In North Carolina - Brother-In-Law Update
My sister sent out a lengthy email Thursday morning with the latest on her hubby. At the time things were not looking good. Liver enzyme issues. Renal failure. Staph infection in his hip, heart and lungs. They needed to do surgery, and soon, but it was a matter of getting him stable enough to go under the knife.
Reading between the lines was easy. I told my boss what was going on, talked to my parents, and left at a half day to go home, pack, and hit the road. I left Indy later than I wanted (about 3:30) and drove until nearly 11:00 pm. By that time I was just east of Knoxville, TN. After a very not restful night at the Holiday Inn I was back on the road and made it here just before 1:00 PM. And couldn't get hold of my sister anywhere. No one answered the phone in the room, she wasn't answering her cell, didn't respond to my text message...
When I got a response it was that they were in the OR Staging area. Surgery was a go! So I headed over to the hospital and hung out in the surgery waiting area with my sis, her mother-in-law, and one of Sissy's employees from the library. We got the call that he was through preop and they'd done the TEE to get a better look at the infection on the right ventricle of his heart. They were starting the surgery on his hip to clean out all the infection. A little over two hours later we got the second call that the surgery was done, he'd done fine, and they were starting to close. It was about an hour later whe the Dr came out and told my sis how the surgery went. Very well - J- did well with stable vitals all through the surgery. They took out a lot of infected material (I guess it was pretty nasty in there). After surgery they took him to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and put him on a ventilator to help with his breathing and to give his body a rest, let it heal a little.
And that is where he is right now. Sissy saw him last night at 8 and then again today at 9 and noon. Mom and Dad are here as well. We're currently in our respective homes/hotel rooms taking a break before heading back over for the 5 o'clock visiting hour. Then dinner, followed by the final visiting hour of the day at 8. Tomorrow they will test his breathing again and determine if they can take him off the ventilator. Right now he is improving nicely although he is still a very sick man. If the morning goes well and he comes off the ventilator I will probably head out Sunday afternoon back for Indy. Otherwise I'll be here until, well, whenever. Mom and Dad will stay as long as needed as well.
It's been a long week so far but the news is looking if not good then better than before. Keep those positive thoughts and prayers coming, ya'll. And Thank You!
Reading between the lines was easy. I told my boss what was going on, talked to my parents, and left at a half day to go home, pack, and hit the road. I left Indy later than I wanted (about 3:30) and drove until nearly 11:00 pm. By that time I was just east of Knoxville, TN. After a very not restful night at the Holiday Inn I was back on the road and made it here just before 1:00 PM. And couldn't get hold of my sister anywhere. No one answered the phone in the room, she wasn't answering her cell, didn't respond to my text message...
When I got a response it was that they were in the OR Staging area. Surgery was a go! So I headed over to the hospital and hung out in the surgery waiting area with my sis, her mother-in-law, and one of Sissy's employees from the library. We got the call that he was through preop and they'd done the TEE to get a better look at the infection on the right ventricle of his heart. They were starting the surgery on his hip to clean out all the infection. A little over two hours later we got the second call that the surgery was done, he'd done fine, and they were starting to close. It was about an hour later whe the Dr came out and told my sis how the surgery went. Very well - J- did well with stable vitals all through the surgery. They took out a lot of infected material (I guess it was pretty nasty in there). After surgery they took him to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and put him on a ventilator to help with his breathing and to give his body a rest, let it heal a little.
And that is where he is right now. Sissy saw him last night at 8 and then again today at 9 and noon. Mom and Dad are here as well. We're currently in our respective homes/hotel rooms taking a break before heading back over for the 5 o'clock visiting hour. Then dinner, followed by the final visiting hour of the day at 8. Tomorrow they will test his breathing again and determine if they can take him off the ventilator. Right now he is improving nicely although he is still a very sick man. If the morning goes well and he comes off the ventilator I will probably head out Sunday afternoon back for Indy. Otherwise I'll be here until, well, whenever. Mom and Dad will stay as long as needed as well.
It's been a long week so far but the news is looking if not good then better than before. Keep those positive thoughts and prayers coming, ya'll. And Thank You!