[amc] more on my dad
- From: "Holly Herr" <hollyjill@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, lorna@xxxxxxxxxx, marlabu@xxxxxxxxxxx, roohut@xxxxxxx, sarakurtz@xxxxxxxx, "Alison Wenzel" <alisonwenzel@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "Bea Smith" <bea.smith@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "blondani@xxxxxxx" <blondani@xxxxxxx>, "ccrook@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ccrook@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "cmcgaughy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <cmcgaughy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "DOOR San Antonio (Hugo)" <hugosaucedo@xxxxxxxx>, "dtyler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <dtyler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "g.e.richards@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <g.e.richards@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Gail Miller" <rakupants@xxxxxxxx>, "henkesa@xxxxxxxxxxx" <henkesa@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "Jean Fisher" <fisherj@xxxxxxxx>, "Jennifer Heatwole" <jenheatwole@xxxxxxxxx>, "jessicakious@xxxxxxxxxxxx" <jessicakious@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, "katiegoins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <katiegoins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Lara Fisher" <thandeka@xxxxxxxxx>, "Leah Gingerich" <sianasimone@xxxxxxxxx>, "Maureen Leach" <maureenleach@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "mgosden@xxxxxxx" <mgosden@xxxxxxx>, "neil fencer" <fencerna@xxxxxxxxx>, "Ramona Steiner" <rsteiner@xxxxxx>, "Russ Evans" <russevans@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "tammie warren" <wams_13@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 17:33:27 -0500
Hello dear friends,
When we arrived at the hospital today my dad was "extremely agitated" as he
had been all night. His symptoms included extremely labored breathing -
probably harder than he's ever breathed in his life, which is saying a lot
considering he's probably run 50000 miles and climbed 500,000 feet or more.
I immediately became concerned that this was a respiratory and not a
neurologic issue - he was "stridorous" which is a loud noise made when
breathing in that is usually attributed to an upper airway obstruction or
inflammation. The nurse, who is one of my favorites, she's just a darling,
and I discussed this and she said she really did think it was neurologic. So
I let it go. As it turns out, at about 11:00 the respiratory therapist
discovered he had a "plug" at in his trach - meaning that the end of the
canula was plugged with secretions (I know I'm writing to nurses and
non-nurses and some of this information may not be interesting to all of
you). I was sick. He was not agitated, he was struggling to breathe. And I
knew it - I did ask the nurse if she was positive this was not respiratory
in origin but they had even consulted with the neurologist by this point. No
one checked his airway, or at least not well enough. I'm tellin you folks -
do not leave your loved ones alone in the hospital. He's okay now, and I
still really like this nurse - I know that these things happen, I've done
stupid things as a nurse myself - but it still shouldn't have happened. They
had even considered putting him back on the vent!. They also doped him up
with every sedative possible - of course none of them were effective.
Because agitation was not his problem!!!
He's up in a chair now, he had a good nurse last night that insisted he get
up in a chair and be "on a schedule" and she e'mailed the neuro nurse
practitoner, who she said is just wonderful. He is very active - strong (he
broke one of his leg restraints the other night), and I really believe that
most of his movements are purposeful. He just can't communicate. He
scratches his head all the time - he still has staples in from the
intracranial pressure monitor that need to come out. You really have to push
to move this system or nothing gets done - it is so frustrating. I feel
crazy today - sort of manic. Maybe it's because the Academy Awards are
tonight (keeping up with Hollywood is my vice, and I'm embarrassingly gifted
at it). There is lots of ridiculous, senseless drama related to the accident
that has nothing to do with my dad's health and I am tired of venting about
it. It's incredibly hurtful and just absurd at the same time - my mom has
even used the word "hilarious." And the title that my mother has given me
through this ordeal is "imperious," not "imperialistic" as I said before. I
never did so well on the verbal component of standardized testing, I was
usually hanging upside down as a child rather than reading and my vocabulary
has suffered. And as I mentioned I'm manic today so I better go before they
try to sedate ME.
Thank you for everything. Keep praying.
Holly
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