More drats and darns!

It’s been quite a week. We finished it Saturday with a birthday party for Barb who turns 46 on Tuesday. Carol worked with Jon on holding a pen last week and he wrote his name on a birthday card for Barb- a nice surprise for her. Angelique brought the game Apples to Apples and was Jon’s partner. Even when he’s not on the vent he’s not talking aloud so they would quietly converse in whispers and motions to make their decisions. He seemed to enjoy the game a lot. Before leaving we all did swallowing exercises with him. He needs to practice them more so he can again pass a swallow test on Tuesday. It was good for a hearty laugh.

We made a list of things we were unhappy with--including a nurse who didn’t “like clock watchers” when told it was time to change Jon’s position. We ended up with some changes in his care but none of that made up for the news on Saturday that the 1 and 1/2 hour MRI he had on Friday showed that yes, indeed, the bedsore had gone into the bone and yes, he has osteomyelitis. This calls for at least 6 - 8 weeks of antibiotics delivered intravenously. He was already on two antibiotics but probably not the strength, or the specific kind?, needed to combat the eating through the bone. We had his continuous feeding changed so he’s getting more protein and it also has added fiber...also eliminated stool softeners, for Pete’s sake! He is supposed to have the wound surgically debrided Monday and then have a wound vac placed on it. That will help tremendously. We’ll have to wait and see what else the plastic surgeon has in mind. He could have a muscle implant and then a skin graft placed over it. That had been suggested back at OSU before they put the vac on it. (The vac is a special kind of dressing sealed off with a hose type attachment that pulls out infection as well as pulls the skin over the sore to close it. The sore fills up with some kind of granular tissue as it heals.)

They have been gradually weaning him off the ventilator. He had been off for 12 hours one day last week. It would be nice if they could put the passe muir valve back on during that time but so far they haven’t and we haven’t really thought of requesting it--will, soon!

Well, that was supposed to be the end of the post but a phone call or two from Barb has brought further complications. Jon’s blood pressure seems to be very low. At one point his breathing actually stopped but they got it going again. That means more time on ventilator and a change in pain medication. She also reminded me that he has a modified barium swallow test on Tuesday. He's passed little preliminary tests on applesauce and something else that escapes me at the moment. He is looking forward to a chocolate Frosty from Wendy's!

If it’s not one thing, it’s another.....Keep up with the prayers, for all of us.
Thanks,