Andy, Pete, and Isaac installed the new toilet in the master bath today. Before Stan was in Providence Hospital for his A-fib (just previous to this problem) we went together to purchase the needed object. We have wall hung toilets, so you can't just go to your nearest Home Depot to replace the thing!! The clerk told us they'd be on sale that coming Saturday so we thanked him and made plans to return on Saturday to make our purchase. Stan ended up in the hospital for the A-fib/cardio version, so yours truly was left to go buy the toilet. We had the paper work on the model we wanted, so that part wasn't too hard. And to give me credit for a little knowledge, I knew that replacing a toilet meant needing new bowl wax.............well, at least I thought so. But this kind needs a gasket instead. However, the salesman knew what was needed when I asked about bowl wax....so I had all the right stuff. As you can see, Stan never got to install it....but I have grown very weary of toilet "donking" so am really blessed to have the boys fix this problem. (You have to remove the lid and "DONK" the air cylinder inside...which means hit it with the side of your fist as hard as you can....sometimes more than six or eight times before it behaves. Our "adopted" granddaughter Abigail called it donking when she was only about six.
)Pete also got my car washed for me two days ago...............Soooooooooooooo today it rained, and it is as dirty as ever!! UGH ......... this weather is truly frustrating. It doesn't look like we'll have a white Christmas, either. We did get some nice snow falls in October and in fact, a couple the first week Stan was in the hospital, but it has been gone for a couple of weeks, and now we are getting rain, which freezes at night and gets nice and slick. It melts in the daytime and sprays as you drive. I like my winters white and cold enough to stay white until time for summer. For you "non" Alaskans....spring, when the snow is supposed to melt and go away, is called "break up" because that is what is happening....a very messy time of year. We don't need a dozen or more break ups in Nov to March!!
Well... enough about the weather....on to the "good stuff." I just wish it were better. Stan has several of his tubes and wires removed, he is off more stuff, and had a CAT scan today that was a "little" bit better than the last one. I was down on floor one looking at his CAT scan pix when the doctor (another new one) came in to the room and explained all about it. Kathy was there, and she quizzed him for me....and she does know questions to ask that I wouldn't even know should be....I am so blessed to have her in my corner!!
I was hoping to hear the number involved with today's scan. It didn't show on the screen yet. The scan on the 22nd showed a 12.2 cm bulge (that's not an official term for it) of the right side of the brain, crossing over the mid line. On the 29th it measured 9.89, and today it was 8 something...so it is improving. And the bleed looks like it is absorbing nicely. It hardly shows on today's scan. What I didn't "see" but was explained by the doctor is there is chronic changes in Stan's brain. These MAY be "old" ...caused by years of high blood pressure... We won't know what is going on until he wakes up.........which brings us to another point. It is possible he won't wake for another 3 days. With the length of time he was on the sedation, and the size of him.....he has been pretty inundated with meds. They need to be gone before he can have a regular meal. (Okay...for all you who are missing my "funnies"...I just wrote one. Of course, I didn't mean meal!!)
Oh dear...I meant they have to be gone before he will wake up, and they are in his fat cells, and must be processed thru his liver or something. I'll have to have Kathy explain that to me again. The meal thing was my brain on "remote control" while I slept!
Back to the meds...the doctor said we could plan on them being gone by 7 days...which will be this Friday we figured. (7 days after being taken off ALL sedatives.)
Re: the meal again........... He is fed through a tube in his nose!! I think it will be more than three days before he gets a "regular" meal! John and Paula Toms, and with Kathy's help, are making suggestions of how to slip him some chocolate. I am positive this is the longest he has gone without chocolate in his life....or at least our married life! They figure the whole problem is he's having withdrawal problems.
I got an email from Janet today with a suggestion from someone on her mailing list, asking about latex allergy...regarding the red spots. That sounds very plausible, but I am thinking hospitals don't use latex any more...they don't allow latex or mylar balloons in the hospitals here. I was told that the areas can't be tape, as NO tape was used. They are bigger and angrier looking today...and there is one developing on one hip. Some really look like very sore burns. So...please feel free to throw in any and all ideas.... we do want to solve this. I plan to ask about the latex tomorrow.
I guess my going home early last night caused a "hulabaloo".......John and Paula came about 8 and I had just left. The nurse was convinced I would be in to kiss him good night. She didn't know that I had done that before getting "kicked" out at 7. She was making the doctor wait to talk to me!! (another "doc missing" on my part!)
When she came on duty tonight, she gave me a big hug and told me she almost called me she was so worried about me....because "I'm always there."
I learned some interesting things today about some of Stan's tubes...or I should say one of them. He might be upset if I tell EVERYTHING, tho. But it was interesting....
He's still having the hiccups and lots of yawns, but these are all involuntary movements.
OH... he was "off" the ventilator today. It was set on S for spontaneous (spontaneous breathing by himself). The machine was there to help if he failed, but mostly he just did it on his own.
I did tell God it was okay with me if he didn't take the entire week to wake up!! I am anxious to have him open his eyes and see me.
Bed time +..............Thanks for your prayers.
Love, M (the little Yupik gentleman sang and played his harmonica for Kathy, Brian, and me during the 7 to 8:30 evening break. He does very well.)
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