UPDATE - delayed I Know!

Hi everybody! Yes, I am guilty of not being as efficient as "chief blogger" as Darlene was! I do wholehearted apologize!  I will attempt to do a better job! However, Donna has been doing so fantastic that there really hasn't been much to report! She is now walking up to 3 miles and continues to have speech and physical therapy.  She is gaining weight and strength.  Her speech improves nearly daily.  She can really "jabber" away and then, suddenly, gets stuck on a word. Sometimes she proceeds to use about 30 words to explain the one word she's missing! It's kinda like charades sometimes, but she is managing well without much frustration(at least from my vantage point).  She is getting out and about a lot - going out to eat occasionally and has even attended a few school board functions, the biggest of which was the closed session meeting and the beginnings of the open session. She was welcomed back by the Superintendent of Schools at the open session and given a warm standing ovation from the district administrators after she said a few words thanking them for their cards and good thoughts.  As I understand, it was very touching for all in attendance.   After her appearance she snuck away.  She plans to attend the next meeting entirely.  Donna is ever so moved by the fact that everyone she sees gives her huge hugs and relates that she has been in their prayers.  She is amazed that everyone has cared so much and so glad that she is home and healthy!  It is a fact that is prominent in our minds that we are very lucky and blessed to have our friend/co-worker/wife/mom/sister/daughter/etc. alive and amongst us. It is a moving story that is inspiring to loved one's, acquaintances and strangers alike!  No doubt - Donna is an example of a real walking/talking miracle!

Brief Update

I just wanted to let you all know that Donna continues to do well and is enjoying all the meals that everyone is providing.  Thank You, Thank You!  She looks fantastic as you can now tell by the picture. Yeah - Louie looks great too! She is sporting her fresh haircut. She saw the Dr. yesterday - mainly so that her regular Dr. is updated on all her health history.  She has already started Physical Therapy and will begin Speech Therapy next week.  She continues to move upward and onward! 

Continuing to Recover

Just a quick note to let you all know that Donna is continuing to recover fantastically! She got her hair cut this morning and says she really "feels like a new woman"!  She is walking every day with Abby(the dog). Today she walked all the way to - and around the nearby park! Next week she has local Dr. appointments to set up consultants and future physical and speech therapy.  Those appointments should keep her busy and out of trouble! Visitors have managed to be staggered so that she can nap when she needs to.  Thank you all for your cooperation and consideration! 

Thank you to all that have brought a wide variety of fantastic foods, as well as those that have made commitments for future meals! It is so heartwarming to see the camaraderie of friends, co-workers and community members coming together in support of Donna and Louie.  I would also like to acknowledge and thank Lorrie Conley (graviollyx14@live.com) that is helping Deana Coburn coordinate meals.  

Also, in case you would like to send a card or something - Donna & Louie's address is: 

3342 South Stevenson

Visalia, CA  93277

HOME SWEET HOME!

This is Beckie - Donna's faithful friend! Darlene has passed the torch on to me to keep you all informed of Donna's progress.  I must say that Darlene is a hard act to follow! She has done such a great job of keeping us informed and showing us what unconditional love can be all about! Now I would like to say an open THANK YOU for excellent reporting and care that we all wish from a family member - given the same situation!  

   MOST importantly - Donna and Louie came strolling in this evening and they were ever so happy to be in their home, with their dog, Abby, and their "Stuff" surrounding them! Donna seemed to have made the trip like a champ - although her skinny behind got a little tired of sitting on those planes! She has good coloring, walks well and her speech is improving by leaps and bounds! She was rather wound up upon arrival - just to be back home to familiar surroundings. It's been a long hard road! Imagine - you go somewhere for a weekend and stay for 2 1/2 months - going thru a life threatening illness combined with surgery and pain - stuck across the country!  So, obviously, it was a moving moment to walk back into their house!

There is no doubt of a being greater than we humans making this puzzle all work out to bring them home where they belong!  

   So - now for those of you that are dying to see her. We all must remember that she has had a really rough time and isn't always ready to be the visited or otherwise entertained by visitors - as much as we all would love to be able to drop by at any time - This is a woman that needs some time, rest and recovery/regrouping! Please do not think they are ungrateful. They just must make sure that her time spent is in the best interest of Donna.  SO - here's the deal: Starting 4/1 there will be a table in the Martin's front door area with a sign that says "welcome".  IF you have spoken to someone about coming for a visit - you are certainly welcome to stay for your visit.  If the sign says "Sorry, no visitors right now" you will have to accept that it means "REALLY NO VISITORS!"  There will be a guest book for you to sign and if you need to leave as message, as well as a little room on the table so if you want to leave a gift, food, flowers, cards - you may leave it.  It will be monitored frequently.  We know that you will understand that she just can't have  revolving door at her house just yet! If you have any problems or suggestions for an improvement please contact me at beknava@mac.com.

Foods are taken care of for an entire week already. If you have an questions about helping with meals - Deana's email is dcrun5k@yahoo.com.  We are getting offers for lots of food.  Remember - they are only TWO people - you don't need to bring food for an army! Please remember that this food will be eating by Louie too - and he HATES onions! Also, a nice way to contribute is with gift cards to local restaurants - Olive Garden, Mimi's, Panera Bread, Chili's, Applebees, Fugazzi's, Litle Italy, just to name a few.  

Again, thank you all for your fantastic support - can't thank you all too much!

We will post a blog soon when we have more details ironed out. 

Beckie Nava

beknava@mac.com

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to leave.........

Donna had her last doctor visit today (well, in Memphis anyway) and she and Louie have almost finished packing their bags - and boxes. They have so many cards, pictures, posters, stuffed animals, books and so on that they will have to SHIP things back home. This has been quite an adventure for Donna (and Louie) and they are sad to leave us (yeah, right) but happy to get back home ! ! !

Since Donna and Louie will arrive home LATE tomorrow evening, I'm sure nothing will look better to them than their own bed, in their own home, surrounded by their own things! Donna has waited a very long time to get back home and can't wait. Meanwhile, in the background many friends have been busily planning the best way to help them as they settle in. People have written about wanting to bring food, stop by for a visit and so on. It seems best to give Donna a little time to settle in and not overwhelm her with all the kindness waiting to be showered upon her. We have two people who will coordinate food and another who will help keep visitors flowing but not let it get to be too tiring for her. Soon we will post names and phone numbers here, so if you'd like to help with food, or just stop by for a visit you'll have someone to check in with before hand. That way you can find out if they have had chicken for the last three days or 14 visitors in two days or maybe she is down and really needs some company to pass the time with. Thanks again for all your kind thoughts and prayers and generosity!

Coming Home

Donna was released from the hospital late yesterday afternoon!!!! She and Louie are staying with her parents until they are ready to make the trip home. Louie says the plan is to return to California next week, they haven't made the reservations yet.

Many people have called, e-mailed and offered to coordinate meals, visitors and so on which is wonderful. It sounds like we have plenty of people to cover all the bases. As soon as we get this organized I will post all the details for you.

Like we've said before - once again it's time to say prayers, call on the spirits, keep your fingers crossed or whatever it is you do to give her the strength she needs now. We believe that the worst is all behind her and hope that she stays healthy and strong enough to make that trip home. She can't wait ! !

Making plans

My days as a"blogger" may soon becoming to an end. We still do not have an ETD (estimated time of departure) or ETA (estimated time of arrival) but it is getting closer. Many people have been writing about bringing meals to the house for Donna & Louie and that is a wonderful idea. I don't think they have a deep freezer so they may need small amounts over a period of time. It would be great if someone could take this ball and run with it - set up a calendar, etc. Any one want to volunteer? ('cause I sure can't do it from here :) ! ! )

A few notes to keep in mind as you plan for her arrival -
She has lost a lot of weight and will definitely need/want to eat but she may be on a special diet (for a little while) once she gets home.
She has some aphasia and that makes communication more difficult.
She tires very easily, and continues to need lots of rest.
She has missed all of you terribly.

She is anxiously awaiting the time she can finally get home and see everyone but realizes that she has "been through the mill" and needs to take baby steps before she starts running again.
Probably most people know that for 5 weeks before Donna came to Memphis she was having severe back pain, so she came here sick. Then she went in the hospital on January 19 where she has remained for the majority of the time ever since. Needless to say, this has been a very long illness, literally months. Keep in mind that each time she sees someone new, her illness is the subject of conversation and she relives the whole awful experience all over again. It is emotional and exhausting for her. It would be great if someone could coordinate visits for her too, so she doesn't get overwhelmed by a lot of people all at once. Visits and meals spaced out over a few weeks would be perfect !

I wish we could say that we were sending Donna home in tip-top shape but that's not going to be the case. Certainly you all understand that once she returns she will have even more recuperating to do until she is back to her old self. Donna's family may be far away but we are happily passing the torch to her friends extended family members. You have all earned our respect and love as you have been so supportive and so ready to come to her aid. If we haven't said it enough- thank-you, thank-you, thank-you !

As quickly as we have more information we will be sure to share it with everyone.

Still hanging out

Donna remains at Baptist Hospital. All the doctors concur, it would be best to slowly wean her from all medications before leaving the hospital. This may take a few additional days but seems the best course of action. Her appetite is slowly increasing and she is enjoying the nurses on her floor. One of her favorites is named - Jacob, just like her nephew. He says he will answer to Jake too !

Still in the hospital

Donna "almost" went home on Friday. The tests have all been completed and she has been checked out inside and out - with nothing remarkable to report. In other words, she is having no problems now. Her Potassium level has been low so they wanted to keep a watch on that but everything is okay. As we know only too well, the hospital comes to a big standstill during the weekend. All the doctors go away, send in their replacements and no decisions are made. Donna is slowly being weaned off the pain medications so she will be ready to go. Our expectation is that Monday will see her making next big leap to freedom !

Feeling better

To be blunt - the laxatives finally worked !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This morning they were able to do the colonoscopy, no news yet. Also scheduled today is the removal of the PICC line, the IV used to administer the antibiotics. This is the day Donna was targeted to finish the antibiotics so apparently that is still the plan.

IF nothing is found from the colonoscopy, there doesn't seem to be a reason why she couldn't go home - today or tomorrow at the latest. (Okay, we are not doctors, this is pure speculation). I do know Louie has tickets for both of them to leave next week so it COULD happen ! Cross your fingers, toes and all of that.

Frustration

Yesterday was spent taking laxatives - in the form of pills and liquids, with no results. Then they gave her the liquid you drink before a colonoscopy (Go-Lightly) and finally it seemed she was successful! Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough. They tried to do the colonoscopy this morning and could not. Today will bring a Barium enema and tomorrow another shot at the colonoscopy. The doctor did increase the pain medication, so she is comfortable. She has been unable to eat since lunch on Sunday so has lost more weight.
The expectation is an uneventful day today and hopefully more tests with results known tomorrow.

No news

Donna had a rough day yesterday, the pain was difficult to manage but today is better. Still no news from the doctors. All tests are showing - clear, good, nothing remarkable so her source of pain remains a mystery. Last night, she was given a pain pump, so she can self-administer every 15 minutes, rather than wait for the nurse to arrive. This seems to be helping a lot. They have scheduled a colonoscopy for tomorrow morning. So, still in the watching and waiting mode.

No news

Like the title of this posting says - no news. Donna is still at the hospital, on a liquid diet, just lounging around. (well, not exactly "lounging") Not sure what we are waiting for but you can be sure we are all "sittin on ready!". The doctor came in late last night (after 11:00 p.m.) and said - test results indicate gallstone blockage, your physical pain does not indicate this. (The pain is not in the typical place for gallstones.) If she was any other patient, with the same symptoms, they would have already scheduled surgery. Of course, Donna isn't the typical patient, she has to do things "her" way and bottom line is - they don't want to put her through any more surgery again, unless absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, they have called in a Gastro doctor to study the facts and offer solutions.
She is having bouts of pain and nausea but being kept very comfortable by medication. So, like we said - Donna is just sitting and waiting and being watched by the best of the best. We'll keep you posted.

One more time, back at the hospital

Donna had been doing fine, walking around, eating well, learning how to administer her own antibiotics, all the usual things someone does when they are recuperating.................................. and then yesterday afternoon she started feeling bad again. We thought maybe she had over exerted herself. She went to bed last night complaining of pain in her stomach/abdomen area and no appetite since a light lunch. Before six this morning my folks were calling me to come quick. She was in a great deal of pain and throwing up, I didn't hesitate to call 911. (This was looking way too familiar and I wasn't going to take a chance of another crash!!!). We have spent the day in the Emergency Room (back at Baptist Hospital) and all her familiar doctors came running. The doctors decided it was best to admit her, much to her disappointment and right now I am sitting in her room, waiting for her to return from the latest test. The thought (at the moment) is that she had a gall bladder attack. This theory is being confirmed by this latest test. So, once again she's had an x-ray, blood & urine tests, ultra sound, cat scan and now another test described as a squeeze test. Good grief ! !
I will tell you that as the day passed she began to feel better and better and was in good spirits when she left for the test. Earlier today, she was mad as hell - about being back in the hospital again. I told her she could hit me, if it would make her feel better - thankfully she decided it wouldn't help !

I'll let you know more when we can.
Darlene

Home sweet home

Donna was finally released from the hospital yesterday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. She had spent most of the day waiting and pacing and stressing over WHEN she could leave so that by the time she finally arrived home she was exhausted! Meanwhile, mom had been making a special "welcome home" dinner so the house smelled wonderful and she relaxed completely, delighted to be free at last. After dinner she couldn't wait any longer to take a long, hot shower - the first in several weeks. (Don't get grossed out, she was getting sponge baths!) Later, "the man" arrived with the antibiotics and supplies so we all sat down and inspected everything. (Earlier in the day - Darlene, Donna's Dad and Donna had a lesson on how to administer the antibiotics so we were ready to get started.) It wasn't long before everyone was yawning and ready to end this momentous day so we all said goodnight and went to bed !



Actually, the antibiotics didn't start until 6:00 a.m. this morning. (Yikes, I am NOT a morning person!) We are working to get her on a better schedule of something more reasonable like 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. but it will take a little time. It's pretty cool the way the antibiotics are administered. There is a "thing" that looks like a translucent, yellowish, child type rubber ball, about the size you could easily hold in one hand. It has the antibiotics in it and it is pressurized. It's easy to snap the antibiotic line to the PICC line in her arm, wait about 45 minutes, disconnect and it's done. There's a little more to it than that, but not much. She can actually walk around, sit, eat, sleep or whatever she'd like while this is going on. It's really that simple and easy for everyone !



Update on her return date - the cardiac surgeon wants to see her one last time and the appointment has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 24th. The NEW plan is that Donna and Louie will fly home on Wednesday, March 25th. If it changes, I'll be sure to let you know.

Time to take the BIG WALK

Donna and her Dad are just sitting around - waiting. They are waiting to take Donna home. She has been given the OKAY and there is just a matter of a little paperwork holding them up now. Last night we removed everything from her room, except her clothes to wear home, her toothbrush and a comb. She slept in a hospital night gown so she would have NOTHING to carry out.

This is a BIG day ! No turning back now- she is ready to get on down the road and back to California! The plan is that she continue the antibiotics until March 20th (Friday) and then she is free to go home. Donna's mom will celebrate her birthday on March 21st so she and Louie will make their plans to return home around this event. In other words Donna will be back in California by Monday, March 23rd.

It's OUT !

Drainage tube out - check
Surgery staples removed - check
Donna happy - check, check

She's sleeping now because they did give her something to make her relax during the procedure. She cried a little after it was all over - happy tears of relief to have this all behind her. Okay everyone - start praying or crossing your fingers or whatever you do to send her good karma - we need no more setbacks, no more disappointments, just smooth sailing from here. I told her that this afternoon I am coming over and we are going to DANCE down the hallway, with no attachments !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday morning - things are happening

They ARE going to take the heart drainage tube out today ! Hip, hip Hooray ! Donna is very excited and a little nervous about it. (After the awful pain she endured when they drained her lung, she has been very concerned about PAIN and doesn't want any part of it) . Once it's out and she is settled, we'll give you an update. Hopefully there won't be much to report, other than- she is one step closer to going home !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday afternoon

Hi,
This is Donna (Darlene is typing for me as I dictate). I just want to say Thank you to everyone for everything they have sent to me. I really like the things I get from the kids. The ones with the pictures are so special! For example, I have received several cards that stretch the entire length of the room, and others that are very large, with lots of pictures and they are taped to my wall. Each morning when I wake up, it's the first thing I see and it makes me smile. All of the hospital staff who come in to my room really enjoy seeing these pictures and cards too.
I just want to tell everyone that I miss them very much. I think about all of you everyday and can't wait to come home. I am so glad that I have been able to hear from so many people. You all have made me feel so loved ! I wish I could talk to each and everyone of you and tell you thank you personally and maybe one day I will get to do that.

As for the hospital food it's not the greatest and I'm missing the things I like to eat at home. The staff here has been so nice and sweet to me. It's unbelievable how caring and concerned they are. Although I'm tired of being in the hospital, they make it tolerable because they are so nice.

The truth is - I am really learning to like the southern food they give me everyday. I might just learn how to cook this stuff at home ! !

Love you all,
Donna

Warm and windy

Today is cloudy, warm and windy as Donna looks out her window. She is watching a little TV, looking at magazines and browsing through a few "coffee table" books that we found for her. Her weekend nurse is Elizabeth, a real sweetie who likes spending time with Donna so she checks on her often.

There was big news yesterday - the physical therapist took Donna for a walk down the hall - without the walker! This is the first time Donna has walked on her own in several weeks and it was exhilarating ! Also, according to Elizabeth, the fluid drainage has slowed down considerably. We learned that once they take the drainage tube out, they will keep her in the hospital for at least one more day to closely monitor her vital signs. None of this is official yet but we are all getting pretty excited about the idea of her coming home. It seems possible that the doctor could take the drainage tube out tomorrow, remove the staples from the latest surgery and by Wednesday tell her to pack her bag and "get the heck out of Dodge!" Wouldn't that be great?

Walking in Memphis

Today we got the news that the fluid from the heart "looks better" ! They also told her that she can "get up and walk" down the hall. So, she did and it definitely raised her spirits to get to move around a bit. She is using a walker and ended up with a little pain from maybe over-doing it a little bit but she was delighted to get out of that boring room. Recently, the doctor ordered "something" to increase her appetite and it seems to be working. This morning she described her breakfast "maybe it's a little too RICH, but they said I could eat it and it was delicious! I ate it all!" (Remember she is now on a fat free diet to help heal the leaky lymph nodes. ) She also said she couldn't wait for lunch because it was going to be delicious too! ! This is a BIG change in attitude from earlier when each meal was described as yucky, terrible, awful or nasty. Darn hospital food ! After lunch Donna planned to take a nice long nap and her Dad was coming to visit later.

Oh, one more thing. We had asked that the therapists to start their sessions with her again - to give her day more structure and purpose. Today her favorite speech therapist arrived, with a trainee, and they had a great time working on some of the challenges. Donna was very excited and said the exercises were already helping her speak more clearly.

Last night she asked if we could do something together - she wants to take each and every card and letter that she has received and acknowledge them all. This will be a huge undertaking but we are going to find a way to do it. Stay tuned to see YOUR name in print !

It's a great day

That's what Donna told me this morning - It's a GREAT day! This is because yesterday they removed the catheter and she can now get up and move around a bit. Well, to be honest, she can only walk to the bathroom (in her room) and back to the bed/chair but it's more than she's been able to do for quite a while. Last night we delivered her (sporty & new) walker that had been presented to her at the rehab facility, and she used it this morning with ease. So she's happy and smiling.

Today they were planning to remove the heart drain tube but they've just decided to delay it for a few more days. Now I know for a fact that her heart doctor is out of the country and won't return until Saturday. (Guess what, our next door neighbor is in the hospital too, just a few rooms away from Donna. He just had surgery and has the same doctor as Donna so we are keeping track of this doctor in more ways than one. Last night we got to do a "too-fer" - you know "two for one", two visits at the same place, at the same time, on the same floor.) Anyway, it seems they are being cautious and want to wait until the heart doctor returns. So, they just told Donna that she must wait until Sunday to see what happens next. This is not a set back, just a cautious way of proceeding. Like I just told her, better to be cautious now than to leave too early and have to come back.

More big news - Donna got to wash her hair today. It's the first REAL shampoo she's had in her hair weeks. They were using some sort of special cap that sort of cleans it, but it's not the same thing at all. Now she "feels like a natch-ur-al woman" !!!!!!!!! Soon Kylie (niece), Ethan (4) and Hannah (2) will arrive for a visit and they are bringing lunch. They've put Donna on a low fat diet (it has to do with that fluid that is draining) so they are bringing a special sandwich from Subway, Donna's request. A few minutes with the kiddo's should wear her out and I bet she'll take a nice nap this afternoon.

Just another day in Memphis

Actually today is beautiful, the snow is almost gone and the weatherman says it will hit 60 today - hurray! Louie left yesterday and that made Donna a little sad but all in all she had a pretty good day. Joseph and I brought dinner to the hospital and the three of us enjoyed watching American Idol. This season there are two girls from Memphis. Lat night the one named Lil Round sang and she rocked the house! ! ! Go Memphis! (We don't have much to brag about so we have to take what we can get.) Meanwhile, Donna was still waiting for the MRI test to get started. She waited, and waited, and waited for them and guess what? It was 9:30 last night when they were finally ready for her. She was a bit annoyed but like I told her - hey, what else do you have to do? You get to take a ride, hang out a while, see some new people and then ride back to your room. Besides, surely you are tired of us by now. She decided it was okay after all, a "not too bad" change of pace. The nurse promised her something "special" when she returned, which was one of those great pain medications that make you go right to sleep.

This morning she was all smiles and had slept very well during the night. She was eating breakfast when I arrived and actually enjoying it. The heart surgeon came in to say that they will most likely take out the heart drainage tube, tomorrow. The catheter should come out today. So, by tomorrow, she should be wireless/tubeless/drain free -and all that ! Today she is scheduled for the Gallium test (not sure about the spelling) which will show hot/cold spots indicating infection/inflammation. From the MRI and the Gallium they will be able to plan what to do about her constant back pain. At one time they had thought she might get to go home this Friday but right now, that doesn't seem likely. As always, stay tuned - I'll keep you posted as we know more.

Good Night

Donna had a good night last night. By staying on top of the pain medication she was able to sleep and rest comfortably. Louie was "on the couch" again, right next to her. The plan today is that she'll have an MRI and they have ordered some sort of concoction for her to drink - that will enable the doctors to do the next test. We've heard that she must wait a day or two for this fluid to flow through her body and then they can proceed.

Visalia friends - Louie will be home tonight ! He leaves today around noon, your time.

Progress

Sorry for the delay........................ we had a little technical problem that had to be worked out on this page. All is well now.

Donna has been moved to the Step-Down unit of CV (Cardio Vascular) and continues to make good progress. She was moved on Saturday morning after a pretty tough night of pain (remember the latest surgery was last Thursday afternoon and it required yet another vertical incision on the front of her body. She now has an almost continuous line from her throat to her belly button).
This morning the doctor decided to keep the heart drainage tube in place (darn it!) as they are monitoring the amount of fluid and it seems to be a bit excessive. They think that when she sits up, it drains more than when she is lying down and they just want to keep a close eye on it. Remember that the drainage tube was placed so the lining around the heart would not fill with fluid, again. While this tube is in, they do not want her up and moving around much. She can go from the bed to the chair and back, but that's it. She still has a catheter too. Needless to say she has grown very weary of being in bed and the chair and the room. Who could blame her? The surgery for the fluid around her heart was on February 18 and today is March 2 ! That's 13 days she has been confined to bed, plus the 3 days prior to all this she was barely moving around much because of the pain. Whew! That would make anyone cranky ! ! !

Donna's spirits were sagging a bit so we decided to cheer her up with a little silly skit. The plan was to perform on Saturday but mother nature had other plans - we had almost 7 inches of snow dumped on Memphis and it was too awful to drive to the hospital, so we had to delay our performance. By Sunday, the sun was shining the roads were clear and we were able to roll. Kacie (neice), Kylie (neice), Natalie (neice) and myself (the old woman) all sang and danced, in costumes, to - I Will Survive, Don't Worry/Be Happy and Ain't No Mountain High Enough in front of the whole family. (Notice there are NO pictures and hopefully none will be posted. This was a once in a lifetime experience, never to be repeated or seen outside that hospital room !) Whoops - we did get in a little trouble for having the music too loud but we didn't really care as we were all enjoying ourselves way too much ! It was the "highlight" of Donna's day on Sunday.

Louie has been spending the night at the hospital with Donna since she moved to Step-Down. (They wouldn't let him do that when she was in CVICU) He plans to return to Visalia tomorrow to catch up a little at work, then back to Memphs. We'll keep a close watch on her until he returns. The doctor has said that Donna will be through with her antibiotic treatment this Friday, March 6 - YEAH ! They plan to do more diagnostics to determine why she continues to have so much pain radiating from her back. Is it the infection, fluid or possible a herniated disc? As soon as she can move around, she will have another MRI (non-invasive) and one more test that will show hot/cold spots. She may get to go home (to her parents) on Friday evening or Saturday of this week. Depending on how well she does, the scheduling of these latest requested tests and so on. There are still a few unknowns but things are looking up again ! ! !

Surgery over - good outcome

Donna's surgery is over and the doctor said it was successful. She is still in recovery and doing fine. We anticipate a few days in ICU and then on to the Step-Down room as planned.

Surgery today

Hi,
This is Donna. I'm just laying around waiting to go to surgery. I'd say, we are going to "get er done" today. We are on our way!

Darlene says-
I'm sitting here next to Donna (with Louie) helping to entertain her until this morning's surgery. She is having "scheduled" surgery to repair a lymph node this morning and the expectation is that this will fix things up. She is almost through with the antibiotics and getting closer and closer to coming home. After this surgery, she will return to ICU for a day or two, then on to step-down and next HOME ! This surgery should take care of the fluid that has continued to build up in the heart and lungs. It's fairly simply and should only take about 30-45 minutes. We'll let you know more later.

Life in ICU

The nurses are amazing and wonderful as Donna continues to heal in ICU. She is "unattached" for the most part, it won't sound like it but honestly it is better than it was - there is only a blood pressure cuff, heart monitor and occasional hook up to an IV for those much needed antibiotics. She still has the drain tube in her heart and fluid continues to drain. The doctors have narrowed down the causes and we will be able to let you know the next step, later today. For now we just wanted to say that Donna is resting comfortably although growing tired of being sick.
I wanted to take a minute to tell all of you how much we appreciate your support. Every day brings cards, photos, gift cards, fruit baskets and more and it has been so appreciated. I know most of you must feel like this has gone on an awful long time, as do we - imagine how Donna is feeling. Each day we take cards to her and tell her how much everyone is praying and cheering for her recovery to good health. It really means more than you can imagine. Somedays she is so overwhelmed by all your love and care and conern that she cries and they are tears of happiness and greatfulness and a little sadness because she misses you all so much. She is still strong and willing to work hard to get well and certain that she is going to beat this awful thing, as we all are! One day when Donna is well and strong again, I am going to sit down and write to each person to let them know how thankful we are for them continuing support. For now we just want to say - Thank you everyone!

Procedure to drain lung over

Donna came back from having the fluid removed from her lung, there was 1300CC's, or about the equivalent of 5 1/2 cups. Apparently it has a very similar look to the fluid that was around her heart - milky is how they describe it. The fluid from the heart has still not shown to be infected.
Donna did not have a good time when they drained her lung, apparently it was very painful and the technician was not gentle or kind during the procedure. She was able to complain (loudly) to the pulmonary doctor and he apologized profusely.
The prediction is that Donna will remain in the CVICU for a little while longer - number of days to be determined. Louie and my folks are with Donna today. Kirsten has left to return home.
Donna is comfortable now, maybe she will get to take a nap for a while.

Today starts week SIX

The plan over the weekend was for Donna to improve, get up start walking a bit, move to a new room and so on. This all sounded good but didn't quite go as planned, it was postponed until today. Most of the doctors were in agreement that she could be moved to a "Step-down" room, so out of Intensive Care, except the heart doctors. They said no way. She still has the drainage tube and it is draining fluid from her heart. They don't want her to walk or move around until that drainage tube is removed, they don't want to remove the tube until they know what the fluid consists of and it continues to drain. They have tried a few theories to test the fluid and so far we have had no conclusions.
So far, the plan today is to drain the fluid from her lung (it's the right one). However, this morning she has been nauseated and says "I just don't feel that great". Louie and Kirsten are with her and we'll see how the day progresses.

Saturday night and all is well

Last night (Friday) the nurse came in and got Donna out of bed, for the first time since the most recent surgery. She didn't have far to go, but to her it was a big deal. She kept saying she was "nervous" and she had good reason. For the three days before surgery her back had been causing a lot of pain so she was very cautious and concerned that making just the smallest wrong move was going to make that pain return. Good news - she made it to the chair, with no pain. She was able to sit up, eat dinner and enjoy the time with Louie.

Saturday was cold and rainy (I seem to be saying that a lot lately, wish winter would hurry up and end !). Donna was entertained by Louie, Kirsten, her Mom and Dad and Joseph and I. After two different times of sitting up in the chair for several hours each time, she had two good naps and was in fine form tonight. With a little help from her new friends (Dilaudid and Percocet) she was feeling no pain. Her back has begun to hurt again but they are keeping it under control with a little pain medication. (That's the infection causing the pain and of course the treatment is antibiotics and more antibiotics.)

Starting today, during the day she is off the oxygen and must only use it when she sleeps. There is still fluid in her lungs so she is having a bit of difficulty taking good deep breaths. If this doesn't clear up by Monday, they will drain the fluid. Today there is also a new theory being tested about the fluid that continues to drain from her heart, we are waiting for the results. The doctors still believe this fluid is most likely infected but so far it has not been confirmed. Of course, weekends in the hospital are a bit more relaxed than during the week. Not a lot happens, not a lot of information is forthcoming. That's okay, it's a good time for Donna to rest, eat, visit and regain her strength !

First time for everything (or maybe it's the second time)

Still in ICU

Last night Donna was happy to see us and still HUNGRY. She is hooked up all over the place and they would only allow her to sit up at a 30 degree angle but no worries - I was able to spoon pudding and soup into her mouth. She was very talkative and we had a good time right there in the ICU - Joseph, Louie, Kirsten, Donna and myself had a few laughs, no tears.

Louie had thought they were going to move Donna to a "regular" room today but no, they have decided to keep her in ICU at least until Monday. That's okay as she gets much more attention there. Today finds her with even more elevated liver enzymes (not good). A "liver" specialist was called in and he is working on this now. The infectious disease doctor had thought that once the heart was stabilized (through surgery) the liver would go back to normal functions on it's own but that has not happened so far. They tried to take her off the oxygen but had to put it back on. She is quite congested in her lungs and is receiving breathing treatments for that too. The kidneys are a bit better and so far there have been no bad reports about the presence of bacteria in the fluid from her heart. Although, that culture must continue to grow for 4-5 more days to be conclusive. She had a PICC line in her arm (used to "hook up" to the IV's) and there is concern that perhaps it had developed a staff infection and possibly caused this last crisis. The original PICC line was removed and a new one inserted. No reports from that theory yet.
Just in - they took the internal blood pressure monitor out of her groin, so one less attachment, yea!!! That means she can sit up more now too.

11:00 Visit

I just went to see Donna for the 11:00 a.m. visit. The respirator is out, and she is trying to talk lots. Donna's first question to me was is it lunch time? She said she has not eaten in a looong time! She made me look down the hallway to see if lunch was on its way. Louie said he would bring her a milkshake later after she ate a real lunch. Her board of information says that she is on a regular diet. She told me how much pain she was in last night and she was happy that she was feeling much better. She then told Louie and I that she was tired, and wanted to rest. There are still no results from any of the test. The heart doctor did say that her kidney's are looking better, but we are waiting on a kidney specialist.
Kylie

Getting better

We left Donna sleeping last night and couldn't wait to see her this morning. Already Louie is in trouble - visiting hours for the CVICU do not start until 9:00 a.m. and he was there by 7:30 a.m. A Nurse Ratchett Twin (not quite that bad) set him straight and made him leave the unit but not until he was able to see that they took the respirator out! Yea! Donna can now communicate - she is alert and whispering and I'm sure she'll have plenty to say when visiting hours allow us in. The report this morning is that her kidneys are working better now (hooray!) and they are still concerned about the possibility of infection in the fluid that surrounded her heart. So far, no word on the test results and there is also the liver functions that were not as they should be. So, we expect more doctors and tests today.

Last night Louie told Donna that at this rate they might as well buy a house on the lake near ours and just live in Memphis - she gave a "thumbs up" sign. It seemed that even though she couldn't talk she was being funny. Her hand gestures allowed me to understand that she was asking a question - "had she had back surgery?" Apparently she thought that all her back pain had finally required surgery but we explained it was her heart and she seemed a little confused about what happened, understandably. By playing a game similar to Charades, I was able to understand most of what she was asking but in the end, she stumped me. Something she was asking, I couldn't figure out at all. That's when they gave her something to help her sleep and she drifted off. Hopefully later this morning we will finally know what she wanted or maybe it wasn't important.

Not a good report

Yesterday Donna was sick to her stomach, feeling pretty awful, couldn't eat, lots of back pain. During the night she was taken back to the Emergency Room for evaluation as her blood pressure remained very low. She has another kidney infection and her liver is not functioning correctly. After the CAT Scan and many tests, they found she had fluid surrounding her heart, a large amount of fluid. She was rushed in to emergency surgery and they drained the fluid successfully, she is now back in her room, in CVICU. (Cardio Vascular Intensive Care Unit). The concern is that the fluid is infected. We are waiting now to see her, she is back on the respirator, so not sure that she will be awake when we get to see her.
Please say more prayers and we will update you as we can.

A big box of fudge - she couldn't wait to open it !

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate !

Valentine's Day

Louie was a real prince, a true cupid and lover of lover's - he gave Donna great big, huge, gigantic, enormous basket of chocolates and candy and hearts and all those things that girls love on the big V-Day and boy did she ever love it. She was delighted with each and every item and there was plenty of it, still is actually. I'm not sure what her favorite was but suffice it to say that she has now had a little taste of everything!

Finally we have a name for what "ails" Donna. It's called Osteomyelitis (infection in the bone). This is what is causing her to have back pain, probably what was causing it all along but who knew? The cure for this disease is antibiotics, via an IV and that's just what she's doing, imagine that! She is in great spirits and although the back pain gets the best of her sometimes, she is working with it and making progress. Each day is a new day, a different day. Some are really hard and some are easier but never are two the same. Her spirit shines through as she is happy most of the time. Every now and then she gets a litlle overwhelmed and cries (just like a girl) for a minute and then she gains control and is okay again. Like Saturday evening when she and I were waiting for Kirsten to arrive. She was so excited and yet when we knew she was entering the building I asked Donna - "Do you want to go down to the elevator with me to meet her?" and she said Oh yes, and we got her settled in a wheel chair but then she started crying. She said - when she sees me she is going to think I'm an OLD WOMAN! That made me laugh because as I reminded her - we are not exactly spring chickens anymore. I said - remember when we were younger and our parents were our age and we thought they were soooooooo old, well here we are. As I was leaning down near her face, talking softly and very closely, trying to comfort her, it occurred to me that I probably had bad breath - just like some old woman. I asked her if that was true and that really made her laugh - so with that, off we went to meet Kirsten. Well, then cried again but it was tears of joy tears this time ! ! !

Tonight she kept bending her arm, which would cause the IV pump to start beeping. Kirsten and I were sitting with her and would say - hey, straighten your arm. Before long she was joining in and every time she would (absent mindedly) bend her arm she would scold it as if it were a naughty child with a will of it's own and we'd all laugh. Before long she became tired of this silliness and told us she was ready to go "night-night" and both of us could just go home now. So we did.

Keep your fingers crossed and say prayers that Donna continues to progress and gets to go home to her mom and dad's soon. That will be the next step she needs to take as she continues this journey. All of you in California, get ready to greet her with open arms - she is coming home !
Not quite yet but she's definitely going in the right direction.

Friday - 1 week completed at rehab, 2 more to go

When we visited Donna yesterday she was in a great mood again. She was talking a lot and had plenty to say. Mostly she talked about the "waitress" and the "OT" Eventually we decided that the waitress she kept talking about must be the different nurses on the floor and the OT might be the doctors or possibly the Physical Therapist. These words were easy to understand but we are certain there are no waitresses around ! She is very pleased with the therapists she is working with. She says the PT is great and helping a lot and the ST gives her HARD tasks!

Although she said she was not feeling any pain, I found out that she is being given pain medication. (That may account for how much she is talking !) Seems there is still quite a bit of back and leg pain. Sometime today they will do another MRI (YEA, we were hoping this would be done soon.) so they can compare it with the last one they did. Remember she came to Memphis having just been diagnosed with 3 bulging discs. The (contrast) MRI that was done here showed there was infection in her spine, some evidence of arthritis and only slightly bulging discs. The doctors here said that no way the doctors in Visalia could have known what was going on, so they didn't do anything wrong. No one knew that bacteria was growing so rampantly in her body. I'm sure they will compare the last MRI with this one and decide what to do next. As it is Friday, and no one could say for certain what time the MRI will be done, it could be Monday before we have the results.