Rosie is severely malnourished and dehydrated…. and is finally receiving nutrition through an IV.
Sara the RN showed me how to use the IV pump and mix up the customized infusions to give Rosie. She will be on it for the next 48 hours straight and then it will be 12 hours at night only after that.
I am learning so much about medical care. Looks like I will have my RN license by the end of the week. LOL!
Rosie’s temp was 99.5.
BP was normal.
I am testing her glucose levels every 6 hours.
I have to flush her PICC lines twice daily with saline. Was also given heparin syringes to flush them if needed.
Also have to clean and stuff her JP drain wound once a day with dry packing ribbon. She has a tunnel about 4 cm into her stomach area. It was bloodier today than it had been. Thank God I am not squeamish at all.
The hernia wound repair wound is open and healing nicely so far. It started out about 2W x 3L x 2D but is closing. Still looks like a crater. A wound vac is attached to it to help with the healing process. She ONLY has mild pain now.
Only thing Rosie can keep down is water. Bet she has lost 45 lbs in the last month… maybe even more than that.
Her esophagus is not burning now. Started Prilosec yesterday.
She has an area on her tummy that is red, inflamed and hot. Nurse agreed with me that it looks like cellulitis. Will call Dr Melling tomorrow about it.
Her PT and INR is at a therapeutic level. Will prolly resume coumadin 5 mg tomorrow.
Rosie felt horrible this evening. Was so bad that she was crying. She is now feeling better and is sound to sleep. PRAISE GOD!
My Baby Love John is not feeling well. He either has gallstones or an ulcer. He can’t get a doc appt for a week. Will prolly end up in the ER. Sending all my love and prayers to him in Scotland.
Hope I sleep well tonight as I did last night.
Rosie had been waking me every 2-3 hours to use a bedpan BUT for almost a week now I am the one waking her to urinate. Barely urinating at all. Maybe had an output of 600 cc today. Under 800 is dangerous. The IV fluids will surely have her peeing more often hopefully with more output. I expect her to wake me every 3 hours tonight or so. Takes me forever to go back to sleep. :-(
I am so exhausted. Doing so much for Rosie and not dealing with worry and stress very well. So much going on with Rosie. So worried about her. She was way more talkative after getting the TPN infusions going. She says as soon as she is able she and I are headed to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge for a week vacay! WOO-HOO. Smoki and Dad are also going with us.
Really hope to go to WV in a few months. Would love to see my cousins Rebecca, Sara, Shay, and Brandy. Plus my Aunts and Uncles there.
Sending healing prayers to Rebecca… she is having edema which docs have yet to find treatment or cause for. She sees a rheumatologist soon.
Praying for cousin Brandy and her allergy issues. Ah-Choo!
Thankful for Rosie’s home health aides… Peggy and Dina are FAMILY now. Love them dearly and appreciate all they do.
Been on the phone most of the day with doctors, nurses, and medical coordinators. Getting Rosie all fixed up to receive a variety of services.
Mediserv brought a trapeze bar and we didn’t have room for it. It was to help Rosie raise her self up in her hospital bed better. BUT it needed a foot behind the head of her bed and we just don’t have room for it.
Received one order of medical supplies by UPS and another one by courier today. Can only imagine how much all this is costing. Thank God it all is 100% covered by medicare, dad’s private insurance Wells Fargo and Medicaid/ Tenncare. Her gastric bypass surgery was prolly around $50,000. Bet her hernia repair was around $20,000. Can only imagine how much the hospital bed, medical supplies, IV pump and the nurses visits are costing. Just glad she has insurance.
The doc prescribed Zofran for Rosie. It is something like $700 for 30 pills. Thank God they have a generic one now. Insurance would not cover that particular med. Dad had to pay $45 for it.
I have over 60 doses of lovenox injections. They cost a small fortune… insurance paid. Hoping the pharmacy can take them back. The Dr JUST prescribed too many of them.
Time to wake Rosie and test her glucose and then off to bed for me.
Asking everyone to pray for Rosie to have a speedy recovery. Thanks.
I love my Sissy Rose Lee.
~Angela
