66 Hours and Counting!

The good news is that Jon has been off the ventilator 57 hours and counting! The bad news is that he has had several episodes of bradycardia with his heart rate dropping to 30, or even 20, a minute and the preferred rate is 60. Several times they have had to administer atropine to get the heart rate back to normal.


We now know that what we had been referring to as a respiratory infection is really pneumonia. His temperature is still ranging from 99 to 103. Today his arms felt really cool. Since he is mostly at a gentle recline--although enough to have a barrier at the foot of the bed to stop him from slipping down--his lungs get very congested. He was not sitting any today mostly because he had already had a busy day. He had to have another really deep cleaning of the lungs. The doctor and nurse both said they’ve never seen quite as much gunk in a person’s lungs as they did today. When I asked how much of that was due to pneumonia and how much due to his smoking the answer was “both.” (To those smokers out there my motherly advice is a strong “Stop now!”) Not being able to cough due to little, if any muscle control in that area, has not helped the situation any either...the stuff just sits in his lungs, gets sticky and hardens.


They have been introducing him to regular food in addition to what he gets through the stomach tube. The goal is to get his digestive system used to working again. Yesterday for lunch he had small amounts of tomato soup, ice cream and good old Mountain Dew. (Joe was there when they were planning the menu and he mentioned how much Jon liked that drink.) Food creates a new problem-one of constipation, so relieving that was the other part of a difficult morning. Today, they sent applesauce, potatoes and gravy and cooked carrots...we stuck with applesauce--on second thought I’m not so sure that potatoes wouldn’t have been easier; he tried to chew the applesauce. Eating is more difficult due to the fact that he did lose a few front teeth which I hadn’t really noticed before. I’m too short to get a good head on view--now that there is a footstool that we can stand on it’s easier to get a good look at him and to read his lips.


Jon is wearing braces on his hands to keep his fingers from staying in a constant fist. He frequently asks to have them removed and we have been using that time to put on some lotion and message his fingers. Carol asked the physical therapists if there were any exercises we could do with him so that is one way we’ve used to pass the time. He does have the TV on occasionally and Joe has brought in some of his favorite music.


They are trying to find another facility to place Jon. We had really wanted to have him transferred to Dodd Hall in Columbus but he’s not quite up to rigorous physical therapy yet. They have found a place in Lima, Triumph Hospital, which is an intermediate care type of facility. The nursing ratio where he is now is 2 to 1 and at Lima it is supposed to be 4 to 1 which is better than going upstairs at Parkview where it is 6 to 1. With as many times as his heart rate has dropped and the suctioning of the lungs and throat it is probably best that he stay right where he is for the time being. The other drawback is finishing the application for Medicaid since every place insists on having at least a pending application number for financing his stay...can’t blame them there. I’ve had a bad cold and didn’t notice calls on the answering machine--or the cell phone which stayed in the car for about a day and a half!--so I missed the opportunity to take care of that this week.


The search is still on for his keys, one of which is to his storage unit which is where we think his important papers are since we can’t find them anywhere else. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have asked for information and its been denied because I’m not his wife and he hasn’t put down another person to have access to information or property. Will be getting power of attorney as soon as the doctor says he is competent. If that doesn’t happen soon I’ll have to appeal to a judge, I guess.


Sorry this has been so long and late in coming. Angelique is swamped with work and papers to write for school, I’ve been staying away due to a cold, and Carol is trying to work, keep up with school and see Jon as often as possible.


Thanks again for your prayers and visits. If you are coming down with a cold try to cut back on visits and with the way colds and flu seem to be flourishing it wouldn’t hurt to ask the nurse for a face mask while visiting.