just Laurel

Today’s update is brought to you by the letter “P”

Because “P” is for

PATIENCE

And Lord I need a big dose of it!

Sometimes things just move slow in the hospital … and tests don’t get done … and things don’t happen fast enough.

And besides that … although Amanda is breathing MUCH better, she is still very sick and that makes her restless and difficult. She squirms, and moves, and wiggles, and wants her pillows fixed and she’s STILL uncomfortable and when you ask her want she wants she replies that she doesn’t know.

“P” also stands for

PIZZA

Such a convenient dinner … I buy one, eat a few pieces for dinner, then I go back to the hospital and Ted comes home and eats pizza for dinner too. Very microwavable.

“P” is also for

PROGRESS

…of which we are not making much of … in any direction.

Just Laurel …

Sitting here eating pizza …

Trying to be patient.

The letter of the day is “T”. Fitting that it is TUESDAY – but that is not why I chose “T”.

“T” is for TEMPERATURE and our room here at the hospital is freezing. I won’t take my fleece jacket off.  Amanda, who is usually always cold, says she is NOT cold – although her hands feel like ice.  She does not have a fever – even though she is fighting an infection – but every once in a while her poor little body shivers and TREMBLES … nasty infection.

“T” is for TEST as we wait to have a spinal TAP done … they need to see if the staff infection has invaded the shunt in her head or not – if it HAS – then we will have new decisions to make.

TIRED. TIRED.  TIRED.  That is a “T” word that I know all of you can understand without explanation.

TOMORROW. I don’t know.  Can’t plan much further out than a day right now.

THANKS – for all the good wishes and prayers.

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

And on a fun & light note: from the “Lion King” … Hakuna matata … it means “no worries … for the rest of your days”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB5ceAruYrI

Just Laurel

BTW I just thought that if there are some of you out there who would like to read ‘the rest of the story’ about Amanda:

Since the letter of the day is “S” ….

Amanda has a STAPH infection … SPOKE to a very nice infectious disease doctor … we aren’t sure of the SOURCE of the infection … but the staph definitely did a number on her lungs … but waiting to see Neuro doctor … making sure staph is not in her brain or her SHUNT …

Another “S”

They got Amanda cleaned up and she was thrilled to take some SIPS of ice water – after that first sip she had a look of pure bliss on her face.  She held her own with just an O2 nasal cannula … breathing on her own.  She is too tired to do anything but will wake up and talk a little when she has the STRENGTH.

The STAPH infection has knocked her on her butt … she is sick sick sick (another “S”) but holding her own … doctors have been great but we SIT and wait and wait and SIT.

just Laurel

Wish I could say more – but not much has happened. We are still in the ICU.  Amanda is not better – no worse.  Like the last time she had pneumonia she is blowing up like a sausage from all the fluids.  Not pretty.  She mostly sleeps while she gets help with her breathing.

I shall try to give you more of what I’m feeling … it seems I have some time here to write.

The letter of the day shall be “S” – and “S” stands for “sad,” “scared,”.and “still.”

Why are Ted and I sad? After her last bout of pneumonia and three weeks of hospitalization, we NEVER wanted to do THAT again.  I’ve been so sad lately ‘cuz I had a feeling she was spiraling downward to this … and she did.  It’s not fair.  For her.  She can’t eat or drink, hooked up to IV’s and breathing machines, black and blue from needle pokes … It’s just not fair.

Why are we scared? The unknown.  How many days?  How many weeks?  How long will this hospitalization be?  How long until we can go home?  How long until Amanda can go home to her apartment?  How long will we live the hospital life?

So that leaves “still”.

Psalm 46;10 Be still and know that I am God.

I’m trying.

Just Laurel

Here’s an Amanda update … in case you were wondering …

And…

No news … is just no news.

She’s not getting worse … sleeping a lot … she’s getting help breathing but is requiring less oxygen – that’s a good thing! Can’t eat or drink anything yet.  Waiting for more blood tests and a consult from another doctor to determine if she really is improving and what it is we are really dealing with.

I’ll post more when there’s more to post.

Thanks for your concern and interest and prayers.

just Laurel