Monday, June 30, 2008

There’s been great progress in Kenny’s recovery in the past 72 hours. He’s doing fine on the new ventilator and the ROTO BED is gone. The “Mc Daddy” ventilator has been removed from his room, as there is no need now for it to be there as a “backup”. So many unbelievable changes have occurred over the weekend. He’s adapting to the new ventilator. I don’t understand how it works, but all of the respiratory therapist say the numbers are amazing and can’t believe Kenny is responding so well. All of the IV lines have been minimized. No more morphine, but he’s still getting a sedative to take the edge off. His eyes have cleared up and he’s alert and responsive and definitely knows all of his family. He’s moving his hands and legs and it’s obvious that he is getting restless and agitated. The nurses say that is expected and “restraints” are on standby. The PA checked his neck for possible injuries and it appears he passed the “Raise your right hand for YES and left hand for NO” test. Hopefully the neck collar will be coming off REAL SOON, like today. Which brings us to the BIG NEWS. Kenny was rolled down to the Operating Room today at 12:30 pm for a tracheotomy. The doctors are amazed at his progress and decided it was time. The “trach” should make Kenny a lot more comfortable, speed up the healing of his lungs, and if he gets rid of the neck collar also, he should be a happy man. The doctors told us that when he started to improve, we would be amazed as to how fast his recovery would start to happen. I’m here to report that is CORRECTO. Some physical therapy for his weak muscles will get him back on the right track. All of these things are a slow process and will take time, but we are convinced that he is on the road to recovery. Please continue to keep Kenny in your thoughts and prayers.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

It’s been 24 hours since Kenny was switched over to the other ventilator. It’s still doing his breathing, but all of his vitals are still holding. The paralytics were stopped and he is “coming out of the fog”. He can open his eyes and seems to be focusing left to right. His eyes are really GLAZED OVER, but we believe he can recognize all of his visitors. It’s obvious that he is already getting agitated and is trying to talk with the tubes stuffed down his throat. Over the past few days, there has been a battle of the egos with his two doctors. The attending physician seems to have won and it’s evident by Kenny’s improvement over the past 24 hours. The steroids were stopped and the morphine is being reduced. Some of the tubes will be removed in the next 24 hours, and his last chest x-ray looked REAL GOOD according to the team of doctors. He’s still in the Shock Trauma Intensive Care Unit and the ROTO BED is supposed to be replaced with a regular bed today. Much Thanks to Debra and Edna for all the snacks and goodies.

-Gary

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Today was a great day for Kenny! This morning he received a feeding tube and by late afternoon he was switched over from the "Mac Daddy" ventilator to a regular ventilator. Kenny is still heavily sedated, but does open his eyes when you talk to him :) Hopefully he will continue to show progress like he has today!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

As of yesterday morning, the ventilator was steadily reading in the mid 20’s. By late afternoon, Kenny was transitioned from the “Mac Daddy” (fka STAR WARS machine) ventilator to the normal ventilator. Within two hours, he was placed back on the “Mac Daddy” ventilator because his blood gases were reading low. Kenny’s color looks great, swelling is down, and his vitals are still good. Currently they are reducing the paralytics and we are praying for a successful transition of the ventilators tomorrow. Kenny is still sedated and the paralytics should take about three days to get out of his system.

Part 2: Kenny put a new meaning on three days! Try five hours and his eyes were slightly open and he was moving his mouth. What a surprise it was to walk in a see this! The nurse said he was hard to put out 30 days ago (yeah I said 30!) so she wasn't too surprised that he was already starting to come out. Kenny still looks good and hopefully they will try to switch the machines again tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Yesterday was the first time the medical staff has used the word “Progress”. Kenny’s oxygen level is holding at almost 100%. The ventilator setting has been reduced to 40 from 100, but is still doing all his breathing for him. The respiratory therapist told me this morning they will be aggressively reducing the ventilator settings one digit at a time every 12 HOURS. If they can get it down to 27 from 40, he will be put on another ventilator that will only support him breathing by himself. WE HOPE AND PRAY THIS WILL BE THE TURNING POINT FOR HIS RECOVERY. There’s a lot of 12 HOURS ahead and he’s hanging in there. Hopefully no more repeat fluid build up in his lung, pneumonia, infections, or fever.

Monday, June 16, 2008

The last 5 days have been really stressful for Kenny, the medical staff, as well as the family. Thursday night his lungs failed and he was receiving no oxygen from the ventilator. A new breathing tube was put in and worked. The doctor gave us little hope that he would make it through the night, but he did. Friday and Saturday he got a little better and they started trying to wean him from this respirator and have got it down to 50%. The thick fluids that settle in his lungs would not suction out of the breathing tube and Sunday morning the doctor put a drain/suction tube in his left side. This appears to really help and he looks a lot better. He’s still medically paralyzed. Hopefully, real soon, they will be able to keep lowering the oxygen on this ventilator and change it to the other one before pneumonia sets back in again. He’s still in critical condition.

Wedneday, June 11, 2008

Kenny’s condition hasn’t really changed in the past week. He’s got another bacterial infection in his lungs and is being treated with antibiotics. The ventilator tube in his throat got a hole in it and the respiratory therapists tried to make adjustments with the machine, but it didn’t work. They finally had to replace the tube. The ventilator has continued to pump 100% oxygen into his lungs. They’ve tried to lower it, but with no success. In the past 48 hours, they have attempted to lower the oxygen to 80%, only to return to 100%. His lungs just aren’t healed enough. For the past 24 hours, he has been holding his own at just 80% from the ventilator. This is the best news we’ve had in days. They are going to aggressively continue lowering the oxygen. Hopefully his lungs are starting to heal. He’s still in ICU, medically paralyzed, and critical but stable condition.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Kenny’s still on the respirator (8 days) and paralyzed. He completed the 7 days of antibiotics and the infection appeared to clear up. The oxygen is returning to his lungs, but for some reason he keeps rejecting the respirator. Today he was put back on antibiotics because the chest x rays show that he might be developing pneumonia again. It’s a long slow process with minor, not major set backs. The bed tilts from side to side and keeps the infection from settling in his lungs. He’s still in stable, but critical condition. Here is a picture of the bed that tilts: