It's like October never happened - and honestly, I wish it hadn't.
We just got back from a wonderful trip to Jamie and Eric's in Pennsylvania and on out to New Jersey/New York. We had a great time. Andy invited us out to New York to celebrate his engagement to his soon to be bride, Kim Cannington. At first, I thought there was no way. But since we had already planned a trip to visit Jamie & Eric, this was actually a possibility. Since New York City is only four hours from them, they offered to drive us out there. So we got to join in on their celebration. Rob even got to join us, flying in from a trip to London.
While we were out east, I developed a horrible cold. And on the way home, we drove especially hard so I could get some rest. Little did we know that 36 hours after getting home, Daryl's health would turn to emergency status and we were in for an October we'd like to forget:
In a nutshell, Daryl had walking pneumonia - and had for some time, according to tests they ran on him. Because of this, his lungs were getting weaker, along with his breathing. His breath was getting more and more shallow, which made his oxygen level bottom out and his CO2 level go sky high. He went into respiratory distress. I didn't know that's what was happening at the time I called 911 at 4:00 a.m. October 5, but, I did know he was not breathing when they took him away in the ambulance. The hospital emergency staff believed he had a heart attack, that half of his heart was damaged and as he flew away by helicoptor, they told me he probably wouldn't make it. I was in disbelief.
After riding to the hospital in Sioux City with friends Jim and Pat Johansen, I learned that respiratory distress can look and act like a heart attack. And this is what Daryl had. He had tubes coming out of him and was unconscious, heavily sedated. I was told he also had pneumonia. So for two days, we waited for Daryl to wake up and start getting better. They took out the tubes, he began interacting, responding and smiling. He was joking with the nurses from Nebraska about the Huskers.
They moved him to the medical floor and we were excited. Talk was about him going home in three days. Then I began to see it happening again - he was getting sleepy again, less respondent.. And I got a phone call that next morning at 3 a.m., asking me if I wanted them to resuscitate Daryl or do "comfort care". How on earth was I supposed to respond to that? After waking the kids, we said resuscitate him, of course. And when we got to the hospital, there he was again, back in ICU and unconscious with tubes helping him breathe: respiratory distress again.
Again, it took Daryl a couple of days to come back to us and then we had some hard choices to make. One was for him to get a tracheostomy and another was to use a ventilator. He hates the trach; it's obvious and ugly, but it's allowing him to be on a ventilator at night to give his lungs a chance to rest. That's how he got over pneumonia and how his lungs will strengthen.
He was definitely not the average or normal ICU patient. He was always going to the cafeteria, on a walk or sitting in the sunshine outside the hospital. Rob and I brought his putting green and he made a few putts in the waiting room. One of the nurses said it was a first for ICU to have a putter up there. And then when I stayed in his room a couple of nights to take total care of him on our home equipment, we definitely weren't the typical ICU guests!
So after 26 days, we arrived home October 31st. Daryl's doing really well. In fact, I would say he's back to where he was three or four months ago, only with a trach, which we hope to get out soon. We're working on developing a routine of good feedings, trach and vent care - and IV's (they're helping!). I am definitely going to be an acute skills nurse - maybe not on paper, but definitely hands on, in-the-trenches trained! One of my concerns is to be able to get away for a few hours or even overnight. Hopefully I can find someone to help me in that capacity. And to get a good night's sleep myself. Ventilator alarms go off in the night and I have to monitor and turn them off.
I am blessed multiple times daily by all my kids - they help me care for Daryl, call and encourage me, suggest ways to keep my sanity and figure out how to keep our life as normal as possible. I am also blessed with dear family and friends who visit, encourage, sing and pray for us, brought and continue to bring me delicious food, provide clothing, do my laundry, fill my birdfeeders, run errands, care for my luvins, water my plants, help me get organzied, pick up our mail, do yard work and send encouraging emails and cards. I am humbled by all of this and thank everyone so much. It's all helping keep me strong. It's times like these when we find out what we're made of. I am thankful I have Mom's blood in me. How I wish she were here.
Sorry this is long - I guess it's a month's worth of information. Pray for us as we get back on track - and as always, please never stop praying for healing. God does answer prayers and he is the master Healer. I also pray I keep my sense of humor: it, along with my luvins - and a good cup of coffee, keeps me sane.
Blessings, love and with much gratitude, Robin
