Back to Cleveland

Dad has been doing pretty well but is running a low grade fever. Since it has been several days now the doctor wants him back in Cleveland to check him out. Mom called this morning and they are headed back to the Clinic. His appetite is improving and he was to start heart rehab. on Monday.

We keep reminding ourselves that the liver transplant team warned us that the first 6 months or so involves alot of adjusting to meds and trips to Cleveland just to be certain that everything is okay. They always want to play it safe. They told us not to get discouraged.

We probably won't know much until the doctors round on Monday morning but if I do get more info. I will post it.

Headed Home

Dad was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon. The car keys arrived this morning so they are heading back home this morning.

Thanks once again for your prayers - a special thanks to their neighbors who are thoughtful and look after the place when they are gone!

Tuesday Update

Dad is supposed to be released from the hospital today. His kidney function has continued to improve and the doctors are still trying new combinations/doses of the meds to make things the best with the least amount of side effects. He will be doing some heart rehab. when he returns to Findlay. We hope that will help him regain some strength.

Bill and Amanda got home safely last night but discovered on the way that Mom's car keys had somehow (Emery Cate?) made their way into Amanda's purse. So. . . . Dad and Mom will be staying in Cleveland one more night while the keys make their way back to Ohio via FedEx.

Never a dull moment with this family!!

Sunday Update

Dad's kidney function continued to improve. The doctors continue to adjust the doses of his medicines to find a good balance. He is hoping to get home sometime this week but no one has mentioned a day yet.

Bill, Amanda, Ellery Grace and Emery Cate started on their way home today. They stopped in Cincinnati for the night. We were all so glad that they came to visit! Here are a few pictures. I'll probably post more later. Mike and the boys came to Cleveland today as well.

A Pretty Good Day

Dad had a pretty good day. His kidney function improved somewhat. His mood has improved as well. Not much else to report. The doctors haven't said when they will release him but they don't seem to be in any hurry this time.

Here are a few not-so-good pictures. Mom took some with her camera that I can post when I have more time and better internet. This is Dad waiting for his "ride" to Cleveland. Middle is Emery Cate saying "cheese" and then the other is Ellery Grace taking a picture of herself and Grandma.

Surprise Visitors from Tennessee

Bill, Amanda, and the girls came up to surprise Dad and Mom. They arrived right before supper time. Dad was so happy to see them!

The doctors are pumping him full of fluid and tweaking meds again. This is what we were told could happen often during the first few months after transplant. Not much has changed since the last post.

I will try to post some pictures tomorrow of the girls and Poppy - if I can get them to stay still for long enough to snap a picture!!

Back to Cleveland

As I type this Dad should be arriving back at Cleveland Clinic. He was sent to the ER again today due to a questionable blood test result. The result dealt with kidney function. The local hospital didn't feel equipped to handle a newly transplanted patient so he was sent to Cleveland. I guess this is one of those many trips to Cleveland they warned us about. Mom and I will be traveling up to CCF in the morning. I will update more tomorrow as we find out what is happening.

Almost a week and only one visit to the ER

The liver "people" at Cleveland Clinic had told us that the first six months post-transplant would be a rollercoaster ride - up days, down days and up days again. They said pretty soon the good days would out-weigh the bad and things would even out.

I think Dad is doing remarkably well considering that he had two major surgeries and he turned 70 last week. He has been home for almost a week now. He is a little stronger - somedays. Mostly he has struggled with being able to sleep and then when he can't that makes him anxious and then he can't sleep and then. . . well you get the idea. He is also uncomfortable sometimes. He says the discomfort is mostly in his chest and shoulder area. He also says he is a little "fuzzy" mentally but at least he realizes it.

He was feeling more out-of-sorts yesterday and thinking maybe he was getting dehydrated again. After a call to CCF, they were told to go to the ER to be evaluated. It ended up being about a 9 hour "visit" with several tests being ran. Everything came back good except a slightly elevated kidney number which would signal some dehydration. He was given some IV fluids and sent home.

He has been out and about some. Last Saturday he rode with me out to Camp Berry, our local Boy Scout camp, to pick up Isaac. Mom takes him along to run quick errands. Today he got his hairs cut (as he would say) and stopped over at our house to watch my husband put the finishing touches on his Ham radio antenna tower.

I probably won't be updating as often as I did when he was in the hospital. I will try to make an update at least once a week and I will update when anything significant happens. Again, thanks to all of you for your prayers, flowers, cards, and calls. We all feel very loved by you. It is wonderful to have such wonderful friends and family.

God has truly blessed us!!!

Home Sweet Home

We finally made it to Findlay! It took most of the day to get everything lined up: staples removed, IV removed, discharge papers, follow-up appointments made, etc. but it all came together so that we could leave Cleveland at RUSH HOUR - Yeah - not! It was a bit slow going at first but once we got on the turnpike, not bad. We stopped at Panera for some soup and so that Dad could walk around a bit. We arrived at their house just in time for Dad to watch O'Reilly. When I left he was in his favorite chair with his blanket and the TV on.

We are praying that we don't have to go to Cleveland again until the follow-up appointment on the 27th. Thanks again for all the prayers!

Birthday Guy - the Big 70!!

Today is Dad's 70th Birthday! He called early this morning to tell me that they were probably going to let him out of the hospital today. However, as things usually go, the doctors decided to run a couple of more tests and give him a unit of blood just to boost his hemoglobin (which is a bit low) before letting him go home. Also, as is usual, things in a hospital run on their own time schedule. He will most likely be discharged sometime tomorrow. I can't be upset with the doctors though they are very thorough and that makes us all feel better.

I am including some pictures. They were taken from Mom's cellphone and aren't too clear. She also took some with her camera and I may add those later. As you probably will notice Dad has lost some weight and needs a haircut! For those of you not in the Findlay area, I am also including the front page of the Courier's Celebrations insert. The photo on the left is his Senior picture - 1958 Bucyrus High School.

A Slight Set Back

Dad was feeling weak and wasn't sure why. The transplant coordinator suggested that he go across the street to the ER to get checked out. It was determined that he is dehydrated so the docs decided to readmit him for a couple of days to pump him full of fluids. He has already started to feel some better after receiving an IV. So it looks like he won't be coming home on his birthday as planned.

A Rainy Day in Cleveland

Today was really yucky outside here so we hung out in the Guesthouse. This morning we went over for lab work which came back fine. Last night Dad was up and down but from the research I've done about major surgeries (especially heart) that isn't uncommon. Sleep patterns are messed up for awhile.

We just moved from area to area in the Guesthouse to get some walking in. We ordered pizza for supper and ate that in the lobby.

I'm heading back to Findlay tomorrow so I can teach my bible class on Sunday and then I'll come back up to Cleveland on Tuesday for Dad's appointment with the liver surgeon and hopefully drive them home on Wednesday - Dad's 70th birthday.

A New Address

Well we finally sprung him! The docs released Dad to the Guesthouse today. He is currently snoozing in a recliner. He will be in Cleveland at least until Tuesday. The doctors are watching his blood tests results and tweaking his meds so they requested he stay close by until his follow-up appointment with his liver surgeon on Tuesday afternoon.

It has only been two weeks since surgery - so hard to believe that he is out of the hospital! Now he needs to work on getting his

strength back. He will have to go for blood work Fri., Sat, Mon, and Tues. That will involve some walking which should help him get stronger.

We believe God continues to place people in our path to help us. We met a gentleman last night who is 9 months post transplant and he explained the difficulties he had adjusting to the meds. It was a comfort to hear that what Dad is experiencing is pretty normal. He is on prednisone for about another week. We blame it for his grumpiness. He still isn't joking around so that tells you about his mood.

This is the Guesthouse. It is directly across the street from the Main Hospital Entrance. The second floor is dedicated to transplant patients and their families. We have met several other families here and enjoy talking with them.

It's an improvement

Just got a text from Mom. She said Dad did a circle of the whole floor. It is more than he has walked since surgery. He had to stop at a couple of the lounge areas to rest but it is progress. He seems to be in a better mood and is drinking more too. All things the doctor told him he should do.

I pray that he will get a restful nights sleep and wake up even more energetic in the morning.

Thanks for the prayers!

Please Pray

Please Pray for Dad. He has had a couple of bad days. We aren't really sure what is going on. The docs keep ruling out physical causes. He is having some anxiety issues. We are at a loss as to what to do other than pray. He finally got up and walked again today. He hadn't walked for two days except to the bathroom. This is so unlike him.

Thanks again for all the love and support during this stressful time for us.

Monday morning

Today was supposed to be the day Dad would be released from the hospital. We are waiting to hear more from the doctors. There are several groups of surgeons and residents that round. The respiratory therapist said his lungs sound clear. He is up and walking. One of the doctors that stopped in this morning said Dad had a bout of rapid heart rate last night. (Dad said he didn't notice it.) So we are now waiting for the cardiologist to make his rounds to determine if they are still good with Dad being released. If he is released they will stay in Cleveland at the Guesthouse for a couple of days before heading back to Findlay.

A Visit from the Grandsons

Today Dad did well. Not much difficulty with the breathing and he walked much more and with less effort (he lifted up his walker and carried it as he went along).

The guys came to Cleveland to get me and the boys got to see Poppy for the first time since surgery. They thought he was looking good. We gave them a tour of the clinic and got some pizza.

He is getting stronger everyday. He talked with our daughter, Sarah, on Skype for a few minutes. She is in London this semester and was glad to be able to see her Poppy as well. The internet is a wonderful thing in times like these!

Thanks to all those who helped with the boys while I was in Cleveland. I will be updating from here for the next few days until Dad and Mom come home - probably by the middle of next week. Dad's immune system was basically destroyed by meds when he had the surgery to reduce the risk of rejection of the new liver. Because of this he will not be out and about for a while and visits will be very limited. He can't afford to be exposed to germs or get sick.

Here is a picture of the boys at the Rooftop Pavilion.

A Day with +'s and -'s

This has been a day of ups and downs. Mom went to the hospital early to help Dad with getting around. When she arrived he was having one of his "breathing spells". The docs have run several tests and still are convinced that is just a lung congestion issue. He will feel short of breath and start breathing shallow. Once he gets calmed down and can cough he feels better. This morning his blood pressure went low and he felt weak so they adjusted some meds and that seems to have improved.

On the plus side, he has made several trips down the hallway and the physical therapist said that he had improved since she saw him last two days ago.

The respiratory therapist has been giving him breathing treatments today and that is helping the congestion.

All in all each day sees some improvement and the current plan is to release him on Monday. However, they will stay here in Cleveland for a few days just to be sure that the bloodwork is ok and all the meds seem to be at the right dosage.

Amazing stuff: a younger man who had a double lung transplant the same day as Dad's surgery was released today.

Some Pictures

This first picture is of the sunset from one of the patient lounges on Dad's floor - it is looking down Carnegie Street toward the Cleveland Indians stadium. The middle one is taken from the Rooftop Pavilion on the top floor of the Miller Heart Building. It is looking at downtown Cleveland. The one on the right is taken from the same location just looking out at the lake. The Rooftop Pavilion is all glass on one side and is very relaxing. The Clinic hosts tea there several days a week, they also have chair massages and cooking classes. Patients, if they are able, can go pretty much anywhere in the hospital. You see them in the cafeteria, out in the front sitting on benches in the sun, and at the Rooftop Pavilion you can take them for breakfast or lunch. It is really a neat concept - get them out and about if they are up to it - walking with IV poles or in wheelchairs. It gives them a sense of some freedom and seems to improve their mindset.

A Better Day

As I type we are sitting in the lounge at the end of the hallway. Dad is sitting here in the sun. He walked all the way from his room. All the tubes, IVs etc. are removed. He had a little trouble with his lungs but the respiratory therapist put him on breathing treatments and that seems to be taking care of it. The "head liver dude" (as we call him) walked in and said your liver is great - let's work on getting you out of here.

Thanks again for all the prayers - he is steadily improving and we should be heading back home in a short while. We will keep you posted!

P.S. He still won't let me take a picture of him but he got up this afternoon and shaved and washed up. He is lookin' good :)