How is Kevin today?

See "Update before Dr.'s Visit" for latest.

10/16
Better couple of days. Getting stronger. Up more. Still not of soft foods, just liquides, but finally getting an appetite. Getting his personality/humor back!


10/14
Not such a good day. Got hiccups, which fortunately did not cause any strain on sutures or pain - but really tired him out.

They had put him on clear liquids yesterday to "prime the pump" and get his digestive system working. The message I got from the staff was to get liquids into him as he was getting dehydrated and that was resulting in veins collapsing (they had slowed IV to encourage oral intake).

Turns out the liquids he took in didn't prime the pump; they just sat in his stomach. One good hiccup was enough to cause his muscles to spasm resulting in vomiting that wouldn't stop until the stomach was empty. This happened around 4:00 and really wore him out. Fortunately, all of the "activity" was high up enough to not disturb his sutures.

After this, all Kev wanted to do was rest, but it turns out that the best way to get his innards working again is walking. So, despite fatigue, we took two walks down the hall between 5:00 and 7:30 p.m. By the time we got back from the second walk, it was time for his pain shot, which sent him off to la la land.

Please pray that getting up and about tomorrow will actually help get everything "moving" and help to make him feel stronger, not weaker.

10/13
More tired today. He had a "roommate" put in with him night of 10/12 which apparently resulted in lots of noise and disturbances, so Kevin did not get a good night sleep Sunday night. The patient was discharged 4ish Monday afternoon, so for now, Kev has the room to himself.

He did get up in the morning and walk across the room to brush his teeth and wash his face. Three of "the guys" came to visit him around 3:00 in the afternoon. I asked later if he was too tired to really enjoy the visit. He nodded "yes." then i asked if he was glad they came anyway. He nodded "yes" again and smiled. Thanks, guys!

10/12
Good day. The stomach tube (inserted through nose) came out this morning! The catheter came out this afternoon. Kevin is getting stronger and sat up for a while today.

He wanted company, all except for a few hours this afternoon, when he slept.

He thinks he may be up for visitors tomorrow, though it still hurts to talk and he still tires easily. If you'd like to visit, just check with me first by calling my cell phone -- 917-488-2150. He is in room 10A-24 at St. Luke's Roosevelt at 59th and 10th.

The surgeon told me today he may come home this week!


10/11
Fluid levels improved and he was transferred out of CCU to normal nursing floor today at about noon. By 1:30 p.m. he was settled down enough to sleep.

When I told his nurse that he had had no uninterrupted sleep since entering the ER Wed. eve., she closed the blinds, turned off the lights, got him comfortable and LEFT HIM ALONE! He slept for about 2 1/2 hours. Woke long enough to tell me he wanted to go back to sleep and i should go home and come back at 7:00 p.m.

I spoke with the nurse about whether they would still try to get him up and moving today (that was the plan yesterday). She responded that since he really is exhausted, they would most likely let him continue to rest and wait until tomorrow to get him moving about.

All else is good. Vital signs all remain stable and strong.

Other than annoyance at being kept awake by all of the monitoring and his STRONG desire to get the tube out of his nose--he saves most of his strength for telling anyone with any influence how much he hates it and asking when it can come out (tomorrow at the earliest)--his spirits are really good.

10/10
Baruch haShem (Thank G-d) much, much, much better than yesterday's worst case scenarios.

I just spoke with the attending physician in the step-down ICU where Kevin is "resting comfortably" aided by the ability to administer morphine at the push of a button. The Dr. says, "He looks good to me. I expect he will leave ICU and go to the floor tomorrow."

They do not plan to get him up and moving today, but will move him from side to side a bit (to prevent immobility to cause fluid collecting in his lungs).

His vital signs are good, and he is healing from the trauma and the surgery. The lack of fever indicates that there is likely no infection. They have him on IV antibiotics as a preventive measure.

He is in the step down ICU so they can closely monitor him. The reason he needs close monitoring is that his fluids are "shifting" and not where they would like them to be. Simply put, he is somewhat dehydrated, because the fluids they are putting into him are ending up causing edema, more than they are passing through his system. In the words of the surgeon this morning, "This is something we need to fix, because his cells and organs needs to be hydrated to remain healthy. It is not, however, either unusual or a cause for alarm in someone who is as young and relatively healthy as Kevin."

He has tubes going into and out of his body: one tube down a nostril and into his stomach (they put this in Wed. night in ER) helps drain the gas and fluids building up there one tube protruding from where they removed a small portion of his small intestine and another where they removed a small section of colon are serving to eliminate waste from these areas (these are temporary) a catheter has been inserted to eliminate urine (temporary) IV line (lines? I realize i didn't notice if they put a second in) feeds fluids, nutrients, antibiotics and opiates into his body. They were able to remove (while he was still anesthetized) the tube they had placed in his windpipe to help with his breathing during the surgery. He now just has an oxygen tube taped to his nose to help him breathe, but he is breathing on his own.

He's mostly "out of it." Between sheer exhaustion, the trauma his body has suffered and the opiates, it was an effort for him to fight his way to "alertness" enough to acknowledge my presence during my two short visits today (one at 9:15 a.m. and one at 12:00 p.m.) He sent me home (with a promise to return for a brief visit this evening) so that he could just rest.

His spirits seem good. He smiled at me both times i showed up today. It was GREAT to see a smile after not seeing one since i met him in the ER Wed. night. He seems aware of his prognosis, and seems to feel both relieved and bummed out, which is, I think, appropriate.