If you don't regularly read this blog, you may have no idea what transpired in my life a year a go today. You can always check out this link and catch up (you'll have to backtrack to the beginning), but if you don't have time, I'll summarize.
One year ago today I was hanging out with the kids (August 2nd was a Thursday last year) and doing our normal 'lazy summer day' nothiningness. Marty - my husband - called and asked for the web address to my Family.com blog; he wanted to show off my work to the guys on one of their cell phones. I obliged and we hung up. Shortly after that, maybe half an hour or so, I got a call from his office manager, Sasha, that began, "We don't know the extent of the injuries yet ..." I think I went blank because, while I know the details of what was said, I can't remember exactly how it was spoken. All I knew was that my husband had fallen off of the roof he was working on and was being airlifted to a hospital. The height of the roof has changed a few times and it was finally found that he was 27 feet up - or 3 stories - when he fell. He suffered severe traumas and was not coherent, including being in a medically induced coma, for two weeks' time.
To say that he should not be here would be a gross understatement. To say that he is a miracle, would be closer to the truth. When I got to the hospital, instead of being greeted by a single doctor to have things explained to me, I was met by four doctors who questioned me repeatedly about whether Marty had a heart condition or not. He had some fluid around his heart as a result of the fall and his heart rate would not steady. He had several fractures to his pelvis, a severely broken right wrist, a suspected break to his right elbow (that turned out to be just a laceration), a large gash to his right cheek, severe bruising to his chest and right lung. Not two days after his fall, his lungs went into ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and they nearly lost him. He had internal bleeding in his pelvis, which was found after many units of blood failed to bring his hemoglobin levels up. He had a fever, near kidney loss, bloating all over his body ... it was really horrible.
Marty was more than 60 miles away from us at Hahnemann University Hospital in center city Philadelphia. The trip there and back took 4 hours out of each day. I went almost daily and waited for him to wake up. It was 11 days after the fall that they were finally able to operate on his hip, so the wait for him to wake seemed interminable. He still has a long road ahead of him, his hip is still broken and he will most likely need surgery to correct it. He has short-term memory loss and we are now dealing with neurologists and neuropsychologists added to the mix of orthos we see on a regular basis. He's still in therapy 3 times a week and will be there for some time.
I would be remiss in all of this if I didn't acknowledge several individuals who helped to make this miracle happen or at least made the trauma more bearable for all of us.
Firstly there would be my brother, Bobby. As soon as I got the call (I was sitting at the computer, of course) I sent an IM to Bobby and asked him to pray. As God would so have it, Bobby was just blocks away from Hahnemann University Hospital and called to let me know he was on his way there. It would take me nearly two hours to get there, so he went ahead and got as much information as they would share with him. He called me often to update me on what was happening. That was so comforting to me to know that family was there when I couldn't be.
Secondly would be Katiepooh (Kate to the rest of the world) who saw my frantic post on Lots of Kids and called me immediately to find out what was happening. She would then relay messages to my friends at LOK and keep them updated. I loved having her on the phone, she was like the calm in the storm - just talking and being distracted helped me to keep from becoming overwhelmed. Unbeknownst to me at that time, she had set up a PayPal account for donations to help us. She's been there so often with her own children, especially her youngest, who has had numerous surgeries that kept Kate far from the rest of her family. She knew firsthand that it would take a lot of money to travel daily and keep things running. I am so grateful for that - it really did help. It didn't take any of the hurt away, but it eased the burden so much.
Third would be Sasha, the office manager for Allentown Applicators and wife of Marty's best friend, Lodi. She didn't blink an eye when it came to getting me to HUH. She came here and picked up the baby and me and drove us to Philly to be with Marty. I thought she was going to get the Worker's Comp stuff taken care of, but when I asked her if she was going in to talk to the nurses, she told me that she was just taking me there.
In no specific order are the men and women who were there for Marty from the start. The ambulance crew who picked him up, the helicopter crew who flew him to the hospital - these are the people that made all the difference in Martin staying alive. They stabilized him and got him where he needed to be quickly. I have no idea who they are, but plan to find out soon so I can let them know how much they mean to us.
The nurse that called me from Hahnemann to let me know that Marty told her, "Make sure my wife knows I love her".
The trauma doctors that took such amazingly good care of Marty - especially the one who "got it" when I showed him the photo of all the kids. Before that moment, he seemed brusque and uncaring, but when I showed him the kids and said, "Everything you're doing for him, you're also doing for them," he nodded and said, "I get it." He was my very favorite doctor from that moment on, and I have no idea what his name was.
Doctor Susan Harding. When you say her name at HUH, it's like the sky opens up and sunshine pours down as angels sing. I didn't understand at first what all the fuss was about. Now I do. When she did Marty's first surgery on his wrist, it was midnight that first night and she called me at 6 am when it was over and explained things so well that I had no questions at all for her. After she did the surgery on his hip, she was on the phone with me for 20 minutes to explain it all. No other doctor has EVER stayed on the phone with me that long - for anything. She has sat and talked to us for an hour during visits and she leaves no stone unturned when it comes to Marty's care. She and her entire team (especially Katie McGloughlin, her P.A.) are absolutely amazing. When I questioned Marty staying so far from home, I was told that Dr. Harding is only one of two doctors on the east coast of PA able to have handled his wrist injury. I don't think it's a mistake at all that Marty was flown to Hahnemann.
My mother-in-law, Pat. When I left that first day, I took the baby with me and the 6 other kids stayed home. When she got off of work, she came by and picked them up to take them to her home, and every day when she got off at 2 p.m., she would come and get them. I didn't doubt that my older girls could take care of the younger kids, but it helped me feel secure knowing that she was there with them.
Michelle and Molly at White Trash Mom. They put up a lovely post about everything going on and got the word out to others who may have wanted to help. I was working with them at Family.com, and it hadn't been very long at that point so I was so surprised to find that they had reached out.
The 'Constant Man'.
Kfarmer. That girl sent me gifts to help, one of which was a box full of apples from her orchard. It lifted our spirits in that dark time, and still lifts my sprits whenever I think about it. She is a real gem.
We had family from afar send cards and gifts - family we hadn't heard from for some time - and it was so nice to hear from them. It re-kindled old relationships and brought us all together again.
I think that's about it - I know it's a laundry list and this is a long post, but if you made it this far, add yourself to the list just for caring enough to read.
Showing posts with label prayers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayers. Show all posts
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Must Read
I have a food post ready, and I'll get to that later, but for now I'd like if you would stop by A CF Husband's Blog to visit with Nate and Tricia and Gwyneth Rose to read their amazing story.
Gwyneth Rose was born 15 weeks premature to her mother, Tricia, who was waiting for a double lung transplant and daddy, Nate, keeps tabs on all of it and updates everyone with such love and courage. Tricia received her lungs early this morning (!!!!) and that little family could sure use your prayers to help them continue on this amazing journey.
Gwyneth Rose was born 15 weeks premature to her mother, Tricia, who was waiting for a double lung transplant and daddy, Nate, keeps tabs on all of it and updates everyone with such love and courage. Tricia received her lungs early this morning (!!!!) and that little family could sure use your prayers to help them continue on this amazing journey.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Lightning Fast Update
Marty is getting better- slowly, but surely. He is on week 5 of his physical and occupational therapy--outside the home. He has been doing both since he came home, but the more intensive work has been going on for just over 4 weeks.
PT says he should be done with therapy for his hip at the end of 10 weeks, however, they are unable to say how long his hand will take. That's the same answer we get from the doctor. It was just damaged so badly that nobody can tell when he will be better--if ever. We do have to face that fact; that he may not ever use his hand as he once did. Marty is trying to come to terms with that and the fact that he may also have permanent nerve damage to his foot and have a "dropped foot" to deal with and possible bracing etc. to help with that.
He's having an MRI done soon (Christmas Eve, ugh!) on his right shoulder to see what the problem is there. They are thinking it's most likely from inactivity, but want to make sure there is no other damage there.
He also has lost part of a tooth that was laying directly under his cheek where his face hit and where his stitches are. He'll have that looked at Friday--it's most likely infected because even with the strong pain killers he is on, it's hurting him badly.
The kids all have colds running through them, and me, and slight fevers have made the rounds this past week, as well.
Christmas is certainly coming--I wish it were to be more festive this year, but things just aren't there yet--I'm hoping we have many years ahead of us to celebrate properly.
Our landlords are OK as far as the ebola virus goes. They are all home together (there are 10 of them!) and have had very bad colds and infections they are trying to deal with that seem to be antibiotic resistant. Send more prayers for them, if you would. All they are dealing with right now will make their holiday especially difficult.
PT says he should be done with therapy for his hip at the end of 10 weeks, however, they are unable to say how long his hand will take. That's the same answer we get from the doctor. It was just damaged so badly that nobody can tell when he will be better--if ever. We do have to face that fact; that he may not ever use his hand as he once did. Marty is trying to come to terms with that and the fact that he may also have permanent nerve damage to his foot and have a "dropped foot" to deal with and possible bracing etc. to help with that.
He's having an MRI done soon (Christmas Eve, ugh!) on his right shoulder to see what the problem is there. They are thinking it's most likely from inactivity, but want to make sure there is no other damage there.
He also has lost part of a tooth that was laying directly under his cheek where his face hit and where his stitches are. He'll have that looked at Friday--it's most likely infected because even with the strong pain killers he is on, it's hurting him badly.
The kids all have colds running through them, and me, and slight fevers have made the rounds this past week, as well.
Christmas is certainly coming--I wish it were to be more festive this year, but things just aren't there yet--I'm hoping we have many years ahead of us to celebrate properly.
Our landlords are OK as far as the ebola virus goes. They are all home together (there are 10 of them!) and have had very bad colds and infections they are trying to deal with that seem to be antibiotic resistant. Send more prayers for them, if you would. All they are dealing with right now will make their holiday especially difficult.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Please Pray
Our landlords, very dear and patient people, are missionaries to Uganda. There has recently been an outbreak of ebola there that has claimed the lives of 3 health workers, and friends of theirs. This is such sad and frightening news. Please pray for their family and team.
Read about this at ParadoxUganda.
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Read about this at ParadoxUganda.
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Friday, October 12, 2007
The Pins are Gone
... and the plates and screws remain. We went this past Tuesday to Philadelphia (again) so Marty could get the last two pins that were left in his arm out for good. He still has plates and screws and the 15 cm (6") screw in his hip will be there forever. So, as a visual for anyone confused, I'm posting copies of the x-rays from his original pre-op breaks and post-op fixes. That should be fair warning enough-please don't look below if you're at all squeamish.
Not fun ... those smaller pins labeled "last pins" were the ones removed this last week and we were told they would come out so easily that it was even possible to accidentally pull them out---not for Marty, though. It took two doctors about 20 minutes to get them out and they do NOT give any type of anesthesia at all, so it was really awful for Marty.
Now that those are out he can start moving ahead with occupational therapy for the wrist and he is 50% weight bearing on the left leg, so he can at least put his foot down now. We're hopeful that he will be walking well by Christmas!
The car situation has worked out a bit, thanks for the prayers there.
Not fun ... those smaller pins labeled "last pins" were the ones removed this last week and we were told they would come out so easily that it was even possible to accidentally pull them out---not for Marty, though. It took two doctors about 20 minutes to get them out and they do NOT give any type of anesthesia at all, so it was really awful for Marty.
Now that those are out he can start moving ahead with occupational therapy for the wrist and he is 50% weight bearing on the left leg, so he can at least put his foot down now. We're hopeful that he will be walking well by Christmas!
The car situation has worked out a bit, thanks for the prayers there.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Happy Birthday
To my husband, Marty.
He is 40 years old today, and it's a birthday very worth celebrating this year.
This was made for him for Father's Day this year:
He is 40 years old today, and it's a birthday very worth celebrating this year.
This was made for him for Father's Day this year:
Sunday, September 30, 2007
The Healing Goes On
I've been remiss in my updating duties, it seems, so I'll try and put in as much as I can here.
Firstly, my abilities to post, read e-mail, get any work finished, do laundry and shower have been limited, at best. The house and I aren't exactly grungy, but a little attention certainly wouldn't hurt.
That, I guess, will come later. The most important thing right now is to attend to Marty's needs and help him to rest, eat well and stay relatively happy so he can heal and to make sure the kids are well cared for.
Wednesday last was another surgery for Marty's arm, and although we really thought it would be the last, we found he needs one more small procedure before he can be considered "done" on that front. He had 4 of the 6 pins in his arm removed and was put in a soft cast. This will remain until October 9Th when we need to travel, yet again, to Philadelphia to have 2 very small pins taken out and then a decision made about casting or having a removable splint put on.
When he was under anesthesia this last time his wrist was manually manipulated to see if he will have movement at all. They got some limited range and we realize he will never have full use again, but it is certainly better than being stuck in a permanent position. He has several fingers that he is not able to feel yet, but they hope they will start to come back as he progresses in physical therapy. At this point he is passively moving his fingers and attempting some active movement. He has a long road to go with the arm.
His pelvis is healing well and we hope to hear that he will be 50% weight bearing on his left leg after the next appointment. It's not much, but it will allow him to put his foot down and get started on walking again. I was told this last time that the pelvic break was also one of the worst the doctor had seen, but the arm was so bad that the pelvis break was really secondary. I finally have copies of the films pre and post op and the breaks are very severe. It helps me to help Marty if I know exactly where he was hurt and how the breaks occurred.
Anyone bored yet? There are some issues from the pelvic bleed that need to be addressed and Marty has begun to fall into some depression--which is also being dealt with, but is very hard to see and deal with on my end. It's hard to not be able to help someone when they are hurting so badly. Prayers for Marty on all issues would be greatly appreciated!
I'm behind on all of life, it seems, and I could use prayers for myself, that I can get things accomplished and bills paid etc. I'm not able to leave the house during the day, which is when things really need to get done, since Marty needs care 24/7. He does small things for himself, but can't be alone at all. I walk the kids to school in the morning, and that's it. That takes about 10-15 minutes total and it's hard for me to leave him alone even for that short period of time.
I'm having a small situation with transportation right now--our van is very sick and needs more than $1,000 worth of work, so I have a car that I've been using. Suddenly, that's become an issue and the money it would take to purchase the car just isn't there. I won't go into details, but it's not something I'm comfortable with at all and feel very pressured about. I need a vehicle, there's no doubt about that--I am the one who takes Marty wherever he needs to go and there's not another option. Prayers there, too if you would!
Firstly, my abilities to post, read e-mail, get any work finished, do laundry and shower have been limited, at best. The house and I aren't exactly grungy, but a little attention certainly wouldn't hurt.
That, I guess, will come later. The most important thing right now is to attend to Marty's needs and help him to rest, eat well and stay relatively happy so he can heal and to make sure the kids are well cared for.
Wednesday last was another surgery for Marty's arm, and although we really thought it would be the last, we found he needs one more small procedure before he can be considered "done" on that front. He had 4 of the 6 pins in his arm removed and was put in a soft cast. This will remain until October 9Th when we need to travel, yet again, to Philadelphia to have 2 very small pins taken out and then a decision made about casting or having a removable splint put on.
When he was under anesthesia this last time his wrist was manually manipulated to see if he will have movement at all. They got some limited range and we realize he will never have full use again, but it is certainly better than being stuck in a permanent position. He has several fingers that he is not able to feel yet, but they hope they will start to come back as he progresses in physical therapy. At this point he is passively moving his fingers and attempting some active movement. He has a long road to go with the arm.
His pelvis is healing well and we hope to hear that he will be 50% weight bearing on his left leg after the next appointment. It's not much, but it will allow him to put his foot down and get started on walking again. I was told this last time that the pelvic break was also one of the worst the doctor had seen, but the arm was so bad that the pelvis break was really secondary. I finally have copies of the films pre and post op and the breaks are very severe. It helps me to help Marty if I know exactly where he was hurt and how the breaks occurred.
Anyone bored yet? There are some issues from the pelvic bleed that need to be addressed and Marty has begun to fall into some depression--which is also being dealt with, but is very hard to see and deal with on my end. It's hard to not be able to help someone when they are hurting so badly. Prayers for Marty on all issues would be greatly appreciated!
I'm behind on all of life, it seems, and I could use prayers for myself, that I can get things accomplished and bills paid etc. I'm not able to leave the house during the day, which is when things really need to get done, since Marty needs care 24/7. He does small things for himself, but can't be alone at all. I walk the kids to school in the morning, and that's it. That takes about 10-15 minutes total and it's hard for me to leave him alone even for that short period of time.
I'm having a small situation with transportation right now--our van is very sick and needs more than $1,000 worth of work, so I have a car that I've been using. Suddenly, that's become an issue and the money it would take to purchase the car just isn't there. I won't go into details, but it's not something I'm comfortable with at all and feel very pressured about. I need a vehicle, there's no doubt about that--I am the one who takes Marty wherever he needs to go and there's not another option. Prayers there, too if you would!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Home Again, Home Again ... and All That Jazz
Well, Martin has been home for two weeks tomorrow, and I haven't had moment one to breathe, eat, think or type. You'll have to excuse the absence and lack of updating. Marty was sent home from the rehab hospital for lack of rehab-ability--if that's a word. He was not really well enough to be home, but also isn't able to bear weight at all on his left leg, so there was nothing for the rehab hospital to rehab.
They sent him home without even 48 hours notice (I'm still fuming over that one) and to a hospital bed (read about that story over at my Family.com blog), walker, wheelchair, cane, commode ... you get the idea. Our living room is now Marty's hospital room for at least the next 8 weeks ... probably longer.
He has many needs since he's not mobile and I, of course, am the 24 hour nurse. This has proven rather difficult with all of the kids' needs and my own needs. We're not into a schedule just yet, but hope to be soon.
We spent the day in Philadelphia yesterday with Marty getting x-rays and seeing the docs about his progress. He currently has his wrist in a "beer can hold" position, which we were told was the easiest for an arm to be "stuck" in if he was to lose motion there. The bones in the wrist are fusing together since there wasn't anything large enough for them to pin together. He also can't feel a few fingers and we have no idea if that will be permanent or not.
He has severe neuropathy in his left foot at the present and it could be from a stretched or "nicked" nerve and the fact that they may be healing. Healing is great, but the pain involved for this type is nearly unbearable. So, there are medications (17 prescriptions to be exact, given at 6 different times throughout the day) for all of this, but nerve pain is so hard to get under control that we will most likely be off to a pain management specialist soon.
The kids started school, Cassidy is enjoying college, but a little scared about the recent murder there. Us, too. We're praying that she stays safe on campus.
That is not really all of what is going on, but all I have time for!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
UPDATE on my other Blog: The Rest of Me
They sent him home without even 48 hours notice (I'm still fuming over that one) and to a hospital bed (read about that story over at my Family.com blog), walker, wheelchair, cane, commode ... you get the idea. Our living room is now Marty's hospital room for at least the next 8 weeks ... probably longer.
He has many needs since he's not mobile and I, of course, am the 24 hour nurse. This has proven rather difficult with all of the kids' needs and my own needs. We're not into a schedule just yet, but hope to be soon.
We spent the day in Philadelphia yesterday with Marty getting x-rays and seeing the docs about his progress. He currently has his wrist in a "beer can hold" position, which we were told was the easiest for an arm to be "stuck" in if he was to lose motion there. The bones in the wrist are fusing together since there wasn't anything large enough for them to pin together. He also can't feel a few fingers and we have no idea if that will be permanent or not.
He has severe neuropathy in his left foot at the present and it could be from a stretched or "nicked" nerve and the fact that they may be healing. Healing is great, but the pain involved for this type is nearly unbearable. So, there are medications (17 prescriptions to be exact, given at 6 different times throughout the day) for all of this, but nerve pain is so hard to get under control that we will most likely be off to a pain management specialist soon.
The kids started school, Cassidy is enjoying college, but a little scared about the recent murder there. Us, too. We're praying that she stays safe on campus.
That is not really all of what is going on, but all I have time for!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
UPDATE on my other Blog: The Rest of Me
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Coming Home and Public Service Announcement
Well, not home, but far closer! Marty is being transported back to our area today for physical therapy rehab. The trip there is so short compared to the one I was making--about 20 minutes. This will make my days far easier-and I really need a break about now, talk about burnout! Four hours a day on the road for hospital visits can wear a person down pretty quickly.
Let's talk about Public Service a moment, shall we? For the first few days in the STICU (Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit) Marty received quite a bit of blood. It most certainly saved his life. There was never hesitation about giving it to him, never a moment where they said, "Oops! All out of that type!" It was nice to know that blood was available for Marty at any time he was in need of it. It's also there for YOU, if you should need it. Now that I've said that, I'm going to hit you up for your own blood.
If you are able to donate blood, please do so. If you can't there are plenty of volunteer opportunities available during blood drives. You can be the cookie person, or the "Hi, how are you today?" person or whatever it is they need that day. Please consider it and know that even my 17 year-old daughter has given blood during drives at her school--and she's a big 'needle chicken'. If she can do it, so can you!
Check out the Red Cross site and look for a drive near you, or start a drive of your own! Believe me, the people who receive your blood will be more than appreciative, and you just may save a life.
Let's talk about Public Service a moment, shall we? For the first few days in the STICU (Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit) Marty received quite a bit of blood. It most certainly saved his life. There was never hesitation about giving it to him, never a moment where they said, "Oops! All out of that type!" It was nice to know that blood was available for Marty at any time he was in need of it. It's also there for YOU, if you should need it. Now that I've said that, I'm going to hit you up for your own blood.
If you are able to donate blood, please do so. If you can't there are plenty of volunteer opportunities available during blood drives. You can be the cookie person, or the "Hi, how are you today?" person or whatever it is they need that day. Please consider it and know that even my 17 year-old daughter has given blood during drives at her school--and she's a big 'needle chicken'. If she can do it, so can you!
Check out the Red Cross site and look for a drive near you, or start a drive of your own! Believe me, the people who receive your blood will be more than appreciative, and you just may save a life.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Getting Better all the Time
So, Marty has been out of ICU for 3 days and he has absolutely no IV's, no tubes or breathing apparatus on him at all. He takes his medication by mouth, has been eating (very sparingly) and was up today on a walker and sat in a chair!
He can't put any weight on his left leg and his right arm needs a small armrest attached to the walker so he can hold himself up, but the bottom line is, he is slowly becoming mobile. He has a long way to go, but he's definitely moving forward.
I talk to him on the phone, which is so odd to me, he sounds a bit gravelly from the ventilator being in so long, and is fairly quiet, but that doesn't matter to me. I'm just grateful to be able to hear him at all.
We're still trying to get a line on when he will be moved closer, but it really is all up to Marty's body at this point. The Drs have done all they can and Marty just needs to heal enough and pass some milestones first before they will transport him here.
Here on the home front I'm trying to hold things together. My oldest daughter is moving to college on Saturday and we have an orientation on Wednesday. I still need to finish school shopping for the younger kids, the yard looks a bit forlorn, the laundry needs some doing and a sit-down dinner would be nice someday soon!
He can't put any weight on his left leg and his right arm needs a small armrest attached to the walker so he can hold himself up, but the bottom line is, he is slowly becoming mobile. He has a long way to go, but he's definitely moving forward.
I talk to him on the phone, which is so odd to me, he sounds a bit gravelly from the ventilator being in so long, and is fairly quiet, but that doesn't matter to me. I'm just grateful to be able to hear him at all.
We're still trying to get a line on when he will be moved closer, but it really is all up to Marty's body at this point. The Drs have done all they can and Marty just needs to heal enough and pass some milestones first before they will transport him here.
Here on the home front I'm trying to hold things together. My oldest daughter is moving to college on Saturday and we have an orientation on Wednesday. I still need to finish school shopping for the younger kids, the yard looks a bit forlorn, the laundry needs some doing and a sit-down dinner would be nice someday soon!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Getting Better
Good news all around: Marty is in a regular room--OUT of ICU! They took the ventilator off the night before last and I was able to TALK TO HIM yesterday! Not very much, and it was hard to hear him, but that didn't matter--just the sound of his voice at this point was one of the best things I've heard.
He has some memories that aren't real (from the meds), but I'm sure he'll be back to normal really soon. I don't know when they will move him back to the LV, but I'm hoping it's very soon now that he's no longer critical.
He has some memories that aren't real (from the meds), but I'm sure he'll be back to normal really soon. I don't know when they will move him back to the LV, but I'm hoping it's very soon now that he's no longer critical.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Forward, back, forward
Yesterday as I was getting ready to leave for the hospital I received a call from them that Marty's white count was up, he had a fever and some fluid in his lungs. They said they would do a CAT scan to see what was going on and possibly extubate (remove the ventilator) him later in the day.
When I got there they had just finished with the CAT scan and Marty was very awake (or as much as can be with all the medication) and when he saw me, he cried. I wanted to jump up and down, but instead told him everything was OK. They still didn't have the results of the scan when I left and weren't ready to extubate him at that time.
When I called this morning, the nurse told me that Marty had an OK night, but was "complaining of pain", and a little light went on and I said, "Oh! You extubated him!" The nurse told me they had removed the ventilator last night at 9 p.m. I feel like a giddy schoolgirl this morning and can't wait to see Marty today.
I'm hoping the scan shows nothing and that he's just getting better and better and can be moved to our area soon.
Thanks for the prayers and well-wishes, again.
When I got there they had just finished with the CAT scan and Marty was very awake (or as much as can be with all the medication) and when he saw me, he cried. I wanted to jump up and down, but instead told him everything was OK. They still didn't have the results of the scan when I left and weren't ready to extubate him at that time.
When I called this morning, the nurse told me that Marty had an OK night, but was "complaining of pain", and a little light went on and I said, "Oh! You extubated him!" The nurse told me they had removed the ventilator last night at 9 p.m. I feel like a giddy schoolgirl this morning and can't wait to see Marty today.
I'm hoping the scan shows nothing and that he's just getting better and better and can be moved to our area soon.
Thanks for the prayers and well-wishes, again.
Monday, August 13, 2007
ALL DONE!
Long story very short--the surgery took 6 hours. The wrist is plated and pinned and the hip/SI joint has a 15cm (6") pin throughout.
He WILL WALK--his nerves are showing damage on the left to his foot so he may have a "foot drop" that will need therapy and possibly a lift in his shoe. The wrist will take at least a year before he can use it, and he will not be able to do ironwork ever again. It takes too much balance, which he will no longer have, and too much strength and flexibility in his wrist--which is gone, too.
Now we wait to see how his lungs are doing before they can remove the vent and send him WAY CLOSER for therapy. Maybe 4 days, maybe a week--nobody knows right now.
So, WHEW! Biggest hurdle over--NO MORE SURGERIES NEEDED--and we can move on--slowly, but ever so surely.
He WILL WALK--his nerves are showing damage on the left to his foot so he may have a "foot drop" that will need therapy and possibly a lift in his shoe. The wrist will take at least a year before he can use it, and he will not be able to do ironwork ever again. It takes too much balance, which he will no longer have, and too much strength and flexibility in his wrist--which is gone, too.
Now we wait to see how his lungs are doing before they can remove the vent and send him WAY CLOSER for therapy. Maybe 4 days, maybe a week--nobody knows right now.
So, WHEW! Biggest hurdle over--NO MORE SURGERIES NEEDED--and we can move on--slowly, but ever so surely.
Today
I got a 6 a.m. call to let me know that Marty's surgeries will be at Noon. They're doing some labs this morning to make sure everything is good to go and then they're off. They'll assess the pelvis in the OR--they have plans for everything, but they also know that things can look very different once you're in. They're doing both the wrist and the pelvis, so I'm sure it will be a lengthy procedure. I'll update when I can. Send up prayers, please.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Still the Same
For anyone checking for updates, there really is none at the moment. Marty is still heavily sedated, intubated etc. and unable to speak. I haven't been to see him since Thursday, and most likely will not be back until Tuesday. While I really hate not being there, I've had so much going on here that I can't visit and get it all done at the same time.
The nurse told me this morning that he responds (groggily) to basic commands when they "call his name", but that's it for now. The ventilator is still breathing 100% for him, and will continue to do so, until he has his surgeries. We're still hopeful for Monday, but the nurse said the schedule isn't posted until after midnight tonight.
She reminded me that he's being well taken care of and that he will really need me when he comes home. I'm trying to take everyone's advice and do what I must here at home, but I can't help but want to be there to check on him--after all, I know him better than anyone.
So, that's it for now--I want to pass a Thank You out to everyone who has been emailing and calling and donating, we truly appreciate it all so much!
The nurse told me this morning that he responds (groggily) to basic commands when they "call his name", but that's it for now. The ventilator is still breathing 100% for him, and will continue to do so, until he has his surgeries. We're still hopeful for Monday, but the nurse said the schedule isn't posted until after midnight tonight.
She reminded me that he's being well taken care of and that he will really need me when he comes home. I'm trying to take everyone's advice and do what I must here at home, but I can't help but want to be there to check on him--after all, I know him better than anyone.
So, that's it for now--I want to pass a Thank You out to everyone who has been emailing and calling and donating, we truly appreciate it all so much!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
There are blessings here, too...
I was able to see Marty yesterday and he is no longer in the coma. I talked to him, he opened his eyes, nodded or shook his head to some questions, but is still so heavily medicated that I honestly couldn't tell if he knew what I was saying or who I was. Mostly he would look through me or grimace, but he is still on the ventilator, so wouldn't be able to say anything, even if he wanted to.
The nurse said they were hopeful that the surgeries could be done on Monday. Marty continues to improve daily, but is still very broken and very sick.
In the midst of this chaos have been several lights. The first is my brother, Bob. On the day that Marty fell, Bob just happened to be a few blocks away from the hospital for a meeting. He went over to Hahnemann and got information for me and updated me as I was on my way there. It was a great comfort to me not to be completely blind about what was going on during the trip there.
Then there are the wonderful mothers that I talk to nearly every day over at Lots of Kids. It's a great community of moms, all with four or more kids, that supports one another through both small and big. They got together (thank you Kate, and Michelle!) and started collecting money for us. I was so shocked, still am, and so very blessed. They are truly a miraculous bunch.
After that I got a call from KFarmer. I love K, I've said it before, and I'll say it again. She called to check on me and then told me she was picking apples from her farm to mail to me--just because. She has a little story about the post office (don't we all?) and I'm hoping she'll post it someday.
And lastly ... whew ... two of the girls at Family.com, fellow bloggers Michelle and Molly (Princess_Peg and ShopandTell, got the same idea in their heads as the LOK girls and they started up another collection. You have to go check out these two at White Trash Mom. They are so funny, and so sweet, and I cannot believe they even gave me a second thought. They wrote the most lovely article about everything I'm going through.
I'm so grateful that these people are in my life, that all of you have come here and commented and cared. The prayers really ARE WORKING! Thank you, everyone, I've told Marty how much support the kids and I are being given, I hope he at least heard that part.
The nurse said they were hopeful that the surgeries could be done on Monday. Marty continues to improve daily, but is still very broken and very sick.
In the midst of this chaos have been several lights. The first is my brother, Bob. On the day that Marty fell, Bob just happened to be a few blocks away from the hospital for a meeting. He went over to Hahnemann and got information for me and updated me as I was on my way there. It was a great comfort to me not to be completely blind about what was going on during the trip there.
Then there are the wonderful mothers that I talk to nearly every day over at Lots of Kids. It's a great community of moms, all with four or more kids, that supports one another through both small and big. They got together (thank you Kate, and Michelle!) and started collecting money for us. I was so shocked, still am, and so very blessed. They are truly a miraculous bunch.
After that I got a call from KFarmer. I love K, I've said it before, and I'll say it again. She called to check on me and then told me she was picking apples from her farm to mail to me--just because. She has a little story about the post office (don't we all?) and I'm hoping she'll post it someday.
And lastly ... whew ... two of the girls at Family.com, fellow bloggers Michelle and Molly (Princess_Peg and ShopandTell, got the same idea in their heads as the LOK girls and they started up another collection. You have to go check out these two at White Trash Mom. They are so funny, and so sweet, and I cannot believe they even gave me a second thought. They wrote the most lovely article about everything I'm going through.
I'm so grateful that these people are in my life, that all of you have come here and commented and cared. The prayers really ARE WORKING! Thank you, everyone, I've told Marty how much support the kids and I are being given, I hope he at least heard that part.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Procedure and update
Marty is having an angiography right now-they will give him dye and feed a little camera up into the femoral artery and outward to check for blood leaking. His hemoglobin will not go above 5.5 and that is even after they give him blood. He's bleeding somewhere and they need to find out where that is. They called at 7:15 and said they were starting then-it's now 10:00 and I haven't heard back. I know it can take quite a bit of time, so I'm trying not to get nervous. I won't sleep until I hear that he is OK.
They brought in the x-ray machine today (I'm wondering why they didn't before) to re-check his breaks and see if there was one they missed or if the bones had shifted. They were as they had been, so they are checking to see if the bleeding is in the pelvis.
The problem with this is that his kidneys are already not doing well--his creatinine is at 3 and that's bad. The dye is not kind to kidneys and they are afraid this will ruin them. The alternative is to let him bleed or do a CAT scan, which would show where the bleed is, but then they would have to fix it in another way and this way they can check and fix all at the same time.
He is still in a medically induced coma, suffering ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and will be that way until the bleeding stops.
The emergency the other night was a result of a blood thinner he was given--shortly after they gave it to him his blood pressure dropped, his O2 plummeted, and his heart began racing "dangerously so". The Dr thought they may lose him at that point, but obviously they pulled him out of that.
SO ... pray right NOW if you can, that he will pull through this angiography and they can find the source of the bleeding and FIX IT. I have great hope that once they find it he will begin to get better.
Tomorrow I am staying home to get some things done. I hate taking a day off, but I have so much to do that I can't see any other way.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
UPDATE! They found, and embolized, a bleed in his pelvis--hopefully he will start healing now! They will call and let me know what his hemoglobin is as soon as they get labs back.
They brought in the x-ray machine today (I'm wondering why they didn't before) to re-check his breaks and see if there was one they missed or if the bones had shifted. They were as they had been, so they are checking to see if the bleeding is in the pelvis.
The problem with this is that his kidneys are already not doing well--his creatinine is at 3 and that's bad. The dye is not kind to kidneys and they are afraid this will ruin them. The alternative is to let him bleed or do a CAT scan, which would show where the bleed is, but then they would have to fix it in another way and this way they can check and fix all at the same time.
He is still in a medically induced coma, suffering ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and will be that way until the bleeding stops.
The emergency the other night was a result of a blood thinner he was given--shortly after they gave it to him his blood pressure dropped, his O2 plummeted, and his heart began racing "dangerously so". The Dr thought they may lose him at that point, but obviously they pulled him out of that.
SO ... pray right NOW if you can, that he will pull through this angiography and they can find the source of the bleeding and FIX IT. I have great hope that once they find it he will begin to get better.
Tomorrow I am staying home to get some things done. I hate taking a day off, but I have so much to do that I can't see any other way.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
UPDATE! They found, and embolized, a bleed in his pelvis--hopefully he will start healing now! They will call and let me know what his hemoglobin is as soon as they get labs back.
And more...
Sorry for cut-and-paste again ... someday I'll feel like typing more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marty is not doing so well. He had a respiratory emergency on Saturday night and the Dr simply said that they "lost a lot of ground" because of it. They put a line into his heart through the groin (like a cardiac catheter) with a sensor to monitor things better there. They also have him on a paralytic (a medicine that keeps him paralyzed) to give his lungs a better chance to heal. It sounded rather horrific to me, but he is also on Ativan and Fentanyl, so there really isn't any way he would know anything.
They checked yesterday for DVT's (blood clots) in his extremities and they were finishing up when it was time for me to leave, so I haven't hear yet if he was clear or not. He is too critical to move at this point, they are unable to do CAT scans or x-rays to check for clotting elsewhere. I contacted his regular Drs so they could fill in the Hahnemann team on what tests were done when he had the last clot. They would like to put an IV line in his chest, but can't do that either until they feel it's safe from clotting.
The fever broke and the cultures should be back today. They will treat him regardless--and act as if he still had the fever--just to be safe. It may be from the wrist surgery and the still-open wound where the external fixator is, or something else.
They gave him blood yesterday since his hemoglobin was low, his potassium is too high and they don't know why that is, either. He has a long way to go. I was beside myself not being able to talk to him, wondering if he will ever come home. I can't imagine that happening, but God knows my heart anyway, so I'm just going to put that concern out there and ask for prayers on that end.
The kids are OK, not fully understanding what is going on--Megan saw daddy for about 5 minutes and was very upset. Cassidy didn't want to go in at all, and I can understand that. The other kids are too young and so far I've only taken the baby and one older girl with me. It's such a long drive for such a short visit. It's very emotionally trying.
I'm calling this morning to see how he is doing, and if I can get there (I need to return the jeep I was borrowing today) I will go and see him again. I've still not been able to see the films of his many fractures, or talk to social services about the compensation etc. but hope to do that if I can get down there.
For now, please pray that he will stabilize so that they can operate and he can begin to heal. I'm trying to lean on God and finding that difficult at best with so much to do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marty is not doing so well. He had a respiratory emergency on Saturday night and the Dr simply said that they "lost a lot of ground" because of it. They put a line into his heart through the groin (like a cardiac catheter) with a sensor to monitor things better there. They also have him on a paralytic (a medicine that keeps him paralyzed) to give his lungs a better chance to heal. It sounded rather horrific to me, but he is also on Ativan and Fentanyl, so there really isn't any way he would know anything.
They checked yesterday for DVT's (blood clots) in his extremities and they were finishing up when it was time for me to leave, so I haven't hear yet if he was clear or not. He is too critical to move at this point, they are unable to do CAT scans or x-rays to check for clotting elsewhere. I contacted his regular Drs so they could fill in the Hahnemann team on what tests were done when he had the last clot. They would like to put an IV line in his chest, but can't do that either until they feel it's safe from clotting.
The fever broke and the cultures should be back today. They will treat him regardless--and act as if he still had the fever--just to be safe. It may be from the wrist surgery and the still-open wound where the external fixator is, or something else.
They gave him blood yesterday since his hemoglobin was low, his potassium is too high and they don't know why that is, either. He has a long way to go. I was beside myself not being able to talk to him, wondering if he will ever come home. I can't imagine that happening, but God knows my heart anyway, so I'm just going to put that concern out there and ask for prayers on that end.
The kids are OK, not fully understanding what is going on--Megan saw daddy for about 5 minutes and was very upset. Cassidy didn't want to go in at all, and I can understand that. The other kids are too young and so far I've only taken the baby and one older girl with me. It's such a long drive for such a short visit. It's very emotionally trying.
I'm calling this morning to see how he is doing, and if I can get there (I need to return the jeep I was borrowing today) I will go and see him again. I've still not been able to see the films of his many fractures, or talk to social services about the compensation etc. but hope to do that if I can get down there.
For now, please pray that he will stabilize so that they can operate and he can begin to heal. I'm trying to lean on God and finding that difficult at best with so much to do.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Updating
This is cut and paste from other updates--I just don't have it in me to re-type it all!
This is from yesterday:
The first wrist surgery was done early Friday morning-all 6 hours of it! The ortho said on a scale of one to ten it is a 15. She's not seen many worse than this one. He basically switched around his radius and ulna and so they pinned one and put in a 'fixator' to keep it all open until he heals some and they can see how best to proceed. He most likely will not be able to rotate his hand anymore. The elbow is not broken-whew. The pelvis--broken at the sacral joint and both acetabulum are broken. The gash on his face is sewn and will heal-but scar.
From my trip to Philly today:
Marty has a fever-they haven't done cultures yet to know why--he's already on vancomycin, so I don't know what is up there, and neither do they.
His O2 sats are staying below 90 and they aren't able to get them up. This could be two things--a bruised lung (he has a huge bruise just under his right ribs, and may have bruised the lung, too) OR blood clots-since he is prone to those. I gave them Marty's regular Dr's # and told them that he treated the last blood clot and ran every test known to man to see WHY it developed to start with. They had a call in to them when I left. They need to know about the clotting since they want to put an IV line in Marty's chest. They can't do his neck since he is still in a brace because of the ventilator and stomach pump (which just goes hand-in-hand with being intubated since you would aspirate more easily then).
They can't do the pelvic surgery until he is stable-and that's just not happening.
He is still fairly non-responsive, he's on heavy drugs--Ativan and Fentanyl (which is like morphine to the Nth)--so he will slowly turn his head, but not always, and won't open his eyes. When the nurse does dressing changes, etc. she is able to get him to squeeze her hand in response to questions, but nothing beyond that, yet. They don't really want him more aware at this point anyway.
They shaved his moustache so they were able to tape his lines down better, and he looks so different. The only response I could get from him was his respirations increasing when I would talk to him, which would cause his O2 to fall, so I just shut up and sat there--lost.
I uploaded photos to WalMart of the kids and put one in a frame and others in a book so he can see them when he is able and in case he 'comes out of it' when I'm not there.
I'm tired-I will go back down tomorrow-the ortho resident was in ER and then OR immediately so I couldn't see the films and the social services was out so I couldn't ask about financial stuff--all tomorrow, I hope.
All done rambling-my brain is a tad funky today-it's all catching up a bit after the initial shock kept my feelings at bay.
So, please pray--more--that this fever will go away and his lungs will get better and they can do this surgery on his pelvis that so badly needs to be done.
This is from yesterday:
The first wrist surgery was done early Friday morning-all 6 hours of it! The ortho said on a scale of one to ten it is a 15. She's not seen many worse than this one. He basically switched around his radius and ulna and so they pinned one and put in a 'fixator' to keep it all open until he heals some and they can see how best to proceed. He most likely will not be able to rotate his hand anymore. The elbow is not broken-whew. The pelvis--broken at the sacral joint and both acetabulum are broken. The gash on his face is sewn and will heal-but scar.
From my trip to Philly today:
Marty has a fever-they haven't done cultures yet to know why--he's already on vancomycin, so I don't know what is up there, and neither do they.
His O2 sats are staying below 90 and they aren't able to get them up. This could be two things--a bruised lung (he has a huge bruise just under his right ribs, and may have bruised the lung, too) OR blood clots-since he is prone to those. I gave them Marty's regular Dr's # and told them that he treated the last blood clot and ran every test known to man to see WHY it developed to start with. They had a call in to them when I left. They need to know about the clotting since they want to put an IV line in Marty's chest. They can't do his neck since he is still in a brace because of the ventilator and stomach pump (which just goes hand-in-hand with being intubated since you would aspirate more easily then).
They can't do the pelvic surgery until he is stable-and that's just not happening.
He is still fairly non-responsive, he's on heavy drugs--Ativan and Fentanyl (which is like morphine to the Nth)--so he will slowly turn his head, but not always, and won't open his eyes. When the nurse does dressing changes, etc. she is able to get him to squeeze her hand in response to questions, but nothing beyond that, yet. They don't really want him more aware at this point anyway.
They shaved his moustache so they were able to tape his lines down better, and he looks so different. The only response I could get from him was his respirations increasing when I would talk to him, which would cause his O2 to fall, so I just shut up and sat there--lost.
I uploaded photos to WalMart of the kids and put one in a frame and others in a book so he can see them when he is able and in case he 'comes out of it' when I'm not there.
I'm tired-I will go back down tomorrow-the ortho resident was in ER and then OR immediately so I couldn't see the films and the social services was out so I couldn't ask about financial stuff--all tomorrow, I hope.
All done rambling-my brain is a tad funky today-it's all catching up a bit after the initial shock kept my feelings at bay.
So, please pray--more--that this fever will go away and his lungs will get better and they can do this surgery on his pelvis that so badly needs to be done.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Prayers, please
My husband fell off the roof he was working on today--26 feet--and has fractured both the right and left acetabulum and several other spots throughout his pelvis. He has a compound fracture to his right wrist, a broken elbow and a gash on his face. His heart was beating irregularly (dipping to the 30's and 40's and back up to 90 etc.) so they did an echo cardiogram and found a small area of fluid around his heart. They think that is from the trauma of the fall and will be watching him during the surgeries he will need very closely.
He was airlifted to Philadelphia and that's 60 miles from me, so the commute will be hard. I'm sure he'll be gone for a month or more, I have no idea at this time, though. I'm sure this won't be easy by any stretch.
Please pray, if you would.
He was airlifted to Philadelphia and that's 60 miles from me, so the commute will be hard. I'm sure he'll be gone for a month or more, I have no idea at this time, though. I'm sure this won't be easy by any stretch.
Please pray, if you would.
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