Dad has had a really rough week. The following is a running timeline of events (as posted on my sister’s Facebook page).
May 7 My dad needs some positive thoughts his way! He is in The ICU with major organ failure, BUT we made it through the night and we are inching our way over the hump. His heart and lungs are doing much better; his liver is improving too! We are hoping for some kidney improvement soon!
May 7 Long day. Dad is resting comfortably and is able to get pain meds on a regular basis! His blood pressure is still low, but is being maintained which is great. He is a sick guy, but has fought his ass off! We just need to maintain organ function through ivs so we can start dialysis in the morning. We got some food in us and are staying positive! Hoping for lots of progress tomorrow. Wish him luck!
May 8 Mini celebration time: Dad’s newest tests this morning showed lung stability and slight increase in pancreas function. Doctors are starting dialysis at 9:15am. This will be a lot for Dad to handle, but once it’s in we should be good. Positive thought time.
May 8 After lots of very very hard work from nurses and doctors, Dad has a rhythm and a pulse. We had lots of CPR and shocks for Papa John. Two hours of fighting for his life and we got the catheter in!!! Pacemaker is being put in now.
May 8 Pacemaker in!!! Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!
May 8 We are 20 minutes into dialysis! They would like to be able to remove fluid from blood, but at this point he can only handle it being cleaned. Blood pressure is being monitored closely. This is the easiest way to update, sorry for filling up news feeds!
May 8 Time to celebrate!! We made it through our first round of dialysis. They were able to remove 2L of fluids as they cleaned the blood… Which is what we hoped for. His blood pressure is looking good and our next step will be to maintain through the night so we can do another 6 hour cleanse tomorrow. Even though he is sedated, he has fought quite hard today–hoping for a peaceful night.
May 9 Yay for 6 hours of peaceful sleep in the waiting room! Dad had a steady night! The nurses were able to reduce some doses throughout the night, which means Dad is working on his own more and more! They even cut back on oxygen through his ventilator. His kidney function has started to look up as well! His doctor is here and seems shocked and happy about Papa John’s progress!
May 10 Dad is doing a bit better. Organ functions are slightly improving and his heart is hanging in there. Still in medically induced unconsciousness but he is nothing short of a miracle. Doctors are happy with the improvements. He still has a long way to go but he is tough!
May 11 Got a call 2 hours ago that I needed to get back to the ICU as fast as possible. Pops had to be rushed into an emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his abdominal cavity. The nurses explained the odds and severity of this surgery (pressure should be at 8, his was 27). With a 10% chance to make it through, our Dad kicked ass and is back into ICU!!!!! This is a big hurdle and the next 3 hours are crucial, but we know he will keep fighting. Kidneys are looking OK, lungs seem decent, heart is still beating, pancreas is deteriorating and liver is looking a little damaged. Another long night ahead of us. Positive thought time!
I’m glad Barrett has been keeping track of it all. Our family has been on an emotional roller coaster. Two steps forward; one and a half back. My mind has definitely gone to some very dark places (I broke down in tears this afternoon in the arms of a very large woman; a stranger who had been sharing the ICU lobby with us). That said, we’re optimistic that he is making some progress. Watching the staff at St. Mary’s Hospital, and all of the amazing technologies, has given us a tremendous amount of hope. Please keep your thoughts and prayers coming our way. We desperately need them.
neocrunch 