sreid's blog

The Comfort of Home

Melanie is happy to be back home. The first day home she overdid it a bit and was a bit queasy in the evening, although she slept well. Yesterday she took it a bit easier. She sat in the garden and Michelle straightened out the roughly-done haircut done just before her operation. Her hair is now shoulder-length; it hasn't been that short since grade 8.

Today she's a little under the weather, with a small fever. She rested all day and never went upstairs and is feeling a bit better. Tomorrow is her birthday. The celebration will be subdued, as she tires so easily, but we will be happy to celebrate it at home. Next year we'll have a big party.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

Melanie is home. She's back with her family and cats, and will sit in the garden when she recovers from getting from there to here.

Thanks for all the support.

Moved Again

The doctors and nurses were arguing about when to discharge Melanie. The doctors were in favour of Saturday; the nurses were worried about a her temperature of 38.2. There was a compromise of sorts, with Melanie staying in the hospital but moving to a bed on the 8th floor. The transplant ward has become very busy.

Melanie has also tested positive for c. difficile, but they don't seem too worried. On the transplant ward nurses would "gown up" before seeing her, but on the new ward they don't.

Melanie is still exercising to get her lung capacity up, but she's not enjoying it.

A small step back

Melanie has been having trouble with her magnesium levels. She tried a liquid form, which was unpalatable, then pills. Her levels are still low, so they've decided to give her magnesium intravenouly for 3 days, which I assume means they'll re-evaluate her discharge on Monday.

That gives her family the weekend to get the house back in shape.

Going home, maybe?

Melanie has had a small fever that they have been watching and giving her an antibiotic for. This morning her temperature was 37.2 (37 is normal for those who are not metricated), so it looks good. If it seems to be under control, she will be discharged tomorrow. The cats will be very happy. The rest of the family will too, once we've cleaned up the house to something approaching her standards.

More vein stuff

Melanie has developed a blood clot in her right arm. It is not serious, and they are giving her blood thinners to get rid of it. The nurse moved her IV attachment to her left arm after heating it up with a warm blanket. Her right arm is a bit weak, so we set up her pills together. She is taking about 8 medications which need to mostly be taken twice a day in 2 of 5 different time slots. Some, like her dose of an anti-rejection med, are 7 pills individually wrapped. So she told me what was needed and I opened the pills and put them in containers. It's important to get the procedure down, as she will have to do it on her own once discharged, which is not far off.

She has no internet, so I print out comments and emails for her to read. She is very grateful and finds them encouraging.

Little Veins

Yesterday they took out a multi-purpose iv connection in Melanie's neck. However, they still continue to give her iv fluids, and take blood through her arm. Last night all of her veins collapsed and they had trouble giving her a needed iv. The nurses put warm compresses on her arms to open up the veins, and eventually got one working, but she didn't get much sleep.

Sunday she continued to walk around a bit. She's started squeezing a stress ball, partly to squeeze out excess fluid in her right hand and partly to restore some strength in it. She should take 10 deep breaths each hour to help with the fluid in her lungs. She ate well in the morning, but had trouble with dinner. It just didn't seem appetising. Of course, it didn't to me, either. She is learning to manage her complicated drug schedule.

Mmmm, noodles

Melanie is continuing to improve. She took a little tour of the halls 4 times yesterday. It's a little cumbersome with an oxygen tank and a tube of something or other, but that will be gone soon. She washed her hair for the first time in a week, which pleased her. She read the Globe and Mail, so the fog is lifting. But best of all, she's started having real food. I went to the Sha Lin restaurant, which hand-makes noodles, and brought some back. She ate them with great relish, and was not bothered by nausea. Then she had a quarter of a hospital-made salmon sandwich. Then we went for another walk around the place. She still has a touch of pneumonia, but it is getting better too.

A Step Back

Melanie had a small setback yesterday from trying to eat food with a little more content. She tried things like yoghurt and had trouble handling it. Details are not necessary.

Here's a picture of her view.

View

Rapture

Melanie continues to improve, and has left the ICU, ascending to the Solid Organ Transplant ward on the tenth floor. She now has her own room similar to the one she was in before the operation, only with an astonishing view of downtown Vancouver. I'll post a picture of the view soon.

All the tubes are removed, or as they say, she's been extubated. She's still on fluids, and not ready for visitors yet, but  her new liver is processing all the toxins built up in the last month or so.