Will I keep it up in 2o11? Probably not everyday as I will be busy with school, but I intend to blog still and I am sure with school and eventually going back to work I will have lots to blog about.
With that out of the way it's update time.
Dad is doing MUCH better today! After we left yesterday, he did start to run a fever, but it was gone by morning which was good. His blood sugars are at a much better level now and Respiratory Therapist is able to get more off of his chest now so his breathing is much improved which is making him much more comfortable. He looks so much better today and was even joking around. He is very tired as he hasn't been sleeping well (who does in a hospital) so he is hoping to get a better sleep tonight. Here is a run down of everything:
*Kidney function (his normal keratin level is 2.4) went down from 5.6 to 4.125 which means no dialysis! This was a huge relief, as there was talk about kidney biopsies and long term dialysis and back on the transplant list talk yesterday if there had been serious damage to the kidney. We want to watch that number keep going down to that 2.4 and we are heading in the right direction.
*Dad always struggles with anemia, he gets iron shots every two weeks to combat it. With as sick as he has been, he has become very anemic which can also cause the shortness of breath. They are giving him two units of blood tonight to help with anemia.
*They are now stopping fluids, which is also contributing to the pneumonia, as he is outputting so much urine (good thing, shows kidney is working) that his potassium level (which is usually to high as a diabetic) is too low now. He is on potassium pills to combat that.
*He is receiving breathing treatments and a vest therapy (a vest that goes around his chest that vibrates quite roughly) and that is getting the junk off of his chest nicely.
*He is on contact precautions right now as well, so we have to gown and glove before going in the room, good practice for me, I am sure I will be tested on it in school :<).
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers, they are working! Thank you to all our family that has visited, it helps and keeps him going!
And yesterday as I was questioning my ability to be a CNA as I had this terrible feeling like I wanted to run out of the hospital (things were bad yesterday and they were asking me questions about life saving measures and such, but I recognize today this is why they never let nurses or doctors take care of their own family in situations like this), that today I had more confirmation that I am headed in the right direction as I thought it was cool that Matt got to see a code blue go down, I would have liked to see that (I know demented right? It's just very interesting to me) I was also in the hall gowning up when they pulled a gurney out of the room next to my Dad with a body bag, a full body bag, and I wasn't the least bit grossed out as Matt fled into Dad's room. (That was also the room I passed yesterday when I needed to get some air and headed to the family room around the corner that had the Nun in there giving last rights, and pretty much sent me over the edge when Dad was so sick yesterday. I never take for granted how lucky we are to always come out of the ICU, he always pulls through.
I think in a funny way I needed this experience right before school started, some days I doubt if I will be able to handle this career, and now I couldn't be more excited to start!
Time to enjoy my last few weeks before schools starts!
Happy New Year to you all! Many blessings for a new year!
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