Merry Christmas

Well technically it's 12:22am and Christmas is over, but oh well. I just got back from the hospital...obviously tonight was a long one.

I got up there around 8:20 and things were all over the place. They had to kick dad out of ICU at 6pm because someone was coming in that was coding and they needed a room, dad was the most stable. He is now up in room 410. After being there for 2 hours and mom complaining several times to the nurses station about how no one had come to check on him yet after the transfer, she finally called a supervisor and he was able to get the ball going. His night nurse is WONDERFUL! Her name is Karen and has a very sweet personality just like one of mom's good friends that is also named Karen...so they hit it off. Well when I got there and saw that he wasn't hooked up to a Monitor, I went nuts. I threw a fit and demanded that he be placed on one and I wasn't leaving until it was done. Karen (poor lady) had to call the supervisor again, which prompted him to come to our room and talk to us about what had happened. To back track some, there was nothing explained to us on why dad was moved, and there was a huge lack of communication between the staff there. The supervisor showed up around 10:45. He is a very very sweet man and honestly with his job I don't know how he stays so sweet. By this time I had a page of questions and concerns to ask him or gripe to him about. He was very receptive of everything, was upset at his staff for a few things and said that he would deal with it (hopefully he will), and within 30 minutes had dad hooked up to a temporary monitor (he is in the morning going to hook him up to a more high tech one). We all felt a lot better about things. Poor mom was exhausted and shaky....I was finally able to talk her into leaving right after we talked with the supervisor. Praise God that a family friend that my dad tonight said was like a brother to him, was there during the sudden transfer.

In the middle of me being all upset about things around 8:45 the Kidney doctor came in and he said that dad's functions were better today then yesterday! Praise God!!!!! They are going to continue to monitor them daily.

The kidney doctor and the supervisor both asked me seperately if I was a doctor or a nurse becuase of the questions I would ask them. I was glad that they felt like I was that informed just because maybe it will keep them on their toes knowing they have someone to make sure things are getting done. I know my brother asks all the quesitons also, just wait unitl they meet him and there are two of us. HAHA! We all got a good laugh about it though.

Dad is not sleeping well at night, please keep that in your prayers. He was asleep when I left around 11:45 so hopefully he was able to get some. Oh yeah, his heart when they did hook it back up to the monitor was back to an irrigular heartbeat...which he is on medicine for anyway....we just like to see if normal.

We think we have pinpointed what has been making him nausiated the last 3 days. I was able to sit with the nurse and look at the history to try to pinpoint. We think it's a medicine given through the feeding tube right to his stomach. We are going to track again tomorrow and see for one more day if this is it....then alter.

If you want to call up to the room it's the same main number but now it's 5410 for the extention. There are no set visiting hours although we are asking for the same basic hours of 9am-9pm. He is now in room 410. Mom is still up there from around 10:30-8:30...on "normal" days.

If you happen to be going up there around dinner time...the cafeteria is closed so unless mom orders an extra tray of wonderful hospital food for herself ahead of time (some time that morning, and I'm not sure she is there early enough to order) then could you please give her a buzz and see if she would like anything. You may be able to talk her into going back to Methodist cafe to eat just for something different and to let dad rest. I just know that now at Kindred she most nights isn't eating until she gets home around 9pm and then feels bad because she is eating so late. I asked today if we could put a mini frig in his room and they said yes...she is thinking about maybe taking the one from dad's office up there for the time being, which will solve alot of dinner issues. We will see if/when that happens.

Thank you again and again for all the help, support and prayers!!!!! We hope everyone had a Blessed Christmas!