Update

Jen is unfortunately sick again, her stomach is very painful. This seems to be the normal cycle, a week or so of feeling 'O.K.' followed by 1-2 weeks of nausea.

I am trying to see what the next move is and when that is going to happen.

I apologize for the lack of quality and frequency with the blog, this has been a really hard couple of weeks for many reasons.

Low sugar

Well the hospital strikes again, apparently Jen had a blood sugar of 17mg/dL at 5 a.m. this morning. I have talked with her doctor to get them to set a different regimen...maybe test her blood sugar more frequently or something, or am I talking out of my ass here? It's one thing to have low blood sugar, but 17mg/dL is just a bit excessive I think. Her nurses probably think she's just doing it to get attention.

Ugh.

And all this after she's had such a great couple of weeks. I hope that this is just a minor abberation and she feels better quickly.

Can someone please tell me exactly what god/goddess/cat/statue/turnip we pissed off so I can make amends?

Surgery

Jen went under the knife this morning to create a fistula for dialysis. She is doing fine, in pain but recovering nicely.

This access should allow easier access for dialysis, and reduced chance of infection. It allows her to lead a more normal routine when she comes home, without worrying about having tubes and an open port in her chest.

Overall she has been better in the past couple of days than in any that I can recall for the last 7 months. I am very hopeful that she is on the road to coming home soon. Once she is finished with the current IV antibiotic regime she will be assessed for just that.

If she continues to improve then the next steps will probably be surgical. Among the surgeries still being looked into are the gastric pacemaker, gastric bypass, and/or heart surgery to remove the fungal infection.

Another general update...

Photo: A visual representation of my state of mind at present.

Jen is getting a fistula added to her arm for dialysis, it's less prone to infection than the one she has now. If I understand correctly she can shower and do usual things with this as opposed to the chest port she has now.

Jen is doing OK still, she pulled out her PICC line Friday, probably in her sleep so she needs another one put in on Monday.

Weee

Jen's doing OK, last night she got on the exercise bike for about 10 minutes! A simple event made spectacular...it gives me hope.

General update

Photo: The outside world can be a tad overwhelming to those kept away from it...

...So this entry more or less marks Jen's 7th month in Kaiser. While she has had a lot of downs in the 7 months, she does appear to have become stabilized over the past couple of months. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much anyone can do for her constant nausea yet, there will probably have to be a surgical option for that once she is strong enough. She is currently on a round-the-clock dosage of Phenergan, and her doc is setting up acupuncture for her to try out.

The fungal infection in her heart has stayed the same size which is good, at least the treatment is keeping it dormant. The problem is that it can not be removed in any way other than via surgery...which is very risky given her fragile state.

Other than that she has been given an exercise bike so that she can fight off osteoporosis...she's been too sick to use it yet though.

Her doc thinks that she may be able to come home if she remains stable and off of IV medication. Right now she is on an IV antibiotic and also uses Dilaudid and Phenergan via IV for 'break-through'.

I have mixed feelings about her coming home. I want her to be home more than anything, but I'm afraid to leave her alone for hours while I'm at work...I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

...for the kids

Update

Photo: Taken of me after Mini charged my bank account $1300 for a brake job.

Jen is doind pretty well, she's eating sporadically and seems to be stronger and more alert. She has developed a nasty cough which seemingly seems to have come out of nowhere...

No new news...

Happy Hallmar...Valentine's day

Take care of each other today. And if you don't have anyone at the moment adopt a rescued animal...it's better than dating and way less expensive.

Updates

Photo: Badger badger badger badger badger...
Jen is doing OK, currently combating a week-long bout of nausea. Jen's doctor told me today that he's increased the dosage of Marinol to combat her nausea, and is ordering an exercise bike for her since she can't walk outside the room. He has ordered a follow-up echo cardiogram for this week to gauge the size of the growth in her heart. Overall he is optimistic that her condition is improving slowly. I have noticed an overall improvement as well.