Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Transplant Update - Day 5 - Tuesday 11pm

These blogs are just getting later and later... Today has been very busy, lots of progress made.

She is now firmly installed on ward 27a (HDU) where she will stay for a good while yet.

Jac was given some nasal CPAP yesterday (forces air into the lungs to improve oxygen levels among other things) to see if this would help improve things before the bronchoscopy along with various nebulisers. This seemed to improve her blood gas results further. So much so in fact that the team had decided to hold off on the bronch (that's the slang name for it :)) until after an x-ray. After looking at the x-ray they then decided not to do a bronch at all as they were happy enough with the overall picture. Gases were good and also some doubt over whether fluid was in the lungs or in the space around them (which will be cleared by the chest drains anyway). This was good news.

While all this was going on the pain control has been worse overnight and early in the day due to the failure of the epidural which was just leaking. She is now onto oral pain relief (tramadol and oramorph). It took a while for the Pain Team to ramp up the doses until it started to take the edge off it. Around tea time they got it just about right and she was the brightest we have seen her since we got here. Sitting up, smiling (or rather cringing at her mum dancing round the room to "Workin' 9 to 5" on Jac's iPod). It was lovely to see her getting back to her old self.

And while all that was going on they removed the 2 upper chest drains. If you've never seen one they are most similar to a garden hose going through a largish hole in your chest into the space between your lungs. She has 4 of them. I think to say they are uncomfortable is an understatement. This is good progress because it gets her closer to being able to move around without things attached to her. Basically, they remove them once they have no more fluid left to drain. However, this evening she was getting a fair bit of pain from one of the sites where they had been removed. They were starting to get on top of it again before I left, her nurse for tonight was giving her a good dose of her pain meds. So hopefully she'll get a good sleep.

Andrew

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Andrew - thanks for posting even though it's so late, you must be exhausted! Great news about Jac's progress :) Spoke to Therine earlier and she never mentioned her dancing round the room episode lol! Can just imagine Jac's face! Please tell Jac that we're all thinking of her (Stef sending her love - in Bathgate at the moment and doesn't have internet access). Also let Jac know that now she'll be dancing at Lyndsay's wedding the pressure is really on G to learn to ceilidh dance - might have to teach him the Gay Gordon's round the living room - ha ha. Maybe Therine could give him some lessons ;)

Anyway pleased everything still moving very much in the right direction - sending lots of love, Claire xxx

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Great to hear things have picked up, but sorry to hear about Therine's dancing.

Thinking of you all,

Anders x

Anonymous said...

Thanks Andrew, great to hear things a bit better tonight. We, and I'm sure everyone else,eagerly await your updates. Glad there is progress today and I am sure as the days go by Jacs will get stronger and stronger , perhaps we may even hear there is a double act dancing to the ipod.Sending all our love to you all, Rose and Kevin xxxx

Anonymous said...

Hi there,

Glad to hear you escaped ITU - fantastic stuff! Also great news about the bronch and the gases.

Also glad to hear you have the same rubbish on your ipod as I do... although I seem to remember you found my taste "questionable" ;0)

That's fantastic about the drains starting to be removed too. What you've achieved in such a short space of time is amazing and an absolute testament to your strength and determination. I'm completely in awe and have no doubt that you'll continue to move from strength to strengh.

Hope you manage to get a good sleep, and keep at them about the pain control.

Lots of love,

Lee & Ali (& Tatti - *purr*)
xx

Anonymous said...

From Shelleys dad.
Great news Andrew. Once the other drains come out there will be no holding you back Jac.
You will be in the gym in no time by the sound of things.
Shelley and her mum send there love from the flats at the hospital.

Tinypoppet said...

Andrew thank you so so much for keeping us updated, I know how exhausting it is for the family (my mum kindly used to say to me "you just have to lie there! ;))

Sounds like excellent progress to me, and it must have been so lovely to get a glimpse of the jac who is currently being hidden under pain but who will be back again :D

Keep on going lovely jac, higs xxx

Anonymous said...

I just clicked on your link after reading Emilys blog. Wishing you the best of luck and all good wishes. Your blog will help others more than you will ever realise...thank you for that.

Hopefully the pain will soon be a distant memory and you will be living a full and active life.

Wishing you well. Lynn x x

Anonymous said...

Jac,just be Glad Dad wasn't dancing along with Mum - I've seen him dance .Glad to hear things are progressing and Compliments to Andrew for all the medical jargon -he's quite the expert now.
I have to tell you that Auntie Agnes is praying hard along with ALL the 60's club & The Guild . Best wishes & prayers also grom Ella & Bill & Karen & Robin -my phone never stops . Keep your chin up we are all so proud of you
Luv Carol Ann XX

Anonymous said...

Great to hear Jac is still progressing so well! I'm sure she'll be joining Therine in no time!

Jennifer x

It's Her said...

Go on ya good thing :) Thanks for the update, delighted to hear of the progress, so much can happen in one day it's unreal.

Hoping for a good day today! Lots of love, Rosie xxx