Encouraging

With Auntie Marcy

Every morning around 9 a.m., doctors make their rounds and when it's time for them to discuss Jayson; I usually join them along with 1-2 or family members or friends who are around. Today I was joined by my dear friend, Marcela, who was my classmate from middle through high school.  

As we discussed Jayson's status at the entrance way to his room, we noticed some movement from Jayson.  He was lifting his left hand and reaching across to his right abdomen and began scratching his side.  His nurse went to the right side of his bed as he opened his eyes.  She asked him if he was feeling any pain and he shook his head. He was attempting to lift his right arm while the nurse was trying to calm him down. Marcela, who was standing next to the nurse reached over and held his right hand and kept it down.  Meanwhile I stood on the left side of his bed with a hand on his forehead encouraging him to relax. I also told him he was doing a great job and we're all waiting for him to wake up, but it was not time yet.  I told him it would be a few days until they take his breathing tube out. The nurse increased the dosage of a medication to help him relax and soon after that he closed his eyes and has been restful since. 

Our meeting at the doorway resumed and they reviewed the care that was done the last 24 hours and the plan for the day.  The word that came to mind during the meeting was "encouraging".

His sodium level was one of the concerns yesterday.  That number has decreased from 158 yesterday morning to 147 today.  His doctor said that the safe range is 145-147.  The increase in free fluids (no salt in fluid) they gave him along with the medication to help him urinate more has helped bring his sodium level down.  However, the increase in the fluids has a resulted in a positive 4 liters more fluid in his body.  He is retaining more fluids and we see evidence of that in his fingers.  They are more swollen than they were just last night.

Jayson is opening his eyes more frequently and is more responsive!  Thank you Lord! When his respiratory nurse was suctioning out some fluids in his mouth, he was grinding his teeth a bit and was biting the suction catheter.  She told him not to bite on it and he immediately stopped.

Right now his blood pressure is still elevated and his systolic number is fluctuating in the 140s-160s. This along with his fever has been the focused of his nurses the last couple of days.  He's being given Tylenol regularly for his fever.  So far, there is no evidence of any infection.  His blood cultures to check for any bacterial growth have all been negative. There are still few recent cultures in the labs, but results are pending.  Jayson's also being given blood products, (red blood cells and platelets) when his counts are down.  His doctors and nurses are doing an excellent job in managing his care. 

One additional thing I wanted to let you know is that his normal skin color is slowly coming back. He still looks like he spent some significant time in a tanning booth, but the center part of his face is a lighter color than the perimeter.  

For today, he is scheduled to get another CT scan at 11 a.m.  His doctor wants to have a more recent picture of his brain to see if there are any changes. We have a meeting at 1:30 p.m. with his team of doctors, nurses and social worker to discuss plans for the next couple of days.  His extubation is scheduled for Monday. So during the meeting the doctors will review the plan and discuss the possible scenarios during the procedure. His doctor is optimistic and doesn't believe we will have the same problem as the last attempt.  His respiratory therapists have been suctioning any fluid buildup regularly and there's no evidence of any internal bleeding in his mouth, nose and throat.  

As I finish this post, Jayson's nurses are preparing him for his CT scan.  They will be leaving shortly.  

Our eldest daughter, Kristen, brought some of Jayson's school pictures the other day and I hung a few of them in his room.  Jayson's been in the hospital for about 12 days and in PICU for 11 of those days. He's been sedated for 9 days now and most of those who've been taking care of him have never seen Jayson smile or heard him speak. With these pictures, they can now see his smile and early next week I pray that they will hear his voice.