No real update on Ed; there are tremendous storms in the Raleigh area. Jeanne is without power, trees are down in the area, and a couple of houses have done the wizard of oz disappearing act, gone due to tornadoes.
I was planning on heading there tomorrow eve or Mon AM but I'll get up a leave for Raleigh first thing in the AM.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Sat April 16 9AM
Spoke with Ed this am. He's still recovering slowly but surely. His blood work wasn't done this am as I had been told it would, so I don't have kidney function results.
His hemoglobin and other blood stats (guess they check that dialysis causes no damage) were good.
He was lucid but no better than yesterday, says he's being attended to by the "Nurses Aides From Hell", they keep asking these questions that he can't answer and make no sense to him. I had to explain the questions are just a daily metric measuring his mental acuity. He kind of understood, but nonetheless is suffering the process, the worst of it is that he doesn't understand the process. If you know Ed, you know how much angst this causes him.
His hemoglobin and other blood stats (guess they check that dialysis causes no damage) were good.
He was lucid but no better than yesterday, says he's being attended to by the "Nurses Aides From Hell", they keep asking these questions that he can't answer and make no sense to him. I had to explain the questions are just a daily metric measuring his mental acuity. He kind of understood, but nonetheless is suffering the process, the worst of it is that he doesn't understand the process. If you know Ed, you know how much angst this causes him.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Fri April 15 Noon
I just got off the phone with Ed. He's been moved out of ICU and he had just returned from dialysis.
This was the first call we had where he answered the phone by himself and was 99.9% aware. He was lucid and knew about the blog and all the well wishes. He sends his regards and thanks for the concerns.
Looks like he'll be doing better each day, so far so good, no surprises...
I'm leaving for a friend's house in VA so I'll check in on him later today and then travel on to Raleigh either Sun night or Mon morn, at which time the blog will include photos (if appropriate).
I've added a few others permission to post top level comments on the blog, maybe we'll have more commentary from people who've already visited Ed.
Regards,
Brian
This was the first call we had where he answered the phone by himself and was 99.9% aware. He was lucid and knew about the blog and all the well wishes. He sends his regards and thanks for the concerns.
Looks like he'll be doing better each day, so far so good, no surprises...
I'm leaving for a friend's house in VA so I'll check in on him later today and then travel on to Raleigh either Sun night or Mon morn, at which time the blog will include photos (if appropriate).
I've added a few others permission to post top level comments on the blog, maybe we'll have more commentary from people who've already visited Ed.
Regards,
Brian
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Thurs April 14, 2011 11PM
Just a quick note, I'll speak w/Ed later today.
Jeanne called and said that he sat up in his chair and had a very large lunch yesterday.
A ravenous appetite is always a good sign.
More later, thanks to all
Update: 2PM
Ed was not given dialysis today. Apparently his numbers are good enough that they need to skip the dialysis and see if the kidneys start doing their job on their own.
Another big lunch and back to sleep.
I asked him how he was feeling and he answered "I don't know".
Jeanne called and said that he sat up in his chair and had a very large lunch yesterday.
A ravenous appetite is always a good sign.
More later, thanks to all
Update: 2PM
Ed was not given dialysis today. Apparently his numbers are good enough that they need to skip the dialysis and see if the kidneys start doing their job on their own.
Another big lunch and back to sleep.
I asked him how he was feeling and he answered "I don't know".
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Wed April 13, 2011 2PM
Just spoke with Ed and Jeanne. He had his dialysis this AM. He fed himself lunch, a good sign in terms of strength and coordination. His numbers (BUN, Etc). are up and they are planning to move him out of ICU and into a regular bed later today.
Very apropos, today's column in the NY Times, hospital's being a bad place to go when you're sick.
Good read (Dowd usually is). Giving Doctors Orders
Keep sending those thoughts, concerns, etc. We are glad to have the support.
Very apropos, today's column in the NY Times, hospital's being a bad place to go when you're sick.
Good read (Dowd usually is). Giving Doctors Orders
Keep sending those thoughts, concerns, etc. We are glad to have the support.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tues April 12, 2011 4PM
Just spoke with Ed as he was returning from dialysis. He was tired and groggy but much more aware than when I spoke with him yesterday. We had a reasonable 10 minute conversation with him keeping up until he was becoming tired so I told him to go back to sleep.
He said he was suffering from back pain, which was the original problem which led to the administration of the vancomycin, but is also listed as a side effect of the renal failure. Don't know which he's experiencing now. He is sleeping without medication which is very good. The Drs are trying not to give him meds while the kidneys are healing.
He said he was suffering from back pain, which was the original problem which led to the administration of the vancomycin, but is also listed as a side effect of the renal failure. Don't know which he's experiencing now. He is sleeping without medication which is very good. The Drs are trying not to give him meds while the kidneys are healing.
Tues April 12, 2011 9AM
I hate to post an update that has no update, but that's all I have at this time. The ICU unit is very busy and they were supposed to have completed the dialysis between 7-9AM but as of 9AM they have not yet started. Ed's asleep, which is one small improvement.
He's supposed to have dialysis once a day in the morning until they see an improvement in his kidneys, as of this am it has not yet been given, so there's no expectation that he will have improved or be in any better mental health since I spoke with him yesterday.
The ICU unit has 25+ beds and the nurses don't have time to give detailed updates very often, so I'm going to call after lunch and check in again, unless there's any noticeable improvement I'll probably not post another update until after he's had his dialysis tomorrow, Wed when I have a real update.
He's supposed to have dialysis once a day in the morning until they see an improvement in his kidneys, as of this am it has not yet been given, so there's no expectation that he will have improved or be in any better mental health since I spoke with him yesterday.
The ICU unit has 25+ beds and the nurses don't have time to give detailed updates very often, so I'm going to call after lunch and check in again, unless there's any noticeable improvement I'll probably not post another update until after he's had his dialysis tomorrow, Wed when I have a real update.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Back in time, Earlier update
My father was admitted to the hospital Sat PM with Acute Renal Failure. He was being treated with Vancomycin for an infection in his spine. At the end of a multi-week course he was on another (unknown) anti-biotic. He developed a delayed allergic reaction to the Vancomycin and suffered what they call the Red Man Syndrome, because one turns red from head to toe.
The doctors switched him to a Vanco analog (which I don't know the name of) and he had a more immediate reaction. They went in to do blood work and the results were so severe the lab technician called the Dr at home to inform her of the results. She called Jeanne and told her to get Ed to the nearest ER possible. He was admitted into ICU with Acute Renal Failure and is undergoing dialysis.
Please do not send him flowers as it will likely only irritate him.
The doctors switched him to a Vanco analog (which I don't know the name of) and he had a more immediate reaction. They went in to do blood work and the results were so severe the lab technician called the Dr at home to inform her of the results. She called Jeanne and told her to get Ed to the nearest ER possible. He was admitted into ICU with Acute Renal Failure and is undergoing dialysis.
Please do not send him flowers as it will likely only irritate him.
Mon April 11, 2011
No real changes since this am, he's very disoriented which is a side effect of kidney failure. He is sometimes lucid, mostly not. When I spoke to him he was paranoid and not trusting his immediate caregivers; not recognizing friends and family. This is supposed to get better as he goes through more dialysis. With Ed gone, Jeanne is having trouble with her PC and I told her not to worry I'd post updates for her.
At this time no special web site hawking flowers, I know he wouldn't want that.
So, we'll try blogger.com, let me know if you have any trouble viewing this site.
At this time no special web site hawking flowers, I know he wouldn't want that.
So, we'll try blogger.com, let me know if you have any trouble viewing this site.
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