Thanksgiving was a peaceful day at home. We spent the day with the kids going for walks, bike rides, and playing at the park. JoDee was able to get out and walk about a block to the local park, rest for a while and then walk home. The whole trip took us about 45 minutes. It was excellent for her to get outside in the sunshine and take in some fresh air. We had a wonderful meal delivered from local friends which allowed us to spend quality time together as a family, something we hadn’t been able to do for quite a while. Thanks to all of those who helped make our day a little brighter. We are truly grateful for wonderful friends.
Friday was another great day for our family. JoDee directed as we began to decorate for Christmas. It is great to see her more active and able to be up and about. She is not able to move very fast, but can actually manage quite well on her own. She is able to do stairs slowly by herself now, which is amazing progress in the four short days she has been home. All of her walking along with practice on the incentive spirometer is paying off and her lung capacity has increased by about fifty percent since she has been home. She is now able to use about a total of thirty five percent of her total capacity.
In general JoDee is feeling much better. The pain is still quite intense and we have to manage it so she can get through the day and rest at night. She’s getting back to her sarcastic and humorous self more and more each day. It is painful for her to laugh, but we are laughing more every day. Laughter is good medicine for the soul. JoDee has mom help her with her hair most every morning now, and she is able to wear something other than pajamas. We had to change the dressing on her incision for the chest tube yesterday. I got about half way through and about tossed my cookies, so I had to go get mom to help finish it up. JoDee has a waterproof dressing so that she can shower daily, which is a good thing.
We have had a wonderful thanksgiving together as a family. As I stated, this has been due to our great friends who have taken such good care of us. We thank all of you for your love and support and join you in having so much to be thankful for. Happy thanksgiving and Merry Christmas…more tomorrow.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A day at home
It has been great to have JoDee home. She has done very well at making her way around the house and spending time with the kids. She has actually been able to manage the stairs quite well. I find it amazing how quickly you can forget how crazy three kids can be. I guess our time in the hospital was a lot quieter than I realized. Today has been full of errands and to-do lists which have been neglected for nearly two weeks and needed to be done prior to the thanksgiving break.
JoDee was able to shower and put something on other than a hospital gown, which I think helps her feel a lot better - we’ll cut her some slack for wearing pajamas all day. She has been able to sit and watch the kids play, and it has been funny to see her try and get after them if they do something wrong. She obviously can’t move very fast or talk very loud, so it is really quite funny for us, but frustrating for her. We have been able to spend some good time together as a family and we look forward to enjoying Thanksgiving together. We definitely have a lot to be thankful for.
JoDee was able to shower and put something on other than a hospital gown, which I think helps her feel a lot better - we’ll cut her some slack for wearing pajamas all day. She has been able to sit and watch the kids play, and it has been funny to see her try and get after them if they do something wrong. She obviously can’t move very fast or talk very loud, so it is really quite funny for us, but frustrating for her. We have been able to spend some good time together as a family and we look forward to enjoying Thanksgiving together. We definitely have a lot to be thankful for.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Home at last
JoDee was finally able to come home today. Her chest tube was removed this morning at about 11AM, we had follow-up x-rays this afternoon along with some more discussions with the doctors and nurses, and she was home for supper at about 5:30PM. Though we are nervous on how to tend to all of her needs at home, it is truly a relief to have come to this result. As you can imagine, there were many times on that cold and snowy Saturday night when I did not know what the morning would bring. It is a great feeling to have my family safely in one place, a feeling I hope to never take for granted again.
JoDee seems to be handling the oral pain medication better than we thought. She was quite nervous that the medication would make her nauseated, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem right now. It does make her quite sleepy. It has been great for the kids to see her back at home, I think it gives them a sense of relief too as it has been difficult for them to grasp the gravity of her situation. She's now relaxed and sleeping in her own bed...with about a thousand pillows.
With JoDee home we now have a different set of challenges and needs, so it will be interesting to see what this next chapter in our experience brings us. I cannot say thank you enough to all those who have shared, offered or given of their time and resources to help our family. We truly appreciate all that has been done for us, and I’m sure there will continue to be more opportunities to help as we move forward. Today has truly been a great day for our family. Thanks again to all who have made it a little easier for us to get here. More tomorrow…
JoDee seems to be handling the oral pain medication better than we thought. She was quite nervous that the medication would make her nauseated, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem right now. It does make her quite sleepy. It has been great for the kids to see her back at home, I think it gives them a sense of relief too as it has been difficult for them to grasp the gravity of her situation. She's now relaxed and sleeping in her own bed...with about a thousand pillows.
With JoDee home we now have a different set of challenges and needs, so it will be interesting to see what this next chapter in our experience brings us. I cannot say thank you enough to all those who have shared, offered or given of their time and resources to help our family. We truly appreciate all that has been done for us, and I’m sure there will continue to be more opportunities to help as we move forward. Today has truly been a great day for our family. Thanks again to all who have made it a little easier for us to get here. More tomorrow…
Monday, November 23, 2009
Slow but good
Today has been a slow but good day. JoDee was finally able to get the stitches removed from her head injury. Mom was able to bathe JoDee and wash her hair again. All of the walking is paying off as it is allowed JoDee to finally get off the oxygen which has been driving her crazy. She is progressing well enough that they have stopped her IV pain medication and have resorted to oral pain meds, which is obviously a necessary step in our preparation to get her home. Unfortunately these orals cause her to feel quite nauseated and dizzy, which makes going for our nightly walks a bit difficult…or at least interesting. We were only able to do three quarters of a lap tonight (had to take the short cut back to the room). I know these drugs are designed to help with pain, but they sure have a lot of other undesirable side effects.
JoDee is resting now, and my only hope is that she can have a restful night. It’s amazing how difficult the daytime can be for her if the night is rough. She is in pretty good spirits and, like I said before, it is great that she can recognize her own progress. There is a pretty good chance that she will be able to get the chest tube out tomorrow, it has already helped drain about 1800 cc of fluid. I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been for her body to rid that much fluid, I’m sure it would have caused a lot of problems. I think she will feel much better after the tube comes out; it causes quite a bit of pain in her chest and actually up in her left shoulder. We will be happy to get rid of the “garden hose”. Here’s to tonight…and tomorrow.
JoDee is resting now, and my only hope is that she can have a restful night. It’s amazing how difficult the daytime can be for her if the night is rough. She is in pretty good spirits and, like I said before, it is great that she can recognize her own progress. There is a pretty good chance that she will be able to get the chest tube out tomorrow, it has already helped drain about 1800 cc of fluid. I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been for her body to rid that much fluid, I’m sure it would have caused a lot of problems. I think she will feel much better after the tube comes out; it causes quite a bit of pain in her chest and actually up in her left shoulder. We will be happy to get rid of the “garden hose”. Here’s to tonight…and tomorrow.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Epidural troubles
We had another rough night as JoDee’s pain started to drastically increase around 2AM or so. We had just spoken with the anesthesiologist prior to JoDee going to bed at about 9:30PM. He looked at her back and the epidural and mentioned everything looked great. He saw no problem with leaving it in until after the chest tube was removed in a day or two. Needless to say, we were a bit confused why she was so uncomfortable last night.
At about 9:30AM we were able to finally get another anesthesiologist to come and discuss JoDee’s condition with us. This doctor was concerned about the mild fever JoDee had developed and actually wanted to take the epidural out as early as tomorrow. Upon inspection of the insertion point, she (the doctor) had found that the epidural was no longer in the correct position and had all but been pulled out. This explained the pain JoDee had all night. In short, they had to remove the epidural and resort to IV-administered pain control. JoDee is now resting again and able to relax a little. The systemic nature of the IV-administered drugs makes her quite sleepy, which is good, as she needs all the rest she can get.
At about 9:30AM we were able to finally get another anesthesiologist to come and discuss JoDee’s condition with us. This doctor was concerned about the mild fever JoDee had developed and actually wanted to take the epidural out as early as tomorrow. Upon inspection of the insertion point, she (the doctor) had found that the epidural was no longer in the correct position and had all but been pulled out. This explained the pain JoDee had all night. In short, they had to remove the epidural and resort to IV-administered pain control. JoDee is now resting again and able to relax a little. The systemic nature of the IV-administered drugs makes her quite sleepy, which is good, as she needs all the rest she can get.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Up and about...again
After a rough and painful day yesterday, JoDee has done a lot better today. Thanks to skilled anesthesiologists, her pain is under control and she is able to breathe much better. The “garden hose”, as we call it, seems to be doing its job as it has aided in the draining of about 1300 cc of fluid (I still can’t figure out how they put this thing in her side… I get the willies just thinking about it). So, with less fluid around her damaged left lung we are hoping she will be able to open that lung with deeper breaths and avoid pneumonia.
We were getting used to walks with fewer hoses, cables and wires, but with the chest tube in we now have more gear again to walk with. JoDee made it out for a walk three times today. She is now resting very well and will hopefully be able to sleep well given the exhausting day she has had. Her drive and motivation to get better continues to amaze me. In fact one of the nurses mentioned to us while walking in the hall this evening…”didn’t you just get that tube in yesterday, how can you be up walking?!”….she doesn’t know JoDee!
We brought the kids in to see her, one at a time, as it has been a week since she had seen or talked to them. Needless to say, it was a bit emotional but much needed. I think it really helped the kids to see her and realize her situation. Sadie and mom stayed with JoDee while dad, Zack, Halle and I ran errands and hung out. It was good for me to spend some time with the kids. It’s amazing the zest for life kids have, and their sincere optimism is contagious. Zack made the comment to me today, after visiting with JoDee, “dad, I didn’t know mommy could still talk….that’s awesome!” Sometimes I really wonder what they are thinking. I think JoDee’s visit with the kids was quite refreshing, I know it was for me. JoDee’s spirits are up today, and she is feeling like the chest tube is worth it. It is good to see her noticing her own progress, and I think it builds her confidence. Her goal for tomorrow is to, once again, get rid of the oxygen tube. It’s been a great day.
We were getting used to walks with fewer hoses, cables and wires, but with the chest tube in we now have more gear again to walk with. JoDee made it out for a walk three times today. She is now resting very well and will hopefully be able to sleep well given the exhausting day she has had. Her drive and motivation to get better continues to amaze me. In fact one of the nurses mentioned to us while walking in the hall this evening…”didn’t you just get that tube in yesterday, how can you be up walking?!”….she doesn’t know JoDee!
We brought the kids in to see her, one at a time, as it has been a week since she had seen or talked to them. Needless to say, it was a bit emotional but much needed. I think it really helped the kids to see her and realize her situation. Sadie and mom stayed with JoDee while dad, Zack, Halle and I ran errands and hung out. It was good for me to spend some time with the kids. It’s amazing the zest for life kids have, and their sincere optimism is contagious. Zack made the comment to me today, after visiting with JoDee, “dad, I didn’t know mommy could still talk….that’s awesome!” Sometimes I really wonder what they are thinking. I think JoDee’s visit with the kids was quite refreshing, I know it was for me. JoDee’s spirits are up today, and she is feeling like the chest tube is worth it. It is good to see her noticing her own progress, and I think it builds her confidence. Her goal for tomorrow is to, once again, get rid of the oxygen tube. It’s been a great day.
Friday, November 20, 2009
The ebb and flow
So, as I posted earlier, JoDee had a chest tube inserted to help drain the fluid that is putting pressure on her damaged lung. A few quick and interesting items of note:
1) the doctor had to insert the tube (~3/4 of an inch in diameter) between two cracked ribs on her left side…ouch is an understatement
2) it was the biggest tube possible for use in this application
3) almost 900 cc (or mL) of fluid has already drained
4) chest tubes are extremely painful and it has literally taken two anesthesiologists to be able to get her pain under control so that she could stand to take a breath, oh and 7.5 hours of trying this drug and that drug, relocating her epidural, drugs via IV…you name it
5) drugs are good (the legal kind of course)
Today has been one of those days that the doctors warned us about. But in the long run, a day that was necessary for JoDee’s recovery. Unfortunately, it has set us back two or three days in the near term. Yesterday was a great day and she was actually able to visit with some friends. It will be a while until she has that sort of energy and stamina again. However, getting that fluid out of her body has now become essential to her overall well being. The risk of inflammation and even infection, along with added pressure on her lungs, was approaching dangerous levels. Fortunately, I now think we have her pain under control, and she is relaxing a bit more. I can tell when she is more relaxed by the fact that she is able to take deeper breaths, and not the short “panting-like” little breaths. Hopefully, we can get more sleep than last night.
It has been a bit emotional for mom and dad and I to watch her endure such high levels of pain after all she has gone through. I am so thankful that mom and dad are here, as it has been great to have someone to go through this process with.
I also have to say thanks to Zach and Kristy for being such great friends and for helping us in so many ways. This experience has not been easy on them nor on their family. It has been great to talk with them and to share the emotions of that cold and snowy Saturday night that didn’t end the way we expected. JoDee has been an inspiration to me personally and even after being married now for nine years, I am continually amazed by her drive and determination. The world is a better place because of her.
1) the doctor had to insert the tube (~3/4 of an inch in diameter) between two cracked ribs on her left side…ouch is an understatement
2) it was the biggest tube possible for use in this application
3) almost 900 cc (or mL) of fluid has already drained
4) chest tubes are extremely painful and it has literally taken two anesthesiologists to be able to get her pain under control so that she could stand to take a breath, oh and 7.5 hours of trying this drug and that drug, relocating her epidural, drugs via IV…you name it
5) drugs are good (the legal kind of course)
Today has been one of those days that the doctors warned us about. But in the long run, a day that was necessary for JoDee’s recovery. Unfortunately, it has set us back two or three days in the near term. Yesterday was a great day and she was actually able to visit with some friends. It will be a while until she has that sort of energy and stamina again. However, getting that fluid out of her body has now become essential to her overall well being. The risk of inflammation and even infection, along with added pressure on her lungs, was approaching dangerous levels. Fortunately, I now think we have her pain under control, and she is relaxing a bit more. I can tell when she is more relaxed by the fact that she is able to take deeper breaths, and not the short “panting-like” little breaths. Hopefully, we can get more sleep than last night.
It has been a bit emotional for mom and dad and I to watch her endure such high levels of pain after all she has gone through. I am so thankful that mom and dad are here, as it has been great to have someone to go through this process with.
I also have to say thanks to Zach and Kristy for being such great friends and for helping us in so many ways. This experience has not been easy on them nor on their family. It has been great to talk with them and to share the emotions of that cold and snowy Saturday night that didn’t end the way we expected. JoDee has been an inspiration to me personally and even after being married now for nine years, I am continually amazed by her drive and determination. The world is a better place because of her.
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