Great News... Though Not Complete
Amacker was very awake this morning at 10. She squeezed Alden's hand when Alden asked her to, and she had very controlled motions and reactions. Great news!
There are some concerns as to why she was that awake. We were told by a very unhelpful nurse, "Oh yes, she passed her breathing trial this morning. She's ready to be extubated." But then after further questions she revealed that they need to replace/change/move? the line that gives Amacker her sedation and pain drugs, and that she'll need to be heavily sedated for that procedure. I asked when they'd replace that line, or put in some other sort of line, and she didn't know.
In other words, it seems that due to clerical issues, they're going to delay removing Amacker's breathing tubes a bit longer. In the meantime, Amacker seems much too sentient to have a tube down her throat, and I'm also concerned that she may not have a stream of pain medication. Needless to say, I'm hiding the tone I used when I spoke to the nurse, the nurse's manager, the doctors, etc. I was... well, stern.
Alden is waiting at the hospital until we see clear progress. I'll write just as soon as I hear something more definitive.
There are some concerns as to why she was that awake. We were told by a very unhelpful nurse, "Oh yes, she passed her breathing trial this morning. She's ready to be extubated." But then after further questions she revealed that they need to replace/change/move? the line that gives Amacker her sedation and pain drugs, and that she'll need to be heavily sedated for that procedure. I asked when they'd replace that line, or put in some other sort of line, and she didn't know.
In other words, it seems that due to clerical issues, they're going to delay removing Amacker's breathing tubes a bit longer. In the meantime, Amacker seems much too sentient to have a tube down her throat, and I'm also concerned that she may not have a stream of pain medication. Needless to say, I'm hiding the tone I used when I spoke to the nurse, the nurse's manager, the doctors, etc. I was... well, stern.
Alden is waiting at the hospital until we see clear progress. I'll write just as soon as I hear something more definitive.
5 Comments:
Standard procedure at Stanford (when my husband was an oncology patient 10+ years ago, and I can't see why it would have changed) is to change IV sites every 48 (possibly 72 - as I said, it's been a while) hours to reduce patient risk (possibility of infection, etc.) If she's got a central line in, they will absolutely need to keep her under to remove and/or replace it, as any extraneous motion could cause severe internal injuries.
She's in my thoughts.
Not the sort of memories I like to relive, Robert -- but I'm right there with you.
Fred Drake was furious when he woke up with a tube down his throat...
I love you guys, and all of us in the desert are thinking/praying/hoping for you every day.
Thank you so much for being there for our beloved Amacker.
hi Richard- I'm assuming Amacker has some sort of a central line, going into one of her central veins to her heart. If that's the case, it would be worth asking why, exactly, they are looking to move it. They might be putting in another central line because there is something wrong with the current one (they are worried about infection, it seems poorly positioned or damaged, or it's one of the kinds of central lines that can only stay in a few weeks (for example, in her internal jugular)). Or, they might feel that she can be "demoted" to a peripheral IV line, which is less risky for more dangerous kinds of infection, and is appropriate if they think she won't need heavy amounts of IV antibiotics now. Those are the most common reasons they'd move her from a central line to a peripheral. If they are having to delay doing it it's likely that they are putting in another central line -- that's something that requires a doc to do and x-rays to confirm placement, versus a peripheral line, which can be put in at the bedside by a nurse. That's my armchair guessing for you.
I am sorry you are having to see her uncomfortable. I am very heartened, though, to hear that she was responsive to command, and that she's moving around -- both good indicators of her neuro status.
Chiming in and agreeing with Ms. Nance. If she has to be sedated for the line, it must be a central line, thy're talking about. Some antibiotics, electrolytes (and other medications) can be very caustic to peripheral veins and can cause all sorts of problems (even when changed out every 72 hours). These potential problems can be very painful, if they happen. Healing from such major trauma, and already having a couple of infections and fever spikes, she's likely still on some of these IV antibiotics and a central line is a better option, while in the ICU. She may also need it if her veins in her non-injured limbs are already "used up" and are not good options for any new IV site.
Glad to hear she's squeezing hands and making eye contact! That's really great news!
-Sara
Hi Richard,
Ah, another example of the value of having a Lead Family Member when you are a patient. What would they do without someone to advocate for them? Good job Richard!
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home