A Rough Night

Dad was moved to the transplant regular floor last night about 6:30 PM. After he had his supper he had some heaviness in his chest. The resident ran some tests and they think that it is just some fluid around the lungs. He said that the nurses ran blood and vitals every two hours through the night so he didn't get too much sleep. They took him downstairs for a CAT scan at 3:00 AM.

When we got to the hospital this morning he was very uncomfortable. The physical therapist had already had him up to walk. He is very weak. He made it from his bed to the hall way and back. He was exhausted. He tries to tough it out and wait longer for the pain meds. We are going to try to convince him to take them a little sooner so he doesn't get so uncomfortable.

On a lighter side: Here are a couple of pictures looking out from the lobby of the main hospital. One a daytime shot from yesterday. It was so windy here that the fountain had waves on it. The other is the same view last night as we caught the shuttle back to the guest house.

Address

For those who have been wanting to send cards the address is:


Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave./G101-11
Cleveland, OH 44195

Movin' On Up

We were just told by Dad's nurse that he will be moving up to the transplant unit after they come back from lunch. Several of IV lines have been removed as well. Fewer and fewer tubes and lines coming from his bed.

He shaved himself this morning and combed his own hair. He looks fairly presentable now -but not good enough for him to let me take his picture.

I've heard a few small wise cracks from him but still not too much joking going on. He sat up in the chair for well over two hours this morning and stood for awhile while they were getting him back to bed. He says he is feeling stronger. The doctor took the pain pump away and put him on pain pills. She said that they last longer. He was pretty uncomfortable this morning but the pills kick in fairly quickly.

Monday Evening Update

Just a quick update before we head to bed. Bill flew back to Nashville today - I bet his girls were happy to see their Daddy. We were glad that he and Amanda could be here with us.

My husband hasn't been able to come back up because he has a cold and we can't risk taking any germs into Dad since the anti-rejection drugs make his immune system very weak.

The doctors removed three of the tubes today. They decided to keep Dad in ICU one more night just to be sure he didn't experience any complications from the removal of the tubes.
He should be able to move more freely now. He sat up in a chair for about 45 minutes today. The nurse said he did 100% better than yesterday. The plan is to move him to the transplant unit early tomorrow.

Good Night!

Real Food

This is the view from the Family Lounge. We can see the Lifeflight landing pad from the window. They come and go quite often.


When we arrived at the hospital this morning Dad had just finished his breakfast. He was happy. They had given him "real" food - not liquids. He had pancakes, eggs, bacon and a banana.

He is trying not to push his pain med button as often. The cardiac and liver doctors are discussing when to remove the rest of the tubes. Once some of those are gone Dad will be moved to the transplant unit. This is similar to a regular floor but is just for patients waiting for, or who have had transplants.

Sunday Afternoon Thanks and Update

First I want to thank everyone for the encouraging calls, comments on this blog and Facebook and especially for the prayers! We have seen God's hand in this in many ways. (Maybe someday I'll do a post just on that.)

Dad is steadily improving but this will be a long haul from what we have been told. The nurses had him sitting up in a chair for awhile this afternoon and said he did great. He continues to be in some pain but then again who wouldn't be after having two major surgeries. They gave him his own pain button that he can push whenever he feels he needs more medicine. He was happy to get broth and a soda for lunch. About 3:30 he was wondering what he would get for dinner :)

I asked him about his mental state and he said he is still a bit fuzzy. He isn't joking around so you know he isn't comfortable. We have some funny stories to tell him about our time outside the ICU but we will wait until he can truly appreciate them.

I know a lot of you are wondering how Mom is holding up. She is doing well. It has been a rough few days for her but she can feel the support from friends and family. She rested better last night than she had for the previous few. She gets to Skype with Bill's girls in TN and that is fun for her. We even managed to connect once with my daughter, Sarah, who is in London, UK. The internet is wonderful! If you call and don't get her please leave a message. We have to turn off the phones when we are in ICU.

Thanks again for all the love and prayers - we certainly feel it!

Sunday Morning Update

The NG tube is out and they are letting Dad have clear liquids. However, Dad said he didn't sleep much last night so he is very sleepy today. We are headed to the nearest Wal-mart to get Mom's meds refilled.

We haven't seen any doctors today but the nurse said if he continues to improve that he may get to move to the regular transplant floor tomorrow.

Saturday Evening Update

They have moved Dad to the Surgical ICU. This is where the transplant patients usually go after surgery. (Dad had been in cardiac ICU due to the valve replacement.) He is awake and trying to watch the Ohio State game. He is doubtful that the Indians will play tonight since it has been raining most of the day here. He is having some pain but they are keeping him comfortable. He is hoping for at least some liquids tomorrow.

Amanda got home safely. Bill plans to go home Monday.

More later.

Some random photos

These aren't the best because we took them with cell phones but thought you might like to see a little bit of where we are. This is the clinic at night. The tree is in the lobby of the main hospital. It is projected on the wall. It sways like the wind is blowing and changes seasons if you stay there long enough. We changed hotels yesterday. We had to check out of one and then wait to check into the transplant floor in the guesthouse. So. . . we all had a little snooze in the lobby. Mom took this of Amanda. The other picture is of our family bonding time in the laundry room. Fun Times!!

Saturday Morning Update

A couple of new things this morning - Dad smiled. Amanda went back and when he saw her he smiled. Then she started showing him pictures of Ellery Grace and Emery Cate and he really smiled. He is more alert but still sleeping most of the time. The nurse said they would like to remove a chest tube and the ventilator today if he wakes up enough.

We will be going to the airport soon. Amanda flies back this morning.

The liver transplant doctor was just here. He said the kidney function has improved and everything is looking good.

Thanks for all of your prayers!!

Evening Update

Dad is finally waking up some. He is still somewhat agitated. However his blood gases have improved throughout the day and the respiratory therapist has continued to reduce the force and percentage of oxygen he is receiving. We are hopeful that by morning the ventilator will be out.

He responded to questions we asked by shaking his head. He says he isn't in any pain.

We have found ways to keep occupied - doing laundry, visiting Dad, eating, surfing the net, visiting with other transplant families, and even squeezing in a nap or two. It is hard to believe we have only been here 3 days!

Amanda is supposed to fly home tomorrow. We have been Skyping with their two girls. Amanda's mom is taking care of them so she can be here with us. Thanks Nina!!

Morning Update

We just went back to see Dad. He is still on the ventilator and he obviously isn't happy about that. He is very agitated. The doctors are keeping him sedated so that he will stay still. They are going to switch some meds to see if they can get him calmer. The liver surgeon is pleased with his progress.

His is not awake but is understanding enough that he will respond to commands to squeeze a finger or wiggle his toes.

A specific prayer request would be that the new meds work to calm him, his kidney function would improve and that his blood gases improve enough to get him off of the ventilator.

More later.

Still Asleep

We got to see Dad this morning a little after 9:00. They had just finished an ultrasound. He is doing well. His color is good and he looks comfortable (except for all of the tubes). The liver surgeon that did the transplant was there when Mom and Bill went in. He said that the old liver was VERY bad. He said that they were going to keep Dad asleep for most of today. He is still on the ventilator which is normal after this surgery. He will stay on it until his blood gases let them know it is time to remove it - maybe late today. The normal process is to be in ICU for 3-4 days and then be moved to the transplant floor for 2-3 weeks.

It is a dreary day here in Cleveland. We are just going to be hanging out in the Family Lounge today.

Family bonding at the CCF

Well finally after 14 hours of family bonding in the ICU waiting room we got to see Dad. He looked good considering all that he had been through in those 14 hours. We will not be able to see him again until after 8:30 in the morning. Visiting hours for family are fairly flexible in the ICU. However during nursing shift changes we are not allowed to even request to go back to see him. He will remain somewhat sedated for another day or so until the breathing tube comes out. We will keep updating as we find out more.

WooHoo!!! It's done!

The doctor just spoke with us. Dad's transplant is complete. They just need to finish closing him up. Everything will be done in about an hour. We don't know when we will see him - it could be several hours yet. Thanks for all the prayers and calls. We will keep you updated.

Update

We just learned from the coordinator that the heart surgery was completed at 9:00. They are now working on the transplant.

In Surgery

Dad was taken into surgery at 6:00 am. They will do the heart valve replacement first followed by the liver transplant. The total time will be 12-15 hours. We are supposed to hear from the cardiac team when they are finished. He should be in ICU for 3-4 days after surgery and they will keep him fairly heavily sedated during that time.

Bill arrived last night and Amanda will be flying up today. We got to spend some time with Dad last night and this morning before surgery. He was being his usual goofy self - teasing nurses and even the liver surgeon! He went into surgery with a great attitude and a joke to the anesthesiologist.

We will keep you all updated as we are updated. Thanks so much for the prayers!

The pic is of the plane that took Dad from Findlay to Cleveland.

Update

Dad has arrived at Cleveland. The doctors have decided to wait until morning to start the surgery. They are saying around 6 a.m. We will keep you posted.

It's a GO!!!

Dad just took off from Findlay airport in a little jet. They are flying him up to Cleveland Clinic. The coordinator says it's a go. They will do the heart surgery as soon as they get there and do the liver transplant after that. We have been told that the surgery is around 15 hours. Please pray for us as we travel to be there. Bill is flying up from Nashville tonight. And pray for mom as she waits by herself. And for the surgeons and all the staff working on/with Dad.

A visit from the Sisters

Two of Dad's six sisters, Jane and Janet, came up today for a visit. Here's a pic.

Home again

The doctor has said Dad can go home today. He is just waiting to get the IV out and the doctors orders.

A No-Go

Well, after waiting all day, we finally heard that the liver was good for the first person on the list. So we are back to waiting.

On the bright side the tests Dad had today showed nothing to be concerned about. He is hoping they will let him have some "real" food now instead of just liquids and soft food. We don't know what the plan is a far as getting released yet. The doctors haven't been here on evening rounds yet.

A Call

Mom got a call last night saying that a liver may be available and to bring Dad to Cleveland as a back-up. Since Dad is still at the Clinic for tests he was already there. Mom has been staying with our friend Clarice in the Cleveland area. The coordinator also spoke with Dad.

We won't know until sometime late this morning if this is a "dry run" or if he will be having surgery. We will let you all know as soon as we do. Please pray for our peace as we wait to know, for the doctors evaluating the liver and for the family of the donor. Thanks!

Tests at Cleveland

Dad asked Mom where she wanted to spend her birthday and teased her about going to Cleveland. Well that is exactly where she ended up onher birthday! Dad's hemoglobin is low and they are running tests to see why. So far he has had an ultrasound to check his TIPS and we are waiting on the results of that. The doctors are talking about running a couple of other tests today as well.

So we are waiting still, again. . .

Still Waiting

Not much happening here. Dad is trying to keep busy while he is waiting. Last weekend downtown Findlay hosted Car Tunes. Dad, Mom and our two youngest boys went to check out all the cars. The pictures above are Dad's and Isaac's top choices. Dad has always been a convertible fan but when you live in Ohio it isn't always the most practical type of car.

On a sad note we all lost a good friend and wonderful Christian lady to Alzhiemers this week. Maxine was a great example of hospitality to us all. Please pray for her family as they deal with this lost.