Friday, March 30, 2007
We're Outta Here!
After a couple cruises around the nurse's station, a sponge bath, and mooing for the doctors, RJ is discharged to come home. We dropped off the plethora of prescriptions, and threw him in the shower to get as much of that hospital smell out of his pores and hair as possible!
Looks like the daily routine for this next week includes taking eight different medicines; charting his weight each day; taking and charting his pulse; arranging for long-term insurance and disability to kick in; walking and other exercises (but not too much!); and a followup doctor appointment. That, and finishing up a couple of open house school projects.
For good measure, Monday's schedule includes a visit from an in-home nurse, the city a/c inspector, and the Sears guy. Looks like I will be visiting mom this weekend and bringing some laundry along with me as the washing machine decided to konk out. Actually, it was doing that earlier in the week, but denial only washes so many clothes.
Thank you to everyone who called, visited, and sent cards. As I have kept saying, I'm glad that we are past Monday, and we can only get better from here.
Looks like the daily routine for this next week includes taking eight different medicines; charting his weight each day; taking and charting his pulse; arranging for long-term insurance and disability to kick in; walking and other exercises (but not too much!); and a followup doctor appointment. That, and finishing up a couple of open house school projects.
For good measure, Monday's schedule includes a visit from an in-home nurse, the city a/c inspector, and the Sears guy. Looks like I will be visiting mom this weekend and bringing some laundry along with me as the washing machine decided to konk out. Actually, it was doing that earlier in the week, but denial only washes so many clothes.
Thank you to everyone who called, visited, and sent cards. As I have kept saying, I'm glad that we are past Monday, and we can only get better from here.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Thursday Afternoon
A pretty uneventful day today... some breakfast, some TV, some x-rays, more TV, walk around the CCU, more TV, take a catnap in the chair, more TV.
Larry and Barbara came in the morning for a visit and caught up on the happenings since Monday. The last they saw RJ was late Monday night, when he was hooked up everywhere and still under anesthesia, so this was a great change for them to see him walking around untethered.
Lunchtime, more TV, another catnap in the chair, another walk, another catnap. He is very tired, which is completely normal. It didn't help that he finds his new bed uncomfortable and woke up at 2am with a pain in his neck and down his shoulder. I still have mine, so he didn't get it from me. It was kinda like a muscle spasm, and it didn't help his breathing at all. Once an hour he has to breathe in this plastic gizmo that helps him expand his lung capacity, and this soreness kept him from breathing as well as he was yesterday. The nurse gave him his oxygen back, and that helped.
He talked with the gang from work on the phone, which lifted his spirits. I brought Sammy over for an hour or so after school in the afternoon, and we took one last jaunt around the CCU before heading home. I have to take Kevin over to BJH tonite for sixth grade orientation... we'll see if his new found attitude will carry into the seventh grade when he is no longer BMOC.
Michael's comment
MGD said...
WOW RJ You look great~!!!! I wish I could get down there to see you. But I am pretty busy up here taking care of Karen.
Have a good vacation.... Milk this as long as you can. Get the kids to wait on you and make sure that Lori spoils you as well.
I'll be down there soon so save me some of whatever is putting that smile on your face.See You Soon,Michael
WOW RJ You look great~!!!! I wish I could get down there to see you. But I am pretty busy up here taking care of Karen.
Have a good vacation.... Milk this as long as you can. Get the kids to wait on you and make sure that Lori spoils you as well.
I'll be down there soon so save me some of whatever is putting that smile on your face.See You Soon,Michael
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Walking Wednesday
Today was moving day - from ICU over to critical care. The doctor came in this morning and took out his chest tubes (if you don't know, don't ask..) and removed other assorted bionic looking things (again, don't ask...). When he walked in, I was summarily dismissed - that haughty looking "god-complex" wave that only a heart surgeon can give. Like I really wanted to be there watching!! Ha! I showed him, I was halfway out the door and only saw half of the wave.
They also removed him from the other machines that monitored his progress when he moved, and by the afternoon, we were strolling around the nurse's station. A slow, Sunday-like stroll, but he was happy cause it was the first time he had walked more than a step over to a chair since Monday morning. We played a few rounds of cards as well, the winner had to take a shot of water cause there is no tequila on the ward.
They will probably discharge RJ from the hospital Friday morning, or maybe as early as tomorrow, but won't know for sure till I get there. He is all settled in with his personal DVD player and some old movies at hand, waiting for his amazing dinner of baked skinless chicken breast or something similar. ;-)
Am spending the evening home with the boys, since I haven't seen them much since Sunday. Tomorrow night is the orientation at the jr. high school for Kevin, and I have to take him to that, so tonite's it. I might even ask about the school projects they all are working on - open house is in a couple weeks, so this is project week. This year is a mission, a science project about ice cubes, and a report on alligators. Boy, what fun.
They also removed him from the other machines that monitored his progress when he moved, and by the afternoon, we were strolling around the nurse's station. A slow, Sunday-like stroll, but he was happy cause it was the first time he had walked more than a step over to a chair since Monday morning. We played a few rounds of cards as well, the winner had to take a shot of water cause there is no tequila on the ward.
They will probably discharge RJ from the hospital Friday morning, or maybe as early as tomorrow, but won't know for sure till I get there. He is all settled in with his personal DVD player and some old movies at hand, waiting for his amazing dinner of baked skinless chicken breast or something similar. ;-)
Am spending the evening home with the boys, since I haven't seen them much since Sunday. Tomorrow night is the orientation at the jr. high school for Kevin, and I have to take him to that, so tonite's it. I might even ask about the school projects they all are working on - open house is in a couple weeks, so this is project week. This year is a mission, a science project about ice cubes, and a report on alligators. Boy, what fun.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tuesday Update
Well, the day started out with a phone call from the hospital bright and early at 6:15am. It was RJ calling to say that he was awake and up, wanting to say hi to the kids and asking when I was going to show up. He sounded tired, kinda had the raspy voice thing going, but that was cause of the rawness still in his throat.
I got there around after taking the kids to school, and he was sitting in the chair in his room with tubes and wires running everywhere, waiting for breakfast. Drugs are good things, as well as being able to sit upright and take a full breath.
The doctors came through at different times, and both said how well he did through everything. All tests, numbers, blood pressure, etc. have been great before, during, and after the surgery. We only saw the cardiologist, the surgeon, and the cocktail mixer once during the day, which was a good thing. They needed the time with the guy next door.
I got there around after taking the kids to school, and he was sitting in the chair in his room with tubes and wires running everywhere, waiting for breakfast. Drugs are good things, as well as being able to sit upright and take a full breath.
The doctors came through at different times, and both said how well he did through everything. All tests, numbers, blood pressure, etc. have been great before, during, and after the surgery. We only saw the cardiologist, the surgeon, and the cocktail mixer once during the day, which was a good thing. They needed the time with the guy next door.
We spent the day switching between chair and bed, answering phone calls and questions from the parade of nurses, and blowing in a plastic tube thing. Mom, Cheryl Norris, and Kevin all were visitors of the day. RJ says thanks to everyone for the thoughts, prayers, calls and visits, it is greatly appreciated.
Tomorrow's event schedule includes a walking trip down the hall - woohoo!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Monday Evening
Hello all - Am at home now, sitting here with Tracy. RJ is in the ICU, doing well, has much more color than the dead lady they pushed by us in the pre-op.
The doctor and nurses all said that he came through with flying colors, he had his aortic valve replaced, ended up using a bovine tissue valve (got milk?) instead of a mechanical valve. His arteries are all clear, no blockage of any kind, just a very small leak in the mitral valve, and they discussed in the OR whether or not to fix that one too. The surgeon felt that fixing the one would alleviate pressure on the second one, and it was small enough that it wouldn't cause him to need this surgery again in a couple years for that valve. Other than that, he has a clean bill of health.
The plan is to keep him sedated and under until about 2am this morning; they will take him out from the sedation and off the respirator then, and seat him in a chair (sound familiar, Karen?) The goal is to have him up, help with circulation, help prevent blood clots, etc. They will then let him go back to bed, with the plan of getting him up and out for breakfast at 7:30am - taskmasters, every one of them! My plan is to be there once I get the kids to school.
He has many tubes and the like, but I promise I didn't feel queasy once - who knows about tomorrow, I can hear everyone in the family laughing. As long as there aren't any bolts sticking up out of the floor, Gary won't have to catch me.
Special thanks to Larry, Barbara, Cathy, and Tracy for their help today. Missy came by too, I guess Anaheim has a better therapy dog program than Seattle - 'Juneau' that I didn't even need to buy one at the drugstore. (hee hee hee)
Gotta go to bed so I can be up and ready for another 10 hour stint in ICU tomorrow.
Monday Afternoon Update
OK, we are sitting in the ICU waiting room, and it's 6:00pm. Anaheim actually provides a computer with internet access in the waiting areas, so I didn't have to go sneaking around to find a PC like we did at Harbor View.
We were told he would be taken to his room at 5:30 or so, and then the doctor would come talk to us. I was on the phone over by a window in the hall around that time, and saw them wheel him out down the hall and into the ICU. Still no doctor, but I know that he is good. Lots of tubes, yucky color, the works, but was told to expect that.
Will send another update later, hopefully before I take the Tylenol PM like Lynne prescribed for me. ~ Lori
We were told he would be taken to his room at 5:30 or so, and then the doctor would come talk to us. I was on the phone over by a window in the hall around that time, and saw them wheel him out down the hall and into the ICU. Still no doctor, but I know that he is good. Lots of tubes, yucky color, the works, but was told to expect that.
Will send another update later, hopefully before I take the Tylenol PM like Lynne prescribed for me. ~ Lori
Friday, March 23, 2007
And the Date Is ...
Monday, March 26.
We met today with the surgeon, spent a good 45 minutes talking options and asking questions, but we came out feeling really good (as this kind of feeling can go). We talked valve options, drug options, risks, etc etc etc. The doctors all feel that his good health and young age (i.e., he's not 90 and hasn't smoked the last 70 years) are all to his advantage.
He will be in the hospital for 4-5 days, then he will need to have someone at home watching him for at least the next two weeks. Not because he will be so incapacitated, but rather the opposite - wanting to be up and around, and needing someone to 'hold him back' because he will feel so good. We also learned that Arnold Schwarzenegger has had this same surgery a few years back - so, anything to be in that kind of company, you know?
The hospital is Anaheim Memorial, we are showing up there Monday morning for some final tests and the surgery is scheduled for the afternoon (I don't know the exact time yet). If I can hack into their computer like we did in Seattle, I will post more, but probably won't sneak in a laptop until at least Tuesday, though!
Until more comes along ~
We met today with the surgeon, spent a good 45 minutes talking options and asking questions, but we came out feeling really good (as this kind of feeling can go). We talked valve options, drug options, risks, etc etc etc. The doctors all feel that his good health and young age (i.e., he's not 90 and hasn't smoked the last 70 years) are all to his advantage.
He will be in the hospital for 4-5 days, then he will need to have someone at home watching him for at least the next two weeks. Not because he will be so incapacitated, but rather the opposite - wanting to be up and around, and needing someone to 'hold him back' because he will feel so good. We also learned that Arnold Schwarzenegger has had this same surgery a few years back - so, anything to be in that kind of company, you know?
The hospital is Anaheim Memorial, we are showing up there Monday morning for some final tests and the surgery is scheduled for the afternoon (I don't know the exact time yet). If I can hack into their computer like we did in Seattle, I will post more, but probably won't sneak in a laptop until at least Tuesday, though!
Until more comes along ~
Thursday, March 22, 2007
RJ's turn
To catch everyone up - RJ has been having some tests done lately to try and figure out why he has been having shortness of breath and overall fatigue for the last two years or so. I know, tell him to slow down, but you don't lose your breath while lying down and not question it. Went through a battery of doctor appointments, inhalers, stress tests, chest x-rays, all over the last 18 months or so.
Well, we went to the hospital yesterday afternoon for the test of tests - an angiogram. Karen had told me how painful/uncomfortable it was for her, but I dutifully didn't pass along those gory details until after his procedure. He was done by 5:15 or so, and I got to meet the cardiologist. After the lecture on why I need to spend 2x or more on health insurance premiums for the family and switch to a PPO plan (why don't I just give you my whole paycheck??), he told me about what was going on. He said RJ's diagnosis was an "aeortic regurgitation" - essentially a 'massively' leaking aeortic valve in the heart. This causes the heart to pump the blood out, but since the valve doesn't close all the way, it comes back in. The blood needs to be pumped out again a second time, which causes the heart to work twice as hard. They can fix some valves through a less invasive procedure, but the location of the aorta requires open heart surgery.
He then took me into the room (their new $3 million dollar operating room) and showed me the results of the test. There were four flat-screen monitors that had short 3-D video clips that I got to watch - "here's the heart, and the arteries, and the ribs", "here's the catheter and the dye", "see how it comes in here, well, it's supposed to go back out here, but it's not doing that", "and there's the dye leaking out down here". Sure makes a more compelling case for doing this surgery when you can actually see what is going on vs. trusting that it needs to be done. Of course, RJ didnt want to look....no, I didn't pass out, for all of you family members who are wondering! Funny how I can watch this, but couldn't watch them pull the IV out of his hand later in the evening.
Need to make an appointment with the surgeon, and followup with the cardiologist sometime next week. Keep you all posted with updates; no embarassing photos like we have of Karen - save those for a later date. Thanks for all the concern and phone calls ~
Well, we went to the hospital yesterday afternoon for the test of tests - an angiogram. Karen had told me how painful/uncomfortable it was for her, but I dutifully didn't pass along those gory details until after his procedure. He was done by 5:15 or so, and I got to meet the cardiologist. After the lecture on why I need to spend 2x or more on health insurance premiums for the family and switch to a PPO plan (why don't I just give you my whole paycheck??), he told me about what was going on. He said RJ's diagnosis was an "aeortic regurgitation" - essentially a 'massively' leaking aeortic valve in the heart. This causes the heart to pump the blood out, but since the valve doesn't close all the way, it comes back in. The blood needs to be pumped out again a second time, which causes the heart to work twice as hard. They can fix some valves through a less invasive procedure, but the location of the aorta requires open heart surgery.
He then took me into the room (their new $3 million dollar operating room) and showed me the results of the test. There were four flat-screen monitors that had short 3-D video clips that I got to watch - "here's the heart, and the arteries, and the ribs", "here's the catheter and the dye", "see how it comes in here, well, it's supposed to go back out here, but it's not doing that", "and there's the dye leaking out down here". Sure makes a more compelling case for doing this surgery when you can actually see what is going on vs. trusting that it needs to be done. Of course, RJ didnt want to look....no, I didn't pass out, for all of you family members who are wondering! Funny how I can watch this, but couldn't watch them pull the IV out of his hand later in the evening.
Need to make an appointment with the surgeon, and followup with the cardiologist sometime next week. Keep you all posted with updates; no embarassing photos like we have of Karen - save those for a later date. Thanks for all the concern and phone calls ~
Sunday, March 18, 2007
KBF - the other park
Yesterday we went to Knott's Berry Farm - as we drive by the gates 1000 more times than we ever go in, it's always fun. Good to know folks that we can trade tickets with, too.
We did all the non-roller coaster things today that we haven't done in like, forever, things like walking through shops, walking through the graveyard and reading the headstones, riding the skycabin and looking for our house, waiting the hour to ride the stagecoach, and eating all the junk food we could. We found out that Jacob was too big for some stuff in Camp Snoopy, and I'm sure that Matt will be too tall here pretty soon. I won't miss waiting in line for an hour with a bunch of 4-7 year olds for a 45 second ride.
We still had a whole slew of things we didn't do, but that was OK. It was fun, laid back, and my feet are killing me.... a good measure of success.
We did all the non-roller coaster things today that we haven't done in like, forever, things like walking through shops, walking through the graveyard and reading the headstones, riding the skycabin and looking for our house, waiting the hour to ride the stagecoach, and eating all the junk food we could. We found out that Jacob was too big for some stuff in Camp Snoopy, and I'm sure that Matt will be too tall here pretty soon. I won't miss waiting in line for an hour with a bunch of 4-7 year olds for a 45 second ride.
We still had a whole slew of things we didn't do, but that was OK. It was fun, laid back, and my feet are killing me.... a good measure of success.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Cub Scout outing March 3
We needed to "Go on a hike", and "Visit a Historical building", and "Do leaf rubbings" - so we combined all three by hiking from BP Mall over to Independence Hall with Matthew's Tiger den. Along the way we fed the fish and the ducks...
Boys Life - part 2
OK, since the other blog has been taken over by Karen, (not that I'm complaining!), I am starting this second one to keep up on their happenings. Here are some pictures of Jacob and Matt in their Cub Scout uniforms that I never posted before. And notice the time on the clock - the meetings start at 6pm - we're not the most punctual when we leave late from work!
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