Details from Monday

Monday, June 2, 2008

On Monday morning, Judy called the hospital and found out that other emergencies had kept the surgeon from completing the procedure during the night. He had decided to let the original surgeon make the decision to do that or not. The nurse also asked for permission to put in a PICC line—a line that goes through a vein in the arm to the space just above the heart. This allows the medical staff to eliminate most or all of the IVs and to draw blood without needing to stick the patient again. The family provided permission for that.

When Judy arrived at the hospital, Doreen was much more alert than on Saturday or Sunday. She opened her eyes several times and squeezed hands and moved body parts in response to commands. As the family members interacted with her, she communicated yes and no and showed emotion. It was possible to communicate with her in a way that had not been possible for several days, and she seemed like herself again.

This was a day with lots of activity, though. Respiratory students studied her ventilation tubes, nurses inserted the pick line, a portable X-ray machine was brought in to check the position of the line, the neurosurgeon ordered a new CT scan, and friends and family members visited. As she became more conscious, some of the procedures and especially the ventilation tube seemed to bother Doreen more and more. This caused another increase in her heart rate. The medical staff decided that maybe she was TOO alert, so they gave pain medication to help her relax. When she did wake up, though, she continued to show some good alertness.
Carl, Karen, Linda and Judy left the hospital sometime after 10:00 to get some sleep.