Rex is home

Dad went home last Thursday and he and Mom are both transitioning back to life at the house.  They have a great nurse that stops in three time per week. Dad has been getting outside some and says that it seems that Mom is training him for the Ironman triathlon next month.  Despite some continued nausea he spirits seem good.  Thanks for the continued thoughts and prayers.

Rex is home

Dad went home last Thursday and he and Mom are both transitioning back to life at the house.  They have a great nurse that stops in three time per week. Dad has been getting outside some and says that it seems that Mom is training him for the Ironman triathlon next month.  Despite some continued nausea he spirits seem good.  Thanks for the continued thoughts and prayers.

Holding Pattern

It seems that Dad is in a holding pattern as the doctors try and identify the next steps.  He is still at Parkview and  is way past ready to go home (as we all are).  His kidneys are the culprit for keeping him in there as some of the indicator counts have crept upwards slightly.  He is completely off of his heart monitor and the IV so he can walk freely throughout his expansive 15x15 room and even down the hall.  The doctors are trying various medication combinations to try and get his kidneys in balance with the rest of his system.  He says he feels good overall aside from expected tiredness when he has been up and walking for a while.  Hopefully we will have a status update soon.

New Digs

Dad is officially out of CCU and taking the next step towards his recovery.  It is expected that he will remain in this room (242) for a few days until he is ready to start his rehabilitation, which we are hoping will be on the 5th floor at Parkview.  He has noted that the meals are starting to wear on him with their lack of originality and more importantly - taste.  Overall he is hanging in there but it is clear he will have a lot of time on his hands so please feel free to drop by or send him some emails.  We are on our way back to Colorado today so while it wasn't our dream vacation, we could not be happier with how the week turned out and his status as we depart.  Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers to pull him through what has been an event filled journey.

Moving day

Rex lost another tube today, they "ripped" the catheter out. His stats are still improving and he is being moved to the telemetry unit this afternoon. Rex continues to insist that his bed is stuffed with rocks, "This bed feels like I am sleeping on a pile of rocks." He is also getting reconnected and his cell phone recharged. Amazing how great he is today compared to the bottom of the well last Saturday.

Friday morning

Rex was very proud of the fact that he cleaned his plate at breakfast this morning, he had toast, eggs, ceral, coffee and juice and said it all tasted great. Sounds like his appetite is returning. He did miss being able to participate in the Brats and Corn last night, but I'm sure he will have a chance to get in on the next cookout. He continues to impress everyone with his recovery and is looking forward to his visit from Tatum and Darby this afternoon.

Thurs. 8/11 Afternoon

Two big milestones in Rex's progress this afternoon. He had his first solid food, "Parkview has the best grilled cheese", and he stood up on his own after being in his big blue chair. He even got himself back into bed! The news and progress continues to be amazing!

8/11 am report

Rex continues to make steady progress across the board.  His spirits are good.

Wed. Afternoon

The doctors finally managed to get around to updating us on Rex's condition, and the reports were definitely worth the wait. His kidney function is continuing to show slow but steady progress. He has apparently scared away his original cardiologist and his new one today was very surprised with current condition, based on what he called the "train wreck his chart indicated". They have started lowering the meds they are pumping in and the Dr. thought that would really help with the nausea Rex has been plagued with. Rex enjoyed a great lunch of low sodium saltines, orange jello, and apple juice. Even more importantly, none of those items came back up!!
He also managed to down all 6 of his morning pills in just over 2 1/2 hours. We have also started to set up some time frames and, as long as he continues to progress, he should be moving out of ICU in about 48 hours. The reports this morning were great to hear, and really helped Carolyn relax, she actually had an appetite at lunch. Rex would like everyone to know how great the nursing staff at Parkview has been in helping him deal with these various issues he has been dealing with. I am completely amazed with where he is today vs. Monday morning, it is nothing short of a miracle. Monday was the end of a rough weekend and to know that he was flat lined and had to be resuscitated Sat. night, to talking about rehab today is tremendously better than conversation I was afraid we would be having today. While we aren't totally out of the woods, the edge of the forest is certainly visible. Keep the prayers and thoughts going, THEY ARE WORKING!!!!!!

Wed. Morning Report

10:00 am and all the doctors seem to be m.i.a. Rex did have his morning workout, he sat in a chair for 1 1/2 hours. Now he is working through the pill marathon. Absent docs, Chris and Dana analyzed the morning lab report and have determined his numbers continue to show good trends. There now appears to be some indications that his gall bladder may be a contributing factor. Rex says he is winning.

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Tues 2:53 pm

Rex has recieved very positive feedback from all his visitors today, most notably Bill Solloway's professional assessment that he needed to get back in the boat because Sharon can't keep up. His former nurses are also calling to request his room. However we are concerned now that he is on the mend there may be some fall out. He does continue to show very good progress.

Tuesday morning 8/9

Rex is showing signes of improvement in several areas. This morning, the stomach drain tube was removed. He is much more comfortable and they will be introducing clear fluids into his diet today. He is more alert and the nausea has been greatly reduced.

Review of events during first week

Rex was admitted in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday, Aug 2nd, with tight chest pains and nausea. After a heart catheterization procedure, no blockage was found and he was kept at the hospital for additional monitoring and testing.  On Thursday, Rex was moved to CCU as his blood pressure dropped and his nausea increased. That day, he started having signs of initial kidney failure and continued low blood pressure. Through Thursday, Friday and Saturday, many tests were run trying to determine potential causes and stabilize Rex's condition. At 12:20am on Sunday, Rex coded and was resuscitated. After resuscitation, he was put on a respirator. He was sedated for comfort through the next 24 hours waking around 1am on Monday morning. Through the next morning, Rex stayed conscious while on the respirator. Rex’s condition fluctuated as the medical team attempted to provide comfort medications without lowering his blood pressure any further.  On the morning of Tuesday, Aug 8^th, the respirator was removed. Throughout the day, Rex has been able to maintain his breathing independently. Through the assistance of medication, he has maintained a healthy blood pressure for the majority of the day.  This evening, a new anti-nausea medication was introduced that appears to be reducing the nausea without jeopardizing his blood pressure. Rex was able to sit up, talk and even sleep today. The sustained healthy blood pressure and functioning of the heart is a critical factor in bringing the kidneys back to a functioning state. The medical team is hoping to sustain Rex’s current stable condition for another day or two giving his kidneys a chance to heal and recover independently. Please keep Rex in your thoughts and prayers.

BP is raising.

Dad is sleeping the hardest he has all week. Much needed. BP continues to slowly raise and is good.   Hoping for kidneys to respond soon.