Brighter days ahead??

Originally published on Multiply, December 1st, 2007


Well, finally on Friday we got some good news!!!!! Tony is going to the Julius Richardson on Monday morning, around 9am to 9:30am, either by ambulance or disabled transportation.

While in there he will have to dress as he would if he was at home, so I have to pack a bag for him. I don't know how long the rehab at the center will last, but I sure hope he'll be able to come home for Christmas, even if he is not totally back to his old self, which he obviously won't be, as recovery could take as much as 6 months, but not in a rehab center.

The reason he and another patient at the hospital are able to go there Monday is because 2 patients that were in rehab have gone as far as they can, and are being moved back to the hospital to await placement elsewhere, I guess because the rehabilitation didn't completely work for them, which is very sad and I hope that won't happen to Tony.

Yesterday Tony got a PICC line installed on his left arm, you can read all about that on the link I provided. It is a surgical procedure done by a doctor (although the web site says a nurse does it, at the hospital only a doctor can do this), Tony was sitting in his chair and relaxing when orderlies came in the room to say he had to be moved to the bed because the doctor was coming to do the PICC line.

Of course everything happened at once, while this was being done, 2 visitors came to see Tony, one was his niece Anna and the other was a customer of his, who had been wanting to send him flowers since the first day he was here, but I had been telling her she couldn't because there was no room to put them :) we waited about 3/4 hour for all to be finished and then they were able to visit with him. Then another one came, a long time friend who works with him, and he probably wasn't there 10 minutes when a team came in with a portable X-ray machine to take an x-ray of the PICC line, to make sure it was in the right place, so everyone left at that point and he was able to rest a bit, although now, everything is positioned on the same side of the room, the IV pole, the TV and the over-bed table, if his right arm was working I would be able to put that on the right, but we're kind of stuck.

And on top of that, the PICC line is supposed to avoid the need for other IV lines, but because the Vankomycin he takes for the infection cannot be going through the same line as the Heparin, they still had to run another line on his right arm!!!

The doctor very much wants him off the Heparin drip, but they can't seem to be able to get his INR (International Normalized Ratio) is still below the level he needs it to be - which is between 2.5 and 3 and his is way below that, the last report was 1.7 and the day before he was 1.8, so it's going in the wrong direction - same as when he got his stroke! So the doctor upped the dosage to 10mg last night and I hope today it will be somewhere in the range. It would be so much easier if he didn't have to have the Heparin drip all the time, specially when he goes to rehab, I can't see him having to drag an IV pole around and do whatever activity they need him to do to recover. And they have 2 days to get that straight!!! I'm glad the the doctor is working at the hospital this week-end.

He's also on a modified pureed diet, meaning he can have some solids, such as a slice of bread, and yesterday both lunch AND supper were identical!!! Pureed vegetable soup, and vegetable lasagna, the only change was the dessert. At least he's able to swallow these pretty good, now if we can get the arm and hand going he'll be able to cut his food himself, I pray that will happen some day.

I myself had a blood test on Thursday - I'm also on Coumadin, because I had a pulmonary embolism back in 2002. I haven't had any problems since I take the Coumadin, my dose is pretty much standardized and my INR level is usually stable. But since Tony is in the hospital, I am not eating right, I haven't had any vegetables or fruits since he's in there, the odd time I have something but not with regularity, so it's not surprising that my own INR level is out of whack, mine is too thin, whereas Tony's is too thick. So my hematologist left a message yesterday that I wasn't to take any Coumadin last night and he would call back today, of course I won't be home. I have a hair appointment at 9am and then going to the hospital, so I told Pat to tell the doctor to call me on my cell phone. I know he's gonna give me hell about this, but I'll explain why. I used to eat a lot of broccoli, which is high in vitamin K, which thickens the blood, and now that I haven't had any for so long, the blood has gone thin, so I now know why, and we'll have to work on getting the INR in check again.

Well, that's it for now, I better get ready for my appointment and get breakfast. You all have a great day!! It's brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr cold here now, at the moment with he wind chill factor is it -20C (-4F) a very cold day indeed!!!

moscreations wrote on Dec 2, '07 Yes everyone, I know I have to do better with my eating, :) but it's hard when I eat over at the hospital because I haven't cooked anything here since he's been there, and it will be a month on Monday - Nov 3rd - Dec. 3rd. So it's not surprising that my own INR went out of whack, I totally forgot about that. MOM that's exactly what I have been thinking of doing, and maybe bring a dip too, but still I have to be careful that I don't overdo it too quickly, because then my blood will be too thick. The doctor called Friday night saying to stop the pill on Friday and he would call Saturday, but the man never did!!!! Really ticks me off, so I decided last night to skip the pill again, but I can't do that tonight, he better call today - I can't call him, he's doing this from home!!! Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement and support, and the prayers I'm sure is why he's able to get to rehab faster than we had anticipated. Today I have to bring some clothes for him to wear tomorrow morning for his trip there and also a bag for him with clothes he will have to wear while over there. I don't know if I will be able to be there as much as I am at the hospital, since he will be doing rehab (as I understand it) morning and afternoon - we'll have to wait and see.

moezie wrote on Dec 1, '07 hip, hip, horray mo :o) i'm glad to hear that tony's going to JR on monday ... and eat your broccoli woman!!! xoxox

barbarab1313 wrote on Dec 1, '07 Finally things seem to be moving along. It sounds positive, He will be able to recover more quickly now. (((HUGS)))

mombaker wrote on Dec 1, '07 Yayyy!! I'm so happy that Tony gets to go to rehab sooner. Everything is falling into place. Put some fresh veggies in a baggie to carry with you at all times to munch on. That may help your situation. I'm still praying for you both. God is with you at all times watching over you & taking care of you both & loving you sooo very much. God Bless!

kandaphati wrote on Dec 1, '07 Wow... so much is going on. Hope things will get better and better. But the weather is so cold. Even the cold storage in my country is warmer (-18C). Please take very good care of yourself, Mo.

mistyshadows2u wrote on Dec 1, '07 How nice it is to open mail to find Tony is finally getting a spot at the rehab. This should help immensely with everything he needs to relearn. You better smarten up with your own eating habits cuz you can't afford to get sick.