Settling in for a longer haul

Elspode · 12-27-2003, 08:38 PM

Well, Stephen is starting to whip the staph infection in his noggin, but the earliest his surgery to remove the old shunt and emplace a new one ( in effect, revising the revision ) will occur is on Monday. So, I'm back at the hospital with him tonight. His mother will take over again tomorrow afternoon, and apparently be able to stay through Wednesday, but then that will put me back in here with him on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day...sigh.

My next work holiday is Memorial Day, so I do mourn the lost holidays just a bit, but we do what we must. After all, 'tis not me that is having his head cut open for the second time in two weeks, is it?

I will probably be spending my one year anniversary with the Cellar right here once again.

This will definitely win the most pathetic New Year Celebrant title this year, huh?

plthijinx · 12-27-2003, 09:23 PM

ah els, come on, it can't be that bad! you could after all hit one of the nurses up for some vicodine or morphine

mmmmmmm m-o-r-p-h-i-n-e (homer simpson style

)

xoxoxoBruce · 12-27-2003, 09:51 PM

Pathetic? Bored, worried, fatigued, bewildered, etc, etc but far from pathetic in my book. I don't know how you keep up your strength and your spirits as I think I'd have caved a weeK ago.
You Da Man.

Elspode · 12-30-2003, 12:36 AM

Tonight, it was decided that Steve's shunt would be removed and a simple gravity flow temporary catheter emplaced to keep his ventricles drained. This is to allow a few more days of healing and kicking the staph infection's butt. Steve came through the surgery just fine (they just whacked him with Versed and gave him a local while he snoozed, so no general anaesthesia was necessary), and he is quite stable, if a bit bewildered at present.

The surgeon is looking at Thursday (yep, New Year's Day) for the installation of a permanent shunt to replace the removed system. In the meantime, Steve is required to be in ICU due to the need to keep his ventricular drainage under manual hourly control. This is tough on all of us, his families, because we will not be able to stay with him 24/7, as we have done since this all started. We're not real happy about it because what they are doing is very little different from what was being done while he was in a regular room, but somewhere, the current situation crossed someone's SOP line, and so ICU is where he will remain for the next three days at least. The visiting hours are very restrictive, and we will be constantly concerned about the level of care. ICU is the best care you can get in a hospital, or so it is assumed, but it can't possibly be better than having a parent in the room around the clock.

So, we again change gears, and now await the next phase on Thursday. We fervently hope and expect that the permanent shunt emplacement will go off without a hitch, and we plan on having Stephen home by Sunday. Now, if everything else just goes along with our plans, we'll all be able to relax just a little bit.

We thank you for your continuing support and energies. We ask that you keep Steve in your thoughts, prayers and rites just a bit longer.

Patrick and Selene

xoxoxoBruce · 12-30-2003, 07:35 AM

Thanks for keeping us updated, Els. We're still with you, man.

Griff · 12-30-2003, 08:11 AM

I'm always impressed with these medical teams who do the work when it has to be done not when its convenient... good luck man and a peaceful heart, griff

BrianR · 12-30-2003, 08:52 AM

Continued best wishes for you and yours in the New Year man.

As an aside, my considerable experience with ICU staff is that they tend to overlook the visiting hours rstrictions a lot when it's family. They do get sticky when it's time to change shifts, so you may have to get lost for an hour or two then, but they'll let you back in after. As long as you are not disturbing anyone and your patient is getting plenty of rest, they are pretty lax. Try to go home overnight though...you need rest too.

Peace

Brian

darclauz · 01-05-2004, 11:20 AM

Els-------- i'll be hitting all my best prayer chains today. keep us posted.

darlene

Elspode · 01-05-2004, 12:22 PM

Well, it seems that slow and steady (and a lot of good vibes) is winning the race. Steve is scheduled to come home tomorrow, provided that a bit of residual CSF drainage from his old shunt site is cleared up overnight tonight.

His cognition is great, he's alert and cheerful, and more than a little sore, but overall, it looks real good.

It will be so much more comfortable for *all* of us to have him recuperating with us at home instead of in the damned hospital.

On a "hey, whaddayaknow" sideline, I went by his apartment yesterday for the first time in two weeks, expecting to find his five aquarium fish belly up (no one had had any time to go over there and feed them). Well, they were all perky and happy to see me, as the external filter was sucking air from the low water level, but alive they were, and hungry. Fish must be damn tough. Must be because they belong to my kid, a damn tough feller himself.

I'll be visiting him tonight on the way home, and making sure he sees the "Get Well" thread started by Sycamore. You guys have been a wonderful source of support, and I, along with my wife and kids, especially Steve, really, really appreciate it!

xoxoxoBruce · 01-05-2004, 07:36 PM

Ah, good karma is flowing your way. Like a river, man.

12-27-2003, 08:38 PM	#1
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Settling in for a longer haul Well, Stephen is starting to whip the staph infection in his noggin, but the earliest his surgery to remove the old shunt and emplace a new one ( in effect, revising the revision ) will occur is on Monday. So, I'm back at the hospital with him tonight. His mother will take over again tomorrow afternoon, and apparently be able to stay through Wednesday, but then that will put me back in here with him on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day...sigh. My next work holiday is Memorial Day, so I do mourn the lost holidays just a bit, but we do what we must. After all, 'tis not me that is having his head cut open for the second time in two weeks, is it? I will probably be spending my one year anniversary with the Cellar right here once again. This will definitely win the most pathetic New Year Celebrant title this year, huh? __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

12-27-2003, 09:23 PM	#2
plthijinx Master Dwellar Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 4,197	ah els, come on, it can't be that bad! you could after all hit one of the nurses up for some vicodine or morphine mmmmmmm m-o-r-p-h-i-n-e (homer simpson style ) __________________ For your dreams to come true, you must first have a dream.

12-30-2003, 12:36 AM	#4
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Situation Ongoing, but Alright... Tonight, it was decided that Steve's shunt would be removed and a simple gravity flow temporary catheter emplaced to keep his ventricles drained. This is to allow a few more days of healing and kicking the staph infection's butt. Steve came through the surgery just fine (they just whacked him with Versed and gave him a local while he snoozed, so no general anaesthesia was necessary), and he is quite stable, if a bit bewildered at present. The surgeon is looking at Thursday (yep, New Year's Day) for the installation of a permanent shunt to replace the removed system. In the meantime, Steve is required to be in ICU due to the need to keep his ventricular drainage under manual hourly control. This is tough on all of us, his families, because we will not be able to stay with him 24/7, as we have done since this all started. We're not real happy about it because what they are doing is very little different from what was being done while he was in a regular room, but somewhere, the current situation crossed someone's SOP line, and so ICU is where he will remain for the next three days at least. The visiting hours are very restrictive, and we will be constantly concerned about the level of care. ICU is the best care you can get in a hospital, or so it is assumed, but it can't possibly be better than having a parent in the room around the clock. So, we again change gears, and now await the next phase on Thursday. We fervently hope and expect that the permanent shunt emplacement will go off without a hitch, and we plan on having Stephen home by Sunday. Now, if everything else just goes along with our plans, we'll all be able to relax just a little bit. We thank you for your continuing support and energies. We ask that you keep Steve in your thoughts, prayers and rites just a bit longer. Patrick and Selene __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

12-30-2003, 08:11 AM	#6
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	I'm always impressed with these medical teams who do the work when it has to be done not when its convenient... good luck man and a peaceful heart, griff __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

12-30-2003, 08:52 AM	#7
BrianR Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,338	Continued best wishes for you and yours in the New Year man. As an aside, my considerable experience with ICU staff is that they tend to overlook the visiting hours rstrictions a lot when it's family. They do get sticky when it's time to change shifts, so you may have to get lost for an hour or two then, but they'll let you back in after. As long as you are not disturbing anyone and your patient is getting plenty of rest, they are pretty lax. Try to go home overnight though...you need rest too. Peace Brian __________________ Never be afraid to tell the world who you are. -- Anonymous

12-27-2003, 09:51 PM	#3
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Pathetic? Bored, worried, fatigued, bewildered, etc, etc but far from pathetic in my book. I don't know how you keep up your strength and your spirits as I think I'd have caved a weeK ago. You Da Man.

12-30-2003, 07:35 AM	#5
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Thanks for keeping us updated, Els. We're still with you, man.

01-05-2004, 11:20 AM	#8
darclauz Breathing into a paper bag Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 334	Els-------- i'll be hitting all my best prayer chains today. keep us posted. darlene __________________ Taking up smoking to lose weight.

01-05-2004, 12:22 PM	#9
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Well, it seems that slow and steady (and a lot of good vibes) is winning the race. Steve is scheduled to come home tomorrow, provided that a bit of residual CSF drainage from his old shunt site is cleared up overnight tonight. His cognition is great, he's alert and cheerful, and more than a little sore, but overall, it looks real good. It will be so much more comfortable for all of us to have him recuperating with us at home instead of in the damned hospital. On a "hey, whaddayaknow" sideline, I went by his apartment yesterday for the first time in two weeks, expecting to find his five aquarium fish belly up (no one had had any time to go over there and feed them). Well, they were all perky and happy to see me, as the external filter was sucking air from the low water level, but alive they were, and hungry. Fish must be damn tough. Must be because they belong to my kid, a damn tough feller himself. I'll be visiting him tonight on the way home, and making sure he sees the "Get Well" thread started by Sycamore. You guys have been a wonderful source of support, and I, along with my wife and kids, especially Steve, really, really appreciate it! __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

01-05-2004, 07:36 PM	#10
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Ah, good karma is flowing your way. Like a river, man.

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