Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Tough times
One of the most helpful happenings for Jan and I are the numbers of well wishes and prayers that have come our way. Yesterday was not such a good day. Jan asked me to let people know what is going on, hence today’s blog.
One thing is for sure where Jan is concerned. She never has an easy or unremarkable recovery when she’s hospitalized for something serious. This time is no different. At the moment, her lung surgery is not the main concern. She will probably lose the chest tube today, and that is a good sign. I just have to hope that it comes out without incident and that the hole in her chest will be sufficiently sealed so that no outside air can force itself into her right lung. No one seems worried about this possibility.
There are several things that are worrisome, though. For one thing, her blood sugar is out of whack and she is requiring insulin to control it. Mind you, she is not diabetic, but the stress of surgery coupled with a urinary tract infection contribute to the blood sugar problem.
Shortly after I got there yesterday, a very pleasant and informative kidney specialist came to see her. Seems that her kidney function is not what it should be. As a result, the medications she has been getting are not metabolized properly and they stockpile in her system. The most distressing result of this is that she is pretty confused. She knows she is not tracking and this is really bothersome to both of us. The kidney doctor and her surgeon consulted and stopped some of the medications that might interact with each other and cause more confusion.
She is not eating well. The food at St. Luke’s will not win any prizes any time soon so her lack of appetite is partly due to that. She’s also so sleepy and weak that she needs help to eat the few bites that she will agree to take. A dietician saw her yesterday and now she gets a bottle of high protein Ensure with each meal.
When I got there yesterday there was a very sweet Respiratory Therapist getting her ready to do a little walking. Apparently she had walked in the hall earlier, but by this time of the day she was done. She could barely stand and she was feeling dizzy, so the walk was postponed until today. A little later Jan looked at me and, clear as a bell, she said she is scared. She asked me if I think she will make it. I have to believe that she will, but it will be a long road before she is back to herself.
Hospitals are places where emotions are all over the map. The nurses were in our room when we saw a little parade of a woman and several children carrying baskets of treats. When nurse Kellie checked what was happening she reported a sad story to us. The children were delivering gratitude baskets to the several nursing units where their dad had been hospitalized for over six months. He was a man in his 50’s who had a massive heart attack and was rushed to St. Luke’s. His care was extremely complex and his heart stopped several times during the months that he was there. There is not a happy ending. The man died, leaving behind a wife and several kids. The children then started a “Go Fund Me” page to raise money so they could bring huge baskets of goodies to the staff that had made this sad journey with them. Kellie was in tears as she told us the story.
I left in the middle of a gloomy rainstorm. Jan was busy sleeping in the chair and was going to be helped into bed where she would be more comfortable. So today I am adopting a glass half full attitude and saying prayers myself for Jan’s recovery to take a turn for the better. I have to believe that it will. Thank you all.