Monday, May 25th - Sorry the days have passed without an update. Sometimes I´m not sure what to say. Like one of my kids said: Same circumstances, different day!!!
We are still struggling with keeping Larry´s blood sugar up. It has dropped to dangerous levels and has been hard to regulate. He also continues to struggle with cognition issues and that has been hard. I do feel he has done better with physical therapy and that is very encouraging. When he gets restless, his aide and I take him for a walk around the unit and that wears him out a bit and seems to settle him down. Larry`s always been a `goer` and has always needed to be busy, so this can be very frustrating for him. He pulled out his main IV line again last night, just not realizing what he is doing
Last Friday, they gave Larry a swallowing test with an x-ray and it showed that he is still aspirating into his lungs so he is still unable to eat and will continue with a feeding tube until they can get that to improve. I was sad with those results because he hasn´t eaten for such a long time and I´d really hoped that he could start having something, even if it was just liquids. It is really hard to watch all that he is going through. We hope and pray every day for further improvements and for the realization that: This to shall pass!
Larry has been in the hospital for 2 months today! Yuk!
Monday, May 25, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Wednesday, May 20
So happy to report that Larry had a pretty great day today! One of the best in recent memory!! He still has some confusion but his mind seemed much more clear and he even seemed a bit stronger when he was doing PT. I´m so hoping that this is the beginning of the turn-around we´ve been waiting and hoping for. He did have a drop in his blood sugar but not nearly as severe as the previous days. Can´t wait to see how things go tomorrow and the days after that.
Tuesday, May 19
The last three days Larry´s blood sugar has been up and down again (mostly down!). They are able to bring it up quickly to normal levels with shots of glucose when it goes really low, but it doesn´t stay up for long and after a few hours it begins to go down again. He is on a 24 hour tube feeding which should be helping but hasn´t been doing the job yet and they continue to try to find out why. Juice through the feeding tube also helps a little, but not enough. Hopefully they can find out what the problem is real soon. Larry has had a little hypoglycemia in the past but never anything that a small snack and drink wouldn´t remedy so this is much more acute. We´ll just have to see what they find. Low blood sugar makes a person very weak (of course) so rehab continues to be a challenge. The thing I didn´t realize is that it can also cause personality changes and Larry has had some difficult issues like paranoia, combativeness (is that a word?!) and anxiety. Cant wait for those things to diminish!!! Never a dull moment!
Monday, May 18, 2015
Monday, May 18
Larry was moved back up to his rehab room yesterday morning. His blood sugar is up and holding.
Hoping for better and more productive days this week.
Hoping for better and more productive days this week.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
May 16th - I can do all things.
Last night (Friday) at about 10:30 pm, I received a call from Larry´s rehab doctor. He said that because Larry´s blood sugar had been continuing to go down, even with treatment, and because of his fragile statis, he felt that Larry should go back to ICU for more constant monitoring. They moved him back late last night. It´s always hard to see a step backwards but I feel that this is something that can be figured out and remedied. This morning when I got there around 8:30 his blood sugar level was back up and that was positive. Throughout the day though, it dropped again. They are doing some things to bring it back up and hopefully Larry will be able to be moved out of ICU tomorrow or Monday....hopefully back to rehab, but at least onto another floor. Larry has been confused and agitated so much today and that has also been hard to watch. In his circumstances, because of so many problems, one issue seems to exacerbate others. I have to continue to remind myself of our motto these past few years. I´d like to share a thought from Larry´s talk given in church after returning from our mission. He said:
``I want to share with you one of the many things we learned in greater depth while on our mission. Before we left, some of the first words we learned in Portuguese were these: Eu posso fazer coisis deficies...na forca do Senhor. I can do all things in the strength of the Lord. This scripture found in Phillipians 4:13 has long been one of our favorites. We knew that we would need to know and remember this statement every day. And we did``
Truly this scripture has become our montra or motto. We have been strivng to live it every day and it seems even more more relevant and important to us as time passes. Some days here in the hospital I
have reminded Larry (and myself) of this statement and we repeat it together in Portuguese. It always brings a feeling of calm and reassurance to us. I have to admit that today was a hard day for me, not that it was such a critical day but that I seemed to have just `had enough`! Jon gave me a blessing (and Larry one to) and that has turned my struggling feelings back to the Lord and the strength He can and will always provide to us. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is with all of us and will always strengthen us and help us make our way through. I recommit to living by this scripture and give thanks again to a loving Heavenly Father who blesses, strengthens, and loves me/you every single day.
Eu posso fazer coisis deficies, na forca do Senhor. I can do all things in the strength of the Lord!
``I want to share with you one of the many things we learned in greater depth while on our mission. Before we left, some of the first words we learned in Portuguese were these: Eu posso fazer coisis deficies...na forca do Senhor. I can do all things in the strength of the Lord. This scripture found in Phillipians 4:13 has long been one of our favorites. We knew that we would need to know and remember this statement every day. And we did``
Truly this scripture has become our montra or motto. We have been strivng to live it every day and it seems even more more relevant and important to us as time passes. Some days here in the hospital I
have reminded Larry (and myself) of this statement and we repeat it together in Portuguese. It always brings a feeling of calm and reassurance to us. I have to admit that today was a hard day for me, not that it was such a critical day but that I seemed to have just `had enough`! Jon gave me a blessing (and Larry one to) and that has turned my struggling feelings back to the Lord and the strength He can and will always provide to us. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is with all of us and will always strengthen us and help us make our way through. I recommit to living by this scripture and give thanks again to a loving Heavenly Father who blesses, strengthens, and loves me/you every single day.
Eu posso fazer coisis deficies, na forca do Senhor. I can do all things in the strength of the Lord!
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Keep moving 5-13-15
The past few days have gone quite well. We have had no major problems to deal with...thank heaven! A couple of days ago, Larry did pull out his feeding tube again, and it has since been replaced. He has been doing as much as he can with his rehab. It is hard. I have learned that it doesn´t take long when you´re down to lose muscle mass and strength, and it takes much more time to recover the strength that you previously had. We have been told that for every day you are down, it takes three days of rehab to recover that day. Wow! We just don´t realize how important it is to keep moving and how much our daily activities keep our body functioning. Larry has lost a lot of weight and muscle mass and it will take time for his body to get strong again. Cognition is also a problem and we continue to hope and pray that he will do better in this área as well.
I thought you might like to see a few pics of Larry as he trys to get moving again. We are both trying hard to keep moving forward with everything we can muster. No matter our circumstances, or whatever our trials, we must always strive to move forward with determination, hope, and faith for a brighter tomorrow. Larry is moving forward....
I thought you might like to see a few pics of Larry as he trys to get moving again. We are both trying hard to keep moving forward with everything we can muster. No matter our circumstances, or whatever our trials, we must always strive to move forward with determination, hope, and faith for a brighter tomorrow. Larry is moving forward....
Saturday, May 9, 2015
May 9th-Saturday
Yesterday (Friday) Larry had another hard day that started when doctors found that his crit level had dropped once again. They did another endoscopy and found another ulcer (honestly?!?) which they cauterized. They also took several biopsies and did an esophageal stretch which will hopefully make it easier for him to swallow in the days to come. They also had to insert another feeding tube and put in another central line, and give him a blood transfusion so it was a big/tough day for him.
Luckily today was much better. No more major procedures and he was able to do a little better in his rehab. We hope that by Monday we will find that he is beginning to get a bit stronger and able to do all that he needs to do while in rehab. This coming week should be a positive one...wish us luck!
Luckily today was much better. No more major procedures and he was able to do a little better in his rehab. We hope that by Monday we will find that he is beginning to get a bit stronger and able to do all that he needs to do while in rehab. This coming week should be a positive one...wish us luck!
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Thursday, May 7
Just a little update on the last couple of days in rehab. I am gateful to be there but it is definitely a change. In theICU I became very used to nurses around all the time, watching Larry closely, and being there constantly to help him. I also became used to watching a monitor of vital signs (they don´t have them in rehab) to make sure that everything was stable...it became my television!! Larry´s room was also right across from the main desk and just knowing professionals were right there was very comforting to me. You try not to become too attached through the weeks but you just can´t help it. As excited as I was to be moving on, I have to admit that I cried when we left. I will never forget their care and friendship.
Rehab is different in that their focus is on recovery (and getting ready to go home) and when a patient arrives there, he/she needs to be able to work on that recovery in a more constant way. Larry tries so hard and is working to regain physical strength and cognitive ability. There are four different parts of rehab therapy that are worked on each day and each one has a session twice a day. Larry will be busy as he becomes stronger and can do more. Being in rehab is a lot of WORK. Larry is moving into it a bit slowly because yesterday he was quite ill and showing signs of a possible bleed internally. The doctors performed an endoscopy and found an ulcer which they caterized. His blood count has gone down a bit so we understand why he is weak. They will need to do another endoscopy in a few days as well as a re-insertion of his feeding tube that came out during the endoscopy. We hope that these things will not interfere very much with his rehab and that he will be able to continue to work hard and do the best he can, as he always has. He´s a rock!
Rehab is different in that their focus is on recovery (and getting ready to go home) and when a patient arrives there, he/she needs to be able to work on that recovery in a more constant way. Larry tries so hard and is working to regain physical strength and cognitive ability. There are four different parts of rehab therapy that are worked on each day and each one has a session twice a day. Larry will be busy as he becomes stronger and can do more. Being in rehab is a lot of WORK. Larry is moving into it a bit slowly because yesterday he was quite ill and showing signs of a possible bleed internally. The doctors performed an endoscopy and found an ulcer which they caterized. His blood count has gone down a bit so we understand why he is weak. They will need to do another endoscopy in a few days as well as a re-insertion of his feeding tube that came out during the endoscopy. We hope that these things will not interfere very much with his rehab and that he will be able to continue to work hard and do the best he can, as he always has. He´s a rock!
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Six weeks
A little of my personal thoughts, hope you don´t mind:
Today Larry has been in the ICU for 6 weeks. It´s hard to believe. As one friend said, it´s like you`re in a bad dream and waking up every morning to find out that it´s not a dream, it´s real life! It can feel disheartening and overwhelming at times but I am so grateful for the many things that I have learned during this time and for the opportunity to learn and grow throughout this life in any circumstance that we are given. It doesn´t matter what our trials and afflictions are (we all have them), it´s the growth and learning that takes place during the rough times--that earn us the good times in future days and eternity to come. I want to share with you a couple of scriptures that have become some of my very favorites during this hard time. I have read and re-read them so many times this past 6 weeks and they have, once again, helped me put our life experiences back into perspective, insight, and greater understanding. Faith and hope are our mainstays as we go throughout this life. We all know that. This is just a moment in time. Larry is enduring it well...he is my master teacher!
2 Corinthians 4: 17-18
17 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 - While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
D&C 121:7-8
My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
And then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high..
Have a wonderful day everyone. I love and appreciate you all.
Today Larry has been in the ICU for 6 weeks. It´s hard to believe. As one friend said, it´s like you`re in a bad dream and waking up every morning to find out that it´s not a dream, it´s real life! It can feel disheartening and overwhelming at times but I am so grateful for the many things that I have learned during this time and for the opportunity to learn and grow throughout this life in any circumstance that we are given. It doesn´t matter what our trials and afflictions are (we all have them), it´s the growth and learning that takes place during the rough times--that earn us the good times in future days and eternity to come. I want to share with you a couple of scriptures that have become some of my very favorites during this hard time. I have read and re-read them so many times this past 6 weeks and they have, once again, helped me put our life experiences back into perspective, insight, and greater understanding. Faith and hope are our mainstays as we go throughout this life. We all know that. This is just a moment in time. Larry is enduring it well...he is my master teacher!
2 Corinthians 4: 17-18
17 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 - While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
D&C 121:7-8
My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
And then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high..
Have a wonderful day everyone. I love and appreciate you all.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Monday, May 4th
Thank you all for your prayers. Everythng went well with the placement of Larry´s shunt today and it is draining fluid already. He has been sleeping soundly most of the afternoon...most likely trying to make up for all the sleep deprivation over the past weeks!! Sincere gratitude to Larry´s surgeon, and other doctors and nurses that continue to work so hard to give Larry the best recovery results possible. I can never thank them enough!!
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Sunday, May 3rd
Sunday, May 3rd: We´re having a pretty good day today. We had the sacrament this morning and Larry has had a few family members come by. He was able to walk a few minutes ago and it really wore him out so he is now reclining in a chair having a well deserved nap!
Because of his continued confusion and slow response/arousal from sleep at times, the doctors think it could possibly be helpful for Larry to have a shunt placed, so we plan to proceed with that procedure tomorrow. If all goes well, they will continue to monitor him here in the ICU for a day or two and then move him to acute rehab. We are so hopeful that we will see more pronunced improvement after the initial procedure and recovery and that he will be able to move to rehab and have the best outcome from it. Please say a little prayer for him tomorrow...we truly appreciate your love, and prayers. We feel them!!
Because of his continued confusion and slow response/arousal from sleep at times, the doctors think it could possibly be helpful for Larry to have a shunt placed, so we plan to proceed with that procedure tomorrow. If all goes well, they will continue to monitor him here in the ICU for a day or two and then move him to acute rehab. We are so hopeful that we will see more pronunced improvement after the initial procedure and recovery and that he will be able to move to rehab and have the best outcome from it. Please say a little prayer for him tomorrow...we truly appreciate your love, and prayers. We feel them!!
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