Organic Chemistry lessons

I wanted to update yesterday but Dave's laptop and the hospital network were not cooperating. I could have probably utilized one of the hospital computers during Dad's bath last night but chose to take a relaxing walk with my camera around the calming, new, artful structures recently unveiled. If Dad is alert(moving hands and feet, looking around & coughing) I usually interact with him. Otherwise, I try watching an epic episode of 'The Back of My Eyelids' in the recliner chair.

Saturday was prep time when I got home. Since Kelsey had been sick and I leave between 8-9pm for the hospital, I had not checked earlier for the chili recipe from the music department. A trip to Meijer to purchase all the makings for chili was in order. Kelsey had the 4:45pm shift at school so the large roaster of chili to feed 20 went with her. Courtney went swing dancing at GVSU and Dave and I left for a 'date night' with the folks at the CCHS music department soup supper. I savored Chicken Soup for the Soul...you could have labeled it that. Dave had chili. Add a baked potato, salad and a yummy dessert and dinner was complete. I can't say the best part was I didn't have to cook, because I did prep and cook chili. It was nice to enjoy all the rest of the stuff without the work.

Friday night they performed an upper quadrant ultra-sound. Everything looked normal. About 1:00am Saturday, nurse Lillian came in with news that Dad's blood cultures had come back positive with gram positive cocci, http://members.tripod.com/piece_de_resistance/SAARS/bugs/mgpc.htm . Since they don't know if the bacteria is directly in his system or perhaps from a 'bad line', such as his pic line, they started him on an IV of Vancomycin. Nurse Lillian also had to draw more blood to culture so they have a 2nd sample to confirm where the bacteria is living. She is very good with drawing blood. She got a very nice draw from the pic line which is almost impossible for anyone else. She said they had also sent in a culture for C diff, http://aids.about.com/od/otherconditions/a/cdiff.htm . About 3:00am he was making frequent attempts to cough. His breath patterns are always effected with this agitation. He continued to battle a fever 38.9º - 40.2ºC, which is about 103-104ºF. He gets Tylenol every 4 hours for the fever. We wish there was something more effective. The broken trach made him 'bubble' (sounds like bubbles being blown through one of those bubble pipes) and caused more phlegm, requiring more frequent suctioning and coughs with the ingenius respiratory suction catheter.

Nurse April was frustrated with his feeding tube. She went through 5 bags and tubes trying to re-connect it after the ultra sound, without success. He received dialysis in the afternoon. Nurse John was ecstatic they were able to remove 3 liters of fluid through dialysis! The best treatment yet. Nurse Lillian was successful at connecting his feeding tube back up. She said they have had numerous problems hospital wide with the tubes. Dad was very alert when I arrived shortly after his dialysis treatment. Nurse Lillian said he had been lethargic most of the day. As mom and I were talking and she was kissing him good-bye I told her Dad had a healthy grip on my hand. I stayed close to his side most of the night talking with him. He continued to have a fever and 'bubble'.

Mom arrived about 8:15am this morning so I could get to church at 9:00am. Dave and I were going to visit after church, but Mom called to say they had taken Dad down to surgery to put a new pic line in on the left side. His temp was down to 38.5)C before that procedure. It went very well. This evening, Dr. Foster performed surgery to replace the defective trach device. He inserted a longer and larger trach device than was previously used. They told Mom that there have been 3 defective trachs just this week! A pharmacuetical rep will be coming this week to the hospital regarding the defective trach devices and feeding tubes. I am leaving soon to relieve mom.