A TRACH and FEEDING TUBE

Wanted to get up early for the hospital. Lol. Couldnt drag my butt outta bed. Off to the hospital for hopefully some good news. Then i have to head home. Lots to do there im sure. 

Facebook on December 13, 2010 at 10:29am

Dannys getting his trach right now, maybe his feeding tube too. This waiting is unnerving as hell. 

Facebook on December 13, 2010 at 12:55pm

Getting the trach I could accept, although it still made me cringe to think it was really happening. My reaction to the feeding tube was one of confusion about its moral correctness and what it meant for the long term. In my twelve years as a nurse in the convalescent home setting, I was aware of the fact that once a tube is placed for feeding, it often can not be removed in order to let life end. My fear was that if Danny remained in a persisstant vegetative state and never woke up, he would now be doomed until the end of his natural life with being "kept" alive. Danny would never EVER want this. He held such strong beliefs about it. But by the same token, he needed nutrition desperately, and it was either that or a non-permanent naso-gastric feeding tube. Had the choice been mine AT THE TIME, I would have opted for the naso-gastric tube for awhile until there were more signs of him waking. Apparently his mom gave the permission. Luckily it was the correct choice...

9pm. Headin home to Tamaqua shortly after a week here. Barb is the best friend: pseudo-mom/sister anyone could ever have. So much to do in the next 2 days. Im heading over to notes to write an update so come read....

Facebook on December 13, 2010 at 9:01pm

by Kathleen Quinn-Farber on Monday, December 13, 2010 at 9:29pm

   Today Danny got his trach and his feeding tube in his tummy. They also put the cerebral pressure monitor back into his head once again, just to watch things more closely. The fever was mostly staying down but the cold packs are back on cuz he spiked a 104.0 toward morning. His chest xrays show dramatic improvement and the MRSA and pnemonia is getting better. He is scoring an 8 tonight on the glasko coma scale, which is a scale of 3 to 15, but the eyes still being closed concerns the doctors a bit. The surgeons and drs I spoke with today sound optimistic. Dr Hoy said to "get ready" cuz in 2 weeks he will prolly be out of ICU and very agitated, and will need me. So I was told to REST UP! I'm tired and cant think and have a long drive home yet tonight, plus im sure laundry and dishes and who knows what else. So im signing off for now. Thank you all for your prayers...

Its 2am. I cant go into our bedroom. I feel so far away. I have so much to do tomorrow but just feel so lost.

Facebook on December 14, 2010 at 1:58am 

A funny little side-note....

I mentioned Dr. Hoy in my Facebook update. When they were doing things with Danny to prepare for the insertion of the trach and feed tube, I went down to lunch. I sat down cati-corner from a Dr, and he was talking on the phone to a colleague. I heard him say "Yea, I've got a trach in ICU in a bit."  After the procedure when we spoke I told him I was at the table and overheard him, cuz it just seemed so ironic in that large hospital to end up sitting there and hearing that.

Dr. Hoy was one of the few doctors that spoke of recovery with great confidence, instead of trying not to get my hopes up. He explained some brain injury behaviors and stages to me, and warned me of Danny's coming "wild awakening"...lol, and he was right on the money!