Swine Flu

Eric's having a better day today. This morning, he said his stomach was okay, but he still wouldn't eat breakfast. Said his throat hurt. He walked two laps with PT. Played Chinese Checkers and Connect Four with our visitor Mandy. Then ate a few bites of mashed potatoes, peaches, salad, and half a Reese's PB egg for lunch. He was off the vent for three hours this morning and talking with his Passy-Muir valve, getting used to it. They decreased his FiO2, the amount of oxygen, to .27, and his O2 saturation remains 98-100%.

If you've watched the news or read the newspaper, you know the first US death from swine flu happened right here at Texas Children's Hospital. That child was on the 3rd floor in ICU. We're on the 7th floor, hopefully far enough away. I've been saying all along, hospitals are dangerous places. I can't wait to get Eric home. Anticipated discharge date . . . Tuesday!

Under the Weather

"I just don't feel good," Eric says. Yesterday, he vomited twice, both times after treatments of a newly ordered med to loosen and thin secretions, Mucomyst, was administered. So we discontinued that right quick. But this morning, he still complained of stomach pain and after lunch, he threw up again. So we're not sure what's going on there, but they drew some blood and will look at his stool to run a few tests and try to find out. Meanwhile, he's eating even LESS and vomiting his tube feedings. Despite that, they weighed him this morning and he gained 1.5 pounds in the past two days, so that's good. During the episode today, he vomited out his NG tube and will have to have another one put in. He dreads that. They had to stick him, twice, for bloodwork, because they pulled his PIC line yesterday. More pain. Just not having a good couple days.

Besides that, Eric's doing okay. His lungs are continuing to heal, but he does have a lot of secretions. Respiratory brought in a "home vent," exactly like the one we'll be using at home, so we all can get used to it. That's a sure sign we're going home soon.

PS Post PT

It would seem I posted prematurely this afternoon, but I thought I had nothing left to say. That was prior to physical therapy. This morning, Eric walked the full lap around the unit, and we thought that was pretty impressive. But this afternoon, he walked around twice!

Surprise Visitor

Bob showed up this morning. Surprise! But not really because Mom called before he came and told me he was coming. He simply missed Eric and me SO much, he couldn't stay away. No, seriously, he couldn't sleep last night because he needed to talk to the doctors himself, needed to see the x-rays, etc. Either way, it was a nice visit. Eric enjoyed spending time with his dad and I got to take a long shower and go for a longer walk. Hot in Houston, already! Not even May yet.

Our friend Lee Ann brought over homemade macaroni and cheese for lunch. It was my own recipe, but she made it better! Awesome. And a new friend, Mandy, visited and played chess with Eric.

Prior to today, one of the biggest sticking points to our discharge was finding a home care company in or near Lake Charles who'd give us a ventilator. But now we've got two companies who are willing. One in Beaumont, too far really to be practical. And one in Lake Charles. Thanks, Dr. Thompson! Till all the details of discharge fall into place, we're hoping to be home sometime mid-late next week! Praise God! An end in sight.

Repeat Chest X-Ray

Just to review, last week, Eric had a couple chest x-rays and a CT scan which showed what the docs thought was a hydro-pneumonthorax (fluid and air in a pocket in the space alongside the lung.) They weren't sure what they wanted to do with this, if anything, since he wasn't having any problems clinically. They decided they'd order a follow-up x-ray for today, and see if it increased in size, decreased, or stayed the same. Then they'd decide what to do, if anything. Anyway, the x-ray today indicates that there has been no change. Which is excellent. They're not going to do anything about it, except maybe watch it. They are also saying that it's possible that it's not a pneumothorax but possibly another bleb (a pocket of useless air within the lung). Maybe over time it will be absorbed and just go away. Or maybe he can live with it. In any case, we continue with rigorous physical therapy and hope to go home in a week or so.

Christ Church Presbyterian

Don't you love the way God puts people in your life at just the right time when you need them? Never has this been so evident as it has during our time here in Houston. A friend, Susan, from our church in Pittsburgh has a cousin, Debbie, who lives not far from TCH. When we transferred here from Lake Charles, Susan alerted Debbie, who informed her pastor, and both came to the hospital almost immediately to visit us. Not only did the pastor and his wife, (Lacy and Darlene Sellars) come visit, they gave us the keys to their house along with detailed directions, phone numbers, email addresses, and told us to come any time. (FYI, for my northern readers, here in the south, Lacy is a man's name.) Lacy told Lee Ann, a woman who attends his church and has a long history and connections here at TCH, about us, and she came right over as well. Lee Ann has been a wonderful sounding board. She knows and understands everything we're going through. As more and more people in Lacy's congregation heard Eric's story, they, too, began following the blog and praying for him. After Bob went back to Lake Charles last weekend, Lee Ann and Lacy asked for volunteers and Lee Ann put together a schedule and has someone lined up to come visit Eric and I most every day. It's simply amazing, how these folks seemed to come out of nowhere and have loved and embraced us, taken us into their family. Mom and I attended this church on Easter Sunday and again today. It's wonderful to have a place to worship while we're away from home, where we don't feel like total strangers.

Bob and Mom have been here since Friday evening for the weekend. Andrew was in Orlando on the band trip this weekend. The past two weekends, some combination of Mom, Bob, Andrew and myself have stayed at the Sellars, done laundry, had much needed restful nights' sleep, and been served fabulous breakfasts. When Lacy and Darlene retire from ministry, they should open a B & B. My whole family is most grateful for their incredible hospitality.

So I just want to thank Susan for contacting her cousin. And a huge thank you to the Sellars and Christ Church Presbyterian (www.ccpres.org) for their ongoing prayers and loving support for my family during this difficult time. You all have made this trial a bit easier.

Eric continues to improve, doing well. It's been a quiet day, watching several movies. We're getting bored. That's a sure sign it's time to go home.

Eric on a Saturday

Mood: Quiet, relaxed
On The TV: Chowder (a really weird cartoon)
Reading: Twilight
Listening to: Led Zepplin
Playing: Nanosauer, on his computer
Drinking: Cherry Picker from Smoothie King
Eating: not much yet, mostly fruit, sometimes mashed potatoes, here and there other stuff
PT/OT walk: all the way around the "track," 1/10 of a mile, near double from yesterday
Vent Settings: PSV 5, CPAP 5, FiO2 .30, with occasional stints off the vent on a trach mask