Mike was
admitted to D6/526 this afternoon. He asked me to please post an update. As you
know he was admitted just a few weeks ago and spent a week here with pulmonary
exacerbation and bowel obstruction. He went home on IVs that he did for another
week. He wasn’t feeling that great but he and his NP decided to stop the IVs
for a week. He would be admitted tomorrow then spend 9 days here and God
willing be able to attend MaKayla’s wedding on September 27.
As we all
know plans don’t always go as we would like. Mike started having quite a bit of
pain on Saturday. This was a more intense pain then he has had in the past. He
also started to feel like he was hyperventilating. So he needed to increase
both his oxygen and pain meds. He couldn’t go but a few steps without O2 and
feeling frantic. Not a feeling he has experienced before. By Sunday the bowel
obstruction started to return. He was one miserable cookie.
He called
down on Monday and they started to prepare for his arrival today. He hasn’t
been able to get to far away from his oxygen concentrator so this has caused a
few issues with back and leg pain. We loaded his portable oxygen tank and
headed out. About 25 miles outside of Madison he ran out of air. Bummer.
Looking back
(through the lens of thankfulness and having survived) we kind of must have looked
like a Laurel and Hardy episode. Driving down the middle of the highway Mike
pulling on the tubing . . .then digging in his pockets franticly . . . I’m
trying to figure out if there is a hospital sign close . . . finally Mike says,
“pull over, pull over…there, right up
there!” I took the exit and as he reached for his door handle and realized
there was no way he could get out of the car and still breathe he says, “Go in
the trunk and get my pain meds.” I finally got it.
He thought he had put some in his pocket – nope. Pain meds would slow him and his breathing down so we could make it the rest of the way. I got them and he took them and I floored it. By the time we hit the campus he had his window rolled down. I know that does absolutely no good but when you feel like you can’t get air – well, it doesn’t hurt anything. Then we just had to get him into the hospital. We discussed our plan quickly. I knew if we drove around back to the ER it would still take a bit to get to oxygen. We opted for admissions. I pulled in front of the doors and helped him to a bench, ran back to the car and sped to the parking deck. Of course, there was no parking on 2nd, 3rd, nope not even the 4th floor. You got it – 5th floor. I ran down five flights of stairs as fast as a fat old lady can go (what a spectacle I must have been) trying to be nonchalant, yeah right! Grabbed a wheel chair and pushed him into admissions. Literally, 10 minutes later he was on the floor and on oxygen.
His Oxygen
sats were 89 and perked right back up to 94 quickly. Unfortunately, his heart
was racing at 132 (after sitting silent on his bed). YIKES!
Stats: Fev1 -
17% 25/75 5%. Weight 113 lbs. Chest X-ray – lots of plugs.
Things are
pretty rough for Mike right now. He is still fighting the slow moving
intestines – probably a result of much needed pain medicine. Lots of chest pain
– NP is making sure they are checking everything for possible causes. She did
and EKG and she said it had declined since the last one they did. They are
checking into that. CO2 levels were good at 45. PO2 was 29. His body is
definitely struggling to get him some good O2! Troponin (heart) was good at <0 .02.="">
She
prescribed some IV morphine and he is finally getting some relief from the
pain. He will do golytely for a day or so and then switch once they get his
sleepy intestines moving. She feels once he gets some fluids he will be good to
start the antibiotics – Vanco, meripenim, and Tobra.
Many times I
hear people say to me that they want to pray for Mike but they don’t know what
to pray for. I made a list and shared it on Facebook. I will also share it
here. A while back I felt the same way and these are a few of the things I came
up with that I could pray for, for Mike. They are great things to pray over
anyone when you aren’t sure what to pray for:
Patience - to endure this suffering
Strength - as this battle makes Mike and all of us who care for him weary
Comfort - Mike is in a lot of pain and discomfort
Understanding - Not only Mike's understanding of what God's plan is but also that other's understand their part in this also
Acceptance - of God's perfect plan and
timing.Acceptance - of God's perfect plan and timing- of God’s perfect plan and
timingStrength - as this battle makes Mike and all of us who care for him weary
Comfort - Mike is in a lot of pain and discomfort
Understanding - Not only Mike's understanding of what God's plan is but also that other's understand their part in this also
Joy - As Christians we are given joy and blessings in all things. Prayers that Mike can experience those joys
Peace – That surpasses all understanding. Peace that only God can give.
Trust – that Mike and all who love him continue to trust that God is working this all out for his and our good. All glory and honor be his now and forever.
Protection – of his soul – no one can snatch him from the Saviors hand
And of course healing – thy will be done.
I can't tell you all how much power there is in your prayers. Yesterday, I was a bit of a mess. My stomach felt like I was getting an ulcer. I contacted a few of my prayer warrior friends and put the requests above on Facebook. Today - through all the ups and downs - I had peace. Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Mike has a new doctor on his team. He specializes in palliative care. Balancing the pain meds and antibiotics can be tricky business.
Mike is
winded and having trouble talking for long periods. He will jump on Facebook
when he feels up to it. Hopefully, he will get some much needed rest.
We are so
thankful for the staff at UW Madison’s D6/5 unit. They are so patient and
thorough. God bless each and every one of them. Erin is on tonight – we are so
thankful!
Blessings to
you!
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