Tue Dec 31, 2013

Wow, what a day it has been!

It was a looong night Monday night.  No more shaking episodes but still fever, sweat, repeat.

Tuesday we checked in at 6 am and he still just didn't feel good.  We got thru the intake dept.  I told each nurse what had transpired within the last 24 hrs.  Finally in pre-op his temp got to 102.8 and that finally got some attention.  That and the awesome pre-op nurse Mora.  She put the skids on and alerted the anesthesia team and Dr Treptow.   They took one look at his temp and heart rate and said "not happening!"

Dr Treptow agreed and ordered stat blood cultures, urinalysis, etc etc etc.  They started giving him bolus IV fluids, IV Tylenol, IV Dillauded (sp-pain killer) and he was admitted.  We started out on the 6th floor (our home away from home this month) with our first inpatient nurse Heather.  We were so pleased, love her!  We had a sweet nurse practitioner from Ireland that went over his history and she said the shakes were called "Rigors" (sounds cool in an Irish accent:) and they are caused by high fevers.  I said, "but he gets the shakes before the fever and then he vomits, shakes some more, gets a high fever and finally stops."  She said that's how it happens.  Doug still seems to think he's coming off of narcotics but they didn't think it could happen so soon.  Everyone is different however and Doug has always been sensitive to medications.

They started getting some of the test results back and it quickly became apparent that he wasn't going to meet the criteria to stay on 6th floor so we were transferred to ICU.

We got here and his heart rate was 120-130, temp was at least 101.5 usually higher and blood pressure as low as 74 over 43, and averaging 82 over 55.  They continued to give him IV fluids and started on the antibiotics Merrem, Vancomiacin, and one other one I can't remember the name of!  Then he got the uncontrollable shakes and spiked a fever (again.)   That got a little bit of attention.
When test results started coming back they ordered more tests (we've see 3 different phlebotomists)
as well as blood gasses.  His Hemoglobin was 10 this am and dropped to 7.  They are still questioning the viability of the port and that it may be compromised soooo.   He had a procedure to put in a central line (in his neck, yep, it looks.....oh so painful.)  They asked me to step out of the room as it is a sterile procedure.   When I came back he has a contraption with tubes coming out of his neck. Yikes!  He said they numbed him up pretty good.  I'll take a picture and show him later....AFTER they take it out.  :)

After mega doses of fluids and antibiotics he is finally stable.  We are waiting on blood right now and that will hopefully give him another boost.  His heart rate is 92 and bp 85 over 56.  Not great but better.  And just for the record, those forehead thermometers are hogwash!  It's too easy to "brush over" the skin, just don't get a true reading.  OK, I'll get off my soapbox now.

So the "plan" (said loosely) right now is to get him over this and do the procedure later in the week.

God has given us so many divine moments, right when we need them.  Thank you for all the texts calls and facebook messages.  They mean so much to us.

As always, we know God is in control.  Above all we want HIM to be glorified in and thru us and our journey.   We love you guys and covet your prayers.

Jan, Doug and Eric

P.S.  Happy New Year.  2014 has GOT to be better!  :)