Today was clinic day. As you know, each week Lee is scheduled for a clinic day. This includes blood work, chest x-ray, arterial blood gases and pulmonary function test. After these are completed, he is then checked by the nurse for weight, BP, Temp, and his O2 saturation. Next is the visit with the attending physician. He does not always see the same physician, however, he has seen one more regularly than the others. This physician was absent today and another one was seeing his patients. We had only seen this physician once before and that was before the lung transplant. In fact, he was instrumental in getting Lee's name on the transplant list. It was good to be able to see him again.
His report was very encouraging. There were no signs of an infection, fluid retention, nor any rejection of the lung. His potassium level was normal. There was one area that he did call our attention to and that is that Lee has been running a higher blood sugar, particularly in the evenings. This evening he will begin taking a long-acting Insulin (24 hour insulin) in addition to the sliding scale insulin he is on before each meal. Hopefully that will bring his sugar down to a more acceptable range.
Lee was told to return for a clinic visit in two weeks instead of one week and that if things continue to be good he may be able to go home in a month or so. Of course there are some big "IFS" there. He still has to have the PH test done for reflux on the 23rd of this month and if there is any reflux, he will have to have the nissen plication (stomach wrap of fundus around the esopheal opening into the stomach). This is an overnight procedure that is done with laparoscope. (no open incision) Reflux is taken very seriously post lung transplant and can be one of the major reasons for rejection and infection of the lung. We will learn his fate by the end of this month.
All in all, it was a good clinic visit. Lee was able to go to The Center for Living in the afternoon and complete another session (now 17!) He has had several small naps since returning this afternoon. Those rehab sessions continue to just drain him physically.
As for me, the ankle is getting better. I am still using an ankle brace for support and plan to begin the achilles stretching exercises later this week. My biggest problem now is trying to get some sleep. Those midnight I.V.'s are interfering. I go to bed @ 9:30, set the clock for midnight, start the I.V., set the kitchen timer for 35 minutes, back to sleep, get up and Dc the I.V. , flush with saline and heparin. Back to sleep.................and I get to do it all over again at 6:00 a.m. This will continue through Saturday.....Just hope I can make it til then!
More Later..........................................Brenda
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