Saturday, February 19, 2011

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

My mom always says give me the bad news first.  I'll start with the ugly and work my way up to the bad and good.   My neighbor took me up to the hospital last night.  When I got there they said he's in total acute renal failure and they are waiting for the equipment to start him on continuous dialysis.  The dialysis caused his blood pressure to get even lower and they have him on medicine trying to get that up.  It was really low before the whole renal thing.

During the night, they started having trouble with his oxygen levels again.  They have a second machine brought in to give him nitrous oxide, I think, with the oxygen.  It's supposed to open his vessels in his lungs so they can absorb more oxygen.  His chest x-rays are a little worse today, than yesterday.

The wee bit of good news is, his fever finally broke and he started making some white blood cells.  So they are hoping that his immune system is finally kicking in.

There was a different head Dr. on today and he actually spoke to me during rounds.  The previous guy just let the underling Dr's and the medical student talk to me.  This new guy seems like he could be Dr. House's cousin or something.  My neighbor Di, suggested last night that they call his work and see if someone has been out of the country or is out with something similar.  Because when he became sick on Friday, he couldn't get any time off with half the employees were out sick, as well.  Since it's a call center, and he doesn't have an assigned desk, he has to go to whatever station and phone is open when he gets there.

This Dr. said that was good information and he wanted the numbers right away.  It's an atypical pneumonia or virus. They thought for sure he had to have traveled out of the country.  Nope, I wish we could afford that.

Momma says, I got a fan.

I'm sitting here waiting for my friend that I met on Ravelry and Plurk last year.  She's up in Phoenix.  Last year, when we almost were homeless, she was going to house our pets for us, so we wouldn't have to worry about having to lose them. She wants to meet the infamous Dammit, Led Zeppelin bunny.  People who aren't on Ravelry are really missing out, such a great place.



Over Christmas, Susie was shocked at the lack of Christmas Cheer we had around here.  No Christmas pud, no mince pie, stale fruit cake that nobody eats they just re-gift for decades.  So, she mailed off a package.  After two months traveling, it finally arrived today, looking a little worse for wear.  I messaged her on Ravelry and she said she was just thinking this morning, watch it show up now after sitting in customs for two months. Just when I didn't want or need it.  Actually, I do want it.  I'm just glad to know a customs agent didn't make off with our bit of Christmas Cheer.  I'm going to set it aside for when D gets out of the hospital and we can use it to celebrate.


Dammit says, Man that really stinks.  Christmas has been so lacking every year.  As an English Spot, I was hoping for a proper English Christmas.  Now, I have to wait some more for my pud.  Pop hurry up and get well.


Last night, I was sitting here checking messages and I heard a familiar cricket sounding little peep.  One of the eggs hatched.  She wouldn't let me see it.  Last time we had waited a few days to peek.  It's soooo small, the head is no bigger than the tip of my pinkie. I have very small hands.  It's that small pink thing in the middle of the photo, right near the Mama birds head.

Last night, Di and J had me over for dinner.  She bought alien eggs (Brussel sprouts) as the vegetable just for me.  D hates them, so I hadn't had them in years. J had asked her, "How the hell is Denise eating over there? D does all the cooking."  (He does most of the cooking)

She answered, "She told me that Thursday night she stood if front of the refrigerator and asked it how the hell do you cook for one?"

That's why he does most of the cooking.  He knows how to cook for one or one and half.  I'm the half, as I eat like a bird.  You send me in to cook something and I will come back with huge pots of stuff enough to feed half the neighborhood.  I'm used to cooking for my sons. What can I say.


The other bit of good news, I'm getting quite a work out, walking up and down hallways and stairways.  My sciatica and FM pain has not flared one bit.  (Knock on all the wood.) D was the one walking four to five miles a day from the bus stop to work and back again.  I think I'm about up to that now.  When me moved down here, I said, if I could get walking good again, things will clear up for me.  That's what happened before, years ago,  when I started working at the pizza place.  Until that one bad winter, when I fell on ice and slippery tiles several times.  Of course, they refused to write it up.

Oh well, my friend just called she's been stuck for hours in a traffic jam between here and Phoenix. There was a bad accident from the dust storm.  The winds are terrible today.   So we rescheduled for next week.  Hopefully, she'll get free soon and get back home safely.  I'm going to head back up to the hospital.  If there is  anything new to report, I'll write another post tonight when I get home.

I played with my comment settings so they come to my e-mail, hoping that I could respond to you.  The return address is to noreply@blogspot.com   grrrrrr.  That didn't help much.  Anyway, yes, I'm drinking water through out the day with my coffee.  I just make sure to drink a couple cups right away in the morning after going a whole night without fluids.  It's really hard to sleep drink.

I really appreciate you all keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.  I'm sure when D gets home he'll appreciate the support you're giving me, as well.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hope D is home to share in the Christmas pudding real soon!

Chrissy said...

I'm glad that you are managing physically. You don't need that extra worry. I think it is interesting that this new doctor is actually thinking a bit laterally. Hopefully it will lead to some improvements. Its great news that D's white cells are starting to come back and that the fever's broken.

I'm still rooting for you over in the UK. Hang on in there.

Wanderingcatstudio said...

I think your D will be home sooner than you think!

supertinks said...

I just wanted to let you know me and my OH are thinking of you and keeping our fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for D. Sounds like new Doctor is a good one!

Dina said...

Denise, keeping both you and D in my thoughts and prayers.

nursenikkiknits said...

I've seen a little nitrous oxide make a lot of difference. It's good stuff and I think the main reason they don't always include it for ventilation is that it is expensive.

As a crazy side note... after my dad had bypass surgery 5 years ago he got a bad wound infection and had to go back into hospital. Within days he became neutropenic (no white cells) and his kidneys shut down. After a scary couple weeks it turned out to be a very rare reaction to an antibiotic called vancomycin. Definitely a case for Dr. House but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Here's hoping you have many many thing to celebrate for Christmas 2011.

Rudee said...

My prayers continue to be with you. I'm hopeful he'll turn a few positive corners soon. I'm sending you positive thoughts.

Susie said...

Hey, I'm disappointed my pudding isn't The Ugly ;-). How inappropriately timed can a pudding be? I hope Dammit enjoys it when he gets some ;-).

White blood cells! That's fantastic news. Sending good wishes and hopes that they're multiplying as I write!

Julie said...

My thoughts and prayers are with both of you

It is good news that you are not suffering with all the essential exercise

Take care, will be thinking of you xxx

Teresa Kasner said...

Hi Denise, gosh this is just scary stuff. I hope you have good news for us soon. I'm glad you are not suffering from the exercise. I have a bad knee and could not do what you're doing. I have faith that things will look up for you both soon.

((hugs)) Teresa

Cookie said...

Right now, we'll take whatever good there is. I'm glad they are looking into what's going on with your D. Still thinking about y'all and sending the fluff covered love.

xo

Marushka C. said...

I'm just catching up on blog reading and so sorry to hear that D's still in the hospital & you've had such a scary time of it. Sending you both good wishes (but no Christmas pudding)!