Our First Trip to ER

This is our 2nd full weekend at home since June 23rd and we will use this time to rest. More later.

Joy continues with the ups and downs of recovery, but showing very slow signs of improvement. Shortness of breath with minimal activity, nausea and continued use of oxygen linger on. Her lungs are working at 57% capacity so they have room for improvement but, they will never be 100%. She still has a couple spots on her right lung believed to be remnants of the pneumonia. No bronc or biopsy was deemed necessary since the absence of negative trends. Exercise at rehab is essential to improvement and Joy has be attentive every day except yesterday.

The stomach feeding tube that I have mentioned requires flushing with water four times a day in both ports and I have done that as required. However, on occasion and for whatever reason, this tiny tube decides to plug and then the work begins. It usually requires a nurse from the supplier of the machine and nourishment company to make a house call. On Thursday, my efforts along with her two hours failed so our only option was going to the Emergency Room. We anticipated a long wait and I was prepared with her pill box and insulin test kit, etc. but not prepared for the 15 hour waiting time. We arrived at 3 PM on Thursday and left after 6 AM on Friday morning, just in time to see the sun beginning to rise. Duke Emergency Room also serves the extended community with Life Flight Helicopters and a major Trauma Center and the waiting room is large and probably seats two hundred. It was packed! Finally, after no sleep, nothing to eat for either of us (Joy missed tube feed from 6PM to 8AM which is her normal time) blood sugar levels going down, out of pain and nausea medicine and general discomfort, they unplugged the tube and we went home. Their process is similar to what I do but they use two capsules of an enzyme dissolved in water and it resolves the issue quickly. Joy has required that "kit" twice during hospitalization. It is doubtful, but I am going to try to obtain this med to avoid ER in the future. Guaranteed, it will clog again!

So, once we were home, I hooked up Joy's feeding machine, got her settled and we both slept for a couple hours prior to next scheduled round of meds and insulin. She missed her first day of exercises at the Center for Living since we have been here and I can't blame her. Later in the morning after getting her settled in for a couple hours, I left her alone for the first time since discharge and returned to Duke to finish my last session of presenting the Caregivers Guide. The pool of potential caregivers is increasing and the attendance was good and the quality of my material was well received. A great feeling! Joy did well on her own (well yah, she slept all of the time) and that was a relief.

The 90+ degree weather didn't last long and the 100+ days have continued with sweltering humidity. But I know my Chicago family and friends won't feel sorry for us after enduring the storms and excessive rain and flooding in their areas. Flooding there, drought here.......go figure!

Next up is another scheduled clinic visit Tuesday and also a clinic visit with the doctor that will do the Nissen (stomach wrap surgery). Joy just can't wait to go back into the hospital for surgery and a few days stay. She is just so excited.