My leukemia's back.

[Alaskan]

Hey @Alaskan, How's your dad?

thanks for asking


and eh......

how to sum up.... remember they couldn't sedate him last Saturday. .actually. .was that 2 weeks back, not 1???

Whatever.... maybe I should do a full recap.. see if my mental time line straightens out.

So, 12 hour surgery on the Thursday after Saint Herman's feast day. He woke up that Friday pretty well, by afternoon he was out of ICU...by 1 am he went back in.

They couldn't give him enough pain medication since his heart rate was too erratic as well as much too low.

That first Saturday he was developing postoperative pneumonia and having trouble breathing so they intubated him. They wanted to put him out for 2 days but ended up not doing so because his heart rate was too low.

Then Sunday he went into Septic Shock, but Monday the fever went down. His kidneys were looking bad Monday, but through the week they very very slowly started improving.

But, he was still in a great deal of pain, still not many pain drugs because his heart rate is so low... and he was still intubated as well as on a ventilator. So.. he would freak out on occasion and try to pull out his jillion tubes... so they put restraints on him. -sigh-

Then last Saturday when my sis and mom were there he freaked out badly enough that they gave him a dose of Haldol, first time. By that point, having been intubated for a week, his mouth was all raw and bloody and gross.

Christmas, Monday, he kept slowly improving with his kidney function.

Tuesday things looked a bit eh.... Wednesday they discovered that he was bleeding internally somewhere in his chest cavity. They went ahead and switched the intubation tube out for a tracheostomy. He needed 2 units of blood Wednesday.

Yesterday, Thursday, they did a 2 hour exploratory laproscopic surgery to find the bleeding source. Doctor decided it was just generalized seeping, and reduced (or was it discontinued? ?) his heparin. While on there for 2 hours they removed a bunch of blood clots. He got 2 more units of blood Thursday.

Doctor says it looks good, and we should start seeing a gradual improvement.

Exhausting just going through it long distance. ... I have gained 5 pounds!

 

[Blooie]

Oh, wow! I've been off BYC for a couple of months, so I had no idea your dad and your family was going through this. Prayers for continued improvement for him and for a boost in sanity for you!

 

[MrsMistyReal]

Prayers and blessings to everyone

 

[N F C]

thanks for asking


and eh......

how to sum up.... remember they couldn't sedate him last Saturday. .actually. .was that 2 weeks back, not 1???

Whatever.... maybe I should do a full recap.. see if my mental time line straightens out.

So, 12 hour surgery on the Thursday after Saint Herman's feast day. He woke up that Friday pretty well, by afternoon he was out of ICU...by 1 am he went back in.

They couldn't give him enough pain medication since his heart rate was too erratic as well as much too low.

That first Saturday he was developing postoperative pneumonia and having trouble breathing so they intubated him. They wanted to put him out for 2 days but ended up not doing so because his heart rate was too low.

Then Sunday he went into Septic Shock, but Monday the fever went down. His kidneys were looking bad Monday, but through the week they very very slowly started improving.

But, he was still in a great deal of pain, still not many pain drugs because his heart rate is so low... and he was still intubated as well as on a ventilator. So.. he would freak out on occasion and try to pull out his jillion tubes... so they put restraints on him. -sigh-

Then last Saturday when my sis and mom were there he freaked out badly enough that they gave him a dose of Haldol, first time. By that point, having been intubated for a week, his mouth was all raw and bloody and gross.

Christmas, Monday, he kept slowly improving with his kidney function.

Tuesday things looked a bit eh.... Wednesday they discovered that he was bleeding internally somewhere in his chest cavity. They went ahead and switched the intubation tube out for a tracheostomy. He needed 2 units of blood Wednesday.

Yesterday, Thursday, they did a 2 hour exploratory laproscopic surgery to find the bleeding source. Doctor decided it was just generalized seeping, and reduced (or was it discontinued? ?) his heparin. While on there for 2 hours they removed a bunch of blood clots. He got 2 more units of blood Thursday.

Doctor says it looks good, and we should start seeing a gradual improvement.

Exhausting just going through it long distance. ... I have gained 5 pounds!

Al, everyone must be exhausted...what an ordeal. Keeping you & yours in thoughts and prayers. Girl, you earned those 5 pounds!

 

[FridayYet]

thanks for asking


and eh......

how to sum up.... remember they couldn't sedate him last Saturday. .actually. .was that 2 weeks back, not 1???

Whatever.... maybe I should do a full recap.. see if my mental time line straightens out.

So, 12 hour surgery on the Thursday after Saint Herman's feast day. He woke up that Friday pretty well, by afternoon he was out of ICU...by 1 am he went back in.

They couldn't give him enough pain medication since his heart rate was too erratic as well as much too low.

That first Saturday he was developing postoperative pneumonia and having trouble breathing so they intubated him. They wanted to put him out for 2 days but ended up not doing so because his heart rate was too low.

Then Sunday he went into Septic Shock, but Monday the fever went down. His kidneys were looking bad Monday, but through the week they very very slowly started improving.

But, he was still in a great deal of pain, still not many pain drugs because his heart rate is so low... and he was still intubated as well as on a ventilator. So.. he would freak out on occasion and try to pull out his jillion tubes... so they put restraints on him. -sigh-

Then last Saturday when my sis and mom were there he freaked out badly enough that they gave him a dose of Haldol, first time. By that point, having been intubated for a week, his mouth was all raw and bloody and gross.

Christmas, Monday, he kept slowly improving with his kidney function.

Tuesday things looked a bit eh.... Wednesday they discovered that he was bleeding internally somewhere in his chest cavity. They went ahead and switched the intubation tube out for a tracheostomy. He needed 2 units of blood Wednesday.

Yesterday, Thursday, they did a 2 hour exploratory laproscopic surgery to find the bleeding source. Doctor decided it was just generalized seeping, and reduced (or was it discontinued? ?) his heparin. While on there for 2 hours they removed a bunch of blood clots. He got 2 more units of blood Thursday.

Doctor says it looks good, and we should start seeing a gradual improvement.

Exhausting just going through it long distance. ... I have gained 5 pounds!

Sounds like what happened to my dad between his first and second surgeries. (Or was it between #2 and #3? Sepsis was between #4 and #5 - I remember that.) Almost lost him and couldn't get him off the levophed that was supporting his blood pressure, and couldn't give him pain meds or his blood pressure would bottom out. Thought he would never get extubated.

Here's hoping you see signs of recovery soon!

 

[Alaskan]

Sounds like what happened to my dad between his first and second surgeries. (Or was it between #2 and #3? Sepsis was between #4 and #5 - I remember that.) Almost lost him and couldn't get him off the levophed that was supporting his blood pressure, and couldn't give him pain meds or his blood pressure would bottom out. Thought he would never get extubated.

Here's hoping you see signs of recovery soon!

yeah!

What a roller-coaster!

 

[FridayYet]

By the way, my dad was either in the hospital or in a rehab hospital all summer, and only home 9 days between Memorial day and Labor day.

He's doing great now, and decided to go to the VA for driver's training to learn how to use hand controls. He wants to buy a van so he can be more independent. Whatever makes him happy - his training starts Tuesday.

 

[Blooie]

I’m so happy to read how well he’s doing! It was a tough haul when he was facing such a traumatic loss.

 

[FridayYet]

I’m so happy to read how well he’s doing! It was a tough haul when he was facing such a traumatic loss.

Thanks.

The mechanical engineer in him is definitely back - you should see all the bungie cords for his water bottle, carabiners for keys, tools, etc, pouches for his cellphone - attached all over his wheelchair.

 

[getaclue]

Al, prayers are going up for you, and yours during your dad's struggle. Don't concern yourself over the 5 pounds now.