Fever is gone, in part thanks to a new contraption: a chilled-water blanket attached to a dorm-sized refrigerator. White blood cell count is back to normal, and oxygen saturation is what it should be. This is good news, but James is still non-responsive. The most response we have gotten is when he shook his head while Mom was suctioning his throat.
I will admit that I have been pretty angry at God about our current situation. I know He is sovereign and can do what he wants, but I cannot understand why the sweetest human being on earth must linger in this terribly compromised body, and why his family must be beaten into submission by this illness especially after two deaths of people close to us in the last month. Bad and faithless Dad, huh? So you can see why those of you with more balanced perspective must pray all the more for us. Mary of course has rallied from her downtrodden, exhausted state as she always does, but of course I am on pins and needles and have a very persistent flare of gout. I feel childish, wanting someone to acknowledge my pain and either scold me or comfort me. Michael is being unusually supportive and sweet, to his everlasting credit.
I guess that is quite enough for now. Your prayers are working.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
10.31.10 - ICU, fever, sepsis?
James is in ICU. He has signs of sepsis but is receiving antibiotics. Fever was 104, now 103. I think we are refusing a subclavian line. Keep praying, please. B
10.30.10 - History repeating itself
A friend asked recently how James was, and I fired off a short "about the same" reply. I was thinking I would post something here in that vein; sadly, I tell you that things have changed a lot in the last 24 hours.
This afternoon, during the World Series game, one of the caregivers called and said that James's "g-tube" had come out. I've lost count of how many g-tubes had to be changed because of clogs, tears, missing plugs, looseness, or just old-worn-out-ness. It is an annoyance, particularly on the weekend, when we must deal with the emergency department instead of the usual doctors. Mary took James up to Walnut Creek to handle the situation. She was informed that now the ER doctors don't do tubes, the interventional radiologist does them, even on the weekends. The IR was not available, but we did manage to get a temporary tube because JAMES COULD NOT RECEIVE HIS MEDS SIX TIMES A DAY WITHOUT IT. The doctor suggested a temporary "ng-tube", but we refused it, since he hates it and pulls it out, and since watching James get an ng-tube is the WORST THING I have ever experienced. He doesn't mind surgery a bit, but this procedure makes him scream and fight.
Well, we got the tube, but while there, James had a seizure. It had been a very long time since a "big" seizure, but it was only one, so Mary took him home. While we were having dinner, the caregiver called again - James was having another one. He got some Ativan, but the seizures have kept coming. James and Mary are back at the ER. The ambulance driver said his O2 saturation got down to 60 on the ride there. but he will not be intubated; the orders are in place. Mary called just now; his breathing is rapid and his saturation is staying at about 92 percent. His fingers on the right hand are blue.
Is this the trip? Lord, please show your hand and give us strength because we have none left. Mary will call again; pray for God's mercy and comfort whatever the result. B
This afternoon, during the World Series game, one of the caregivers called and said that James's "g-tube" had come out. I've lost count of how many g-tubes had to be changed because of clogs, tears, missing plugs, looseness, or just old-worn-out-ness. It is an annoyance, particularly on the weekend, when we must deal with the emergency department instead of the usual doctors. Mary took James up to Walnut Creek to handle the situation. She was informed that now the ER doctors don't do tubes, the interventional radiologist does them, even on the weekends. The IR was not available, but we did manage to get a temporary tube because JAMES COULD NOT RECEIVE HIS MEDS SIX TIMES A DAY WITHOUT IT. The doctor suggested a temporary "ng-tube", but we refused it, since he hates it and pulls it out, and since watching James get an ng-tube is the WORST THING I have ever experienced. He doesn't mind surgery a bit, but this procedure makes him scream and fight.
Well, we got the tube, but while there, James had a seizure. It had been a very long time since a "big" seizure, but it was only one, so Mary took him home. While we were having dinner, the caregiver called again - James was having another one. He got some Ativan, but the seizures have kept coming. James and Mary are back at the ER. The ambulance driver said his O2 saturation got down to 60 on the ride there. but he will not be intubated; the orders are in place. Mary called just now; his breathing is rapid and his saturation is staying at about 92 percent. His fingers on the right hand are blue.
Is this the trip? Lord, please show your hand and give us strength because we have none left. Mary will call again; pray for God's mercy and comfort whatever the result. B
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