A VERY HARD WEEK - PRAYERS NEEDED

It is Thursday. This week has not been the week I was so hoping for. Sunday, when Hannah left, things were starting to look up a little. Ken was more alert than he had been and was back on the trach collar which meant he was able to talk again. He and Hannah had the chance to visit a little, but it was very tiring on him. When I left for the evening, he was still off of the ventilator, and I was so excited about the new week and thoughts of his progress moving forward.

Monday morning - not at all what I wanted to see. Ken was back on the ventilator. This time it was not just an assist setting, but it was doing the work. He was taken for a CAT-scan to check out the situation with his intestine and the doctor reported it was ok to start back up the feedings. The tube they used for his feedings had to be replaced and then they restarted with a very slow rate to be increased gradually. For reasons unknown Ken did not sleep at all on Monday night.

Tuesday, Ken was trying desperately to communicate with me, but the process was frustrating him because it would take me so many tries to finally understand. Sometimes I never could. He had very little sleep all day. His eyes would close for maybe a few minutes and then they would open right back up. Several times he told me and the nurse some bizarre things he was seeing. She said some of his levels were a little low and maybe that was the cause. Tuesday night a little sleep, yet still nothing significant.

Wednesday, still very little sleep and very lethargic. You had to really call his name out loudly for him to look at you and then he may or may not respond. PT came by and transferred Ken over to a tilt table which allowed him out of bed as well as trying to keep him straight on what is 'laying down' and 'up right'. His blood pressure dropped when they first raised him up. It was only a 10 degrees tilt. The blood pressure straighten out on its own but when they went up the next 10 degrees he was having trouble with his breathing so they lowered him down and put him back in bed. The doctors taking care of infections came in to check Ken out and said the blood infection had responded to the antibiotics and it was not showing up anymore; however, his white cell count is increasing again. They have put him back on antibiotics that cover a wide spectrum of infections and once again cultures of everything they can get there hands on are being run. The dialysis has been filtering the blood but when they start removing fluid there is still a problem with his blood pressure. His sheets, gown, pillows and anything else that touches his skin has to be constantly changed because fluid close to the skin is coming out wherever it can. By the afternoon he was not as lethargic but was having a little more trouble breathing. Since they had put him back on the medication to help keep his blood pressure from dropping, I asked them to please give him something so he could sleep for the night.

Here it is Thursday. When I first saw Ken he was having extreme difficulty breathing. Respiratory therapy worked with the ventilator and did their dialing and changing numbers and finally got him to an easier state. The nurse tried to start removing fluid this morning but the blood pressure dropped so it just went back to filtering. The infection doctor came in and checked Ken out and there are not any positive results back from any cultures but that usually takes 24 to 48 hours for any results. The doctor is concerned about phenomena and wants another culture run on secretions from his lungs. The wide spectrum of antibiotics being given at this time will hopefully work until the source of infection is found. Tube feedings are going to be changed to a more concentrated type so there is not as much fluid going in. Once again the word "BALANCE" is used and needed. It seems to me, the fluid has to come off for there to be any significant change.

Please pray for: 1)The source of infection to be found and treatable. 2)The fluid needs to be removed. 3)The lungs need to be healed. 4)Ken needs to get some healing and restful sleep. 5)The feedings to provide the nutrition needed without adding to the excess fluid. 6)The last surgery done would continue to be successful as the tube feedings are increased. 7)Both he and I would remain positive and not discouraged.

As I said earlier it has been a hard week and not the one I had hoped for, or even saw coming. I came back to the apartment this afternoon to get a bite to eat and fell asleep on the couch. Guess my body was trying to tell me something. I called back up to the hospital to see how Ken was doing and the nurse said he was still asleep. They gave him a second unit of blood and they were finally able to start removing fluid.

Tomorrow is a new day with new possibilities!!