11 AM Monday, July 11, 2011

Just when you think its safe to go back in the water..........

We had a very uneventful weekend in terms of news.....until late on Sunday.  Ed was feeling pretty much the same and we watched some movies on Saturday, slept in late and then read the Sunday paper and hung out Sunday just watching TV.  Around 4 PM Ed took a bath and by the time he got his clean PJs on and back in bed, everything started to change.  He got chills and the rigors quite badly.  Couldn't get warm and he was shaking so hard the nurse gave him Demerol to calm it down.  Within 15 minutes the fever started and within 30 minutes his fever was 104.  That's just how quickly these things can happen.  But the team was on it, swarming the room and immediately responding with all the tools.  By 6:30 he was resting comfortably and everything was calm.  Fever was coming down, shaking was gone and he seemed to be back on track.  I left to come home and get ready for work on Monday.

Because his platelet count was at 11 yesterday, they had to give him platelets because the thresshold is 10 WITHOUT a fever but its 20 WITH a fever.   Around 7:30 they gave him platelets and for the first time since he's been getting blood and platelet transfusions for the past 6 months, he had a reaction to the platelets.  He started getting short of breath and felt like he couldn't breathe.  His fever went back up and his blood pressure dropped to 65/45 - very very low.  They had given him a lot of fluids in an effort to bring it back up, but they couldn't get it where they wanted, so the doctor called me around 10 PM and explained everything that had happened and told me they needed to move him to ICU and put him on blood pressure medication, which requires monitoring every 5 minutes.  Because the nursing staff to patient ratio in ICU is 1/1 that's where he needs to be until they can wean him off the BP medication - probably a day or two. 

I threw on my sweats and drove back to UCLA.  Because they aren't sure how long he will be in ICU, he most likely won't go back to the exact same room in the transplant unit, so I had to go and pack up all of our belongings and load the car.  I visited with Ed for a couple of hours and then came home around 3 AM.  The freeways are brutal at night because of the construction and it took me almost an hour and a half to get home!  Yikes.

But I talked with Ed this morning twice already and I'm getting ready to head back down and visit.  He says he feels ok but hasn't slept much.  I can't stay overnight in ICU unless I sleep in one of the visitor waiting rooms, so I'll probably come home later this evening and I'll let you all know how he's doing.  The doctors and nurses tell me not to worry.....that these situations are not uncommon with transplant patients, but staying calm is tough to do.  Trying to take a deep breath with your stomach in your throat is quite a task.  I find myself drawing on the breathing techniques that served me well during four natural childbirths - amazing what we remember and have to draw on when needed!  Thank you Dr. Bradley!

Keep those prayers for Ed going! 

Have a safe and gentle Monday.  Love, Liz