Saturday, November 15, 2008 @ Home

Dianne is recovering at home. As we prepare for the journey of home recovery, we looked back at where we have been:
  • 10 hours in the Emergency Room
  • 20 days in the Intensive Care Unit
  • 31 days in the hospital
  • 6 days on life support
We have become friends with many of the doctors, nurses, CNAs, techs, volunteers, and cleaning folks.

Many of our new friends have been reminiscing about the seriousness of Dianne's prior condition.

Dr Van Hook told Dianne that when he hears someone telling him how sick they are - that they had nothing over what she has been through.

Nurses have told her that she's a very courageous person and that was probably her saving grace.

We are not sure how much daily activity will occur on this blog at this point. We will continue to post changes in Dianne's health, information that we discover at doctor visits, or anything else of interest. But there may not be daily entries as in the past.

We thank everyone for their support, their thoughts, and their prayers.

From Dianne's husband, daughter, and son.

Friday, November 14, 2008 - Day 31

Condition 1:00 pm
  • Dianne arrives home.
  • Organizing all the doctors appointments and prescriptions.
Condition 9:00 am
  • Creatinine level continues it's trend downward. Today was 2.6. Normal is 1.0.
  • The IV was removed.
  • All monitoring sensors were removed.
  • Nurses are preparing discharge papers.
Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Brook (day) / Kay (night)

Thursday, November 13,2008 - Day 30

Condition 9:00 pm
  • Creatinine level was 3.1 so no more dialysis is needed.
  • Dr. Tangel arrived this morning and was not pleased that the dialysis ports weren't removed. He installed an IV himself, so that the ports could be removed. The nurses were surprised to see a doctor do an IV. The IV is at her right wrist and is sensitive. However, the dialysis ports were able to be removed.
  • Swelling in her legs were less then yesterday. Her abdomen area is still distended.
  • No fever
  • Dianne did several walks around the nursing stations.
  • Still planning on departing from the hospital tomorrow.
Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Brook (day) / Kay (night)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - Day 29

Condition 9:00 pm
  • Good News ... the nephtrologist said that no more dialysis was needed and that the ports could be removed.
  • Bad News ... they tried 4 times to install an IV ... 2 times in each arm. The dialysis ports can't be removed without an IV while she is in the hospital. So, the plan now is to leave the dialysis ports until Friday, probably an hour or two before she's release, then remove them. I was hoping that Dianne would be really stable before coming home, so this seems scary.
  • Fever is gone, but has a headache.
Condition 10:30 am
  • Creatinine level was 3.6 - down from yesterday's 4.1. This is a good sign because it shows that the kidneys are starting to work on their own. We haven't received an official report from the nephrologist but we're assuming that Dianne will no longer require dialysis.
  • Urine tests were clear again today. Tomorrow's test should confirm that this is no longer a problem.
  • Dianne's been running a low level fever. They are unsure why.
  • Swelling in her legs and abdomen area haven't changed much over the past several days.
  • Target date to leave the hospital is Friday ... if Dianne stays on track.
Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Molly (day) / Rod (night)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - Day 28

4 weeks ago, Dianne was taken to the hospital. It's unbelievable what she has been through since that time.

Condition 10:00 am
  • Dr. Mooney checked the last 24 hours of creatinine levels. The level have gone from 3.4 on Sunday, to 3.9 on Monday, to 4.1 today. They hope that it will stabilize or decrease tomorrow. The dialysis ports could be removed the first day that it doesn't increase.
  • Dianne is receiving 2 units of blood today.
  • Swelling in her legs and abdomen area haven't changed overnight.
  • Target date to leave the hospital is Friday ... if Dianne stays on track.
Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Tammie (day) / Lisa (night)

Monday, November 10, 2008 - Day 27

Condition 12:30 pm
  • Dr. Mooney checked the urine output for the last 24 hours. The creatinine levels have increased from 3.4 to 3.9. Normal kidney output is 1. The doctors will consider suspending the dialysis treatments as soon as the numbers level off or start to drop. As for now, they have decided to hold off on tomorrow’s treatment to see how it affects the creatinine output.
  • The swelling in her legs has gone down overnight. The doctor said it will continue to go down over the next few weeks and they are not concerned about it.
  • Dianne was walking around the hospital lobby without the aid of a walker this morning. She continues to work with the physical therapists to increase her leg strength and balance. With her determination, it won't be long before she walks through the front door heading home.
Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Carey & Dana (day) / Lisa (night)

Sunday, November 9, 2008 - Day 26

Condition 8:00 pm
  • Stomach X-Ray didn't show anything alarming - just the normal stuff - but distended.
  • No dialysis is schedule for tomorrow.
  • Started walking without the walker - just holding my arm.
Condition 12:00 noon
  • They removed the Foley Catheter this morning. Her only tubes now are the ones used for dialysis.
Condition 8:30 am
  • No dialysis today
  • Swelling in left knee has gone down. The rest of the left leg, right leg, and tummy are still swollen.
  • We were talking about this coming Monday and Tuesday - which will be 4 weeks since this ordeal began. Dianne said she only remembers this past week.
Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Brianne (day) / Megan (night)

Saturday, November 8, 2008 - Day 25

Dianne's Birthday !
Condition 8:00 pm
  • Dialysis (Clint) during the morning.
  • Afternoon Birthday party with family and friends.
  • Dianne did several lapse around the nursing station using a walker.
  • Her legs, feet, and tummy are really swollen. This is starting to concern the family.
  • Urine output was up - around 700 ml. It was explained that quantity doesn't always mean quality (there are times when the kidneys aren't cleansing even though there is urine). This is the case with Dianne since her blood wasn't as clean as it should be.
Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Cory (day)/ Megan (night)

Friday, November 7, 2008 - Day 24

Condition 9:00 pm:
  • Dianne's urine output is up to 500 ml (this is our unofficial guess).
  • She went for a lot of walks (with a walker) to the nurses station today. She still has a lot of swelling in her lower calves.
  • She hasn't eaten very much today. Her stomach is very swollen, sore and tender. She feels gassy but isn't having very many bowel movements. She has burped a lot but nothing else.
  • Dr. Gill popped in and informed us that the infection is under control. Dr. Tangel stopped by to let her know that he would be back Monday. He instructed her to "pee, poop, and walk, don't do anything else..."
Condition 10:30 am
  • No dialysis today.
  • Dianne went for a walk down to the nursing station and back to the room 2 times this morning.
  • She had a stomach ache last night which is continuing into today.
  • Urine output continues to be stronger. It is expected to be 500 ml by the end of the day. This is the minimum amount needed to remove toxins. They will decide tomorrow morning (Saturday) whether to do dialysis. Additional blood testing will determine if there is additional toxins that need to be removed.
Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Faye (day)/ Molly (night)

Thursday, November 6, 2008 - Day 23

Condition 8:00 pm:
  • Dr. Mooney stopped by again and Dianne's urine is up to 300 ml. This is a good sign that the kidneys are starting to join the party. Amy D from the ICU heard the news and came up to give Di some high 5s.
Condition 5:00 pm:
  • Dr. Mooney came by to discuss Dianne's urine output. As of 12:00 today her output was 150 ml. Her total output for yesterday was 60 ml. The doctor was excited about the tremendous improvement. They will continue to monitor it over the next couple of days, looking for a jump each day until she reaches 500 ml.
  • Dr. Laughlin stopped by as well. She was impressed with the urine output. She is also wanting to rule out Lupus as the trigger for this whole series of events. We were not here for this discussion and Dianne is not sure if she was going to do more tests or if she was going to look into what they had already tested.
  • A few of the doctors have also mentioned how they were worried at one point that Dianne might loose her fingers and toes. We know that they were purple while she was in ICU and they kept special towels on them to keep them warm. So we are glad that this is something that never happened, and was just another example of how serious this illness was. Dr. Laughlin did mention some of the side effects from that. She might have some sensitivity with touching things, and some tingling in her fingers and toes at times. She also mentioned she would need to be more cautious of getting frost bite, and to be sure to keep her toes and fingers warm.
  • We do know that the kidney's are the only thing that aren't working right now.
  • Dianne had a session of physical therapy (Lexi) and speech therapy (Tara) today as well. She walked (with her walker) to the large nurses station on her floor, and back. She has been sitting up in a chair for her meals, and is doing well according to Lexi.
Condition 7:00 am:
  • Kidneys have not started. Dialysis will be done today.
Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Faye (day)/ Sandy (night)

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 - Day 22

Condition 10:00 pm:
  • Michelle (nutritionist) came by to discuss her new diet. She talked about lactose and gluten free diets. Since Dianne has been off her gluten free diet since she has been in the hospital it is recommended that she is retested for celiac. If the test is negative there will be no reason to continue with a gluten free diet. She will start a lactose free diet here in the hospital to see how her body responds.
  • Dr. Gill stopped by to check on Dianne’s fever. The antibiotics they have been giving her to control the fever will be switched from an IV to a pill form.
  • Dr. Halterman stopped by. Urine output is still down. There is another round of dialysis tomorrow. The catheter should be pulled out and changed on Friday to avoid infection.
Condition 7:30 am:
  • There was yeast bacteria found in Dianne's urine which was thought to be the cause of the fever. The nurse gave her an antibacterial drug which broke the fever.
  • Kidneys have not started. No dialysis today.
Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Molly (day)/ Sandy (night)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 - Day 21

Election Day, get out there and vote! Dianne submitted her absentee ballet yesterday.

Condition 9:00 pm:
  • Dianne had a fever the past couple of times it was check. They have drawn blood which is currently being analyzed by the lab.
  • She continues to remain in good spirits as she watches a Bill Cosby video.
Condition 9:30 am:
  • Last night, after the family left the room, Dianne took her first shower in 3 weeks. She said it was 'wonderful'.
  • Dianne slept pretty much through the night except for when they woke her for vital sign testing.
  • Kidneys have still not started. Dialysis (Katie) was started at 6:45 am. Should be done around 10:15 am.
What can we expect - has been our question to the doctors. They are confident that the kidneys will restart. Everything else seems to be working again and the kidneys are the last to joint the party. She is extremely weak. One doctor said to expect 3 days of rehabilitation for each day in the ICU.

Longmont United Hospital - Room 3009
RN: Jane (day)/ Dixie (night)

Monday, November 3, 2008 - Day 20

Day 20 in the ICU - later moved to Room 3009 - Hooray !!

Condition 6:00 pm:
  • Dr. Tangel, the Pulmonologist (Lung), is the lead doctor. He gave the permission to allow Dianne to move to a regular room. She has a great mountain view from her room! She did get to go outside for a bit today while they were waiting for her to move to her new room. The temp was in the 70s so she did get to see some sunshine.
  • Oxygen tubes were removed.
  • She is talking to the nutritionist about changing some things on her diet. She is going to be adding in more food groups that she had eliminated before. She was thinking of adding more dairy and potatoes.
  • She has seen the physical therapist, and speech therapist. Dr. Pavot (neurologist) and Dr. Mooney (kidneys). There is no new information so far, they were just checking to make sure her transition went well.
  • She is scheduled for dialysis tomorrow morning. They have been mentioning changing this to every other day but we haven't gotten a confirmation on the schedule yet.
Condition 7:30 am:
  • Each day shows continual improvement. Last night, they removed 2 more tubes. On Saturday, they removed a drain tube. Now, the only extra tube is the urine catheter.
  • Preliminary results from yesterday's ultrasound testing on her right arm did not show any blood clots.
  • Dianne been trying to sign her name. She thought she could sign her absentee ballet. After some testing, she found that it was difficult. She's been practicing.
  • Kidneys have still not started. Dialysis (Sheila) was started at 7:00 am. Should be done around 10:30 am.
Longmont United Hospital - Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
ICU RN: Amy D (day) / Julie (night)
Room 3009 RN: Cory (day)

Sunday, November 2, 2008 - Day 19

Day 19 in the ICU

Condition 7:00 pm:
  • Dianne has had 3 meals today. The food is pureed and by dinner she was commenting on how she didn't like the taste.
  • She has been doing very well with conversation and showing signs that she is clear now on events, days, activities...
  • She is also making comments that she is going to be cooperative so that she can get better.
  • Dr. Chang (kidney doctor) came in for a few minutes to check out Dianne's swelling. She said that they will continue dialysis tomorrow, see how that goes and then might switch her over to every other day. Dr. Mooney will make that decision.
Condition 11:30 am:
  • Dianne is more coherent this morning. The doctors indicate that she may move out of the ICU tomorrow.
  • Kidneys have still not started. Dialysis (Lisa & Ann) from 8:00 am to 11:30 am.
Longmont United Hospital - Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
RN: Cindy (day) / Gladys (night)

Saturday, November 1, 2008 - Day 18

Day 18 in the ICU

Special Note! Jeff apologizes for missing Katie's Bon Voyage party. We will see you in the spring! Enjoy your winter.

Condition 6:30 pm:
  • Dianne ate her first meal tonight! She had turkey, peas, mashed potatoes and gravy, and even ate some pumpkin pie.
  • Amy informed us that when Dr. Tangel is back on Monday he will most likely move her to the regular part of the hospital. Once she is there she will have 2 sessions of physical therapy a day. She is down to only 2 IV drips and oxygen. Her vital stats have been stable for a couple of days.
  • She is talking more but will occasionally say something that is random. These are not happening as often as earlier. We did get her some puzzles to help her with her hand coordination.
  • She also stood up by herself for a couple of minutes, and took a few steps. She did have a session of physical therapy today too.
  • Kidneys have still not started. Dialysis (Shelly) from 7:00 am to 10:30 am.
Condition 9:00 am:
  • Dianne stayed awake most of the night. She has been awake most of the time during the past 2 nights and yesterday. They say this is common after coming off the ventilator.
  • Her speech is clear, friendly, but doesn't make sense. We're told that this is common after being on high levels of medications.
Longmont United Hospital - Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
RN: Amy D (day) / Gladys (night)
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