Today wasn't so much as a setback as it was a stall in the steady progress of the last several days. It can best be described as one of great frustration for Shirley, who has so much she wants to say, but is so limited in her communication abilities. My lip reading remains poor, although I'm getting better. She filled two pages with brief notes, but her hands are shaking from some of the meds, so handwriting is not easy.
And there were some signs that delusion may be returning to some degree. She didn't pass her morning "CAM" exam, which is an indicator of her mental state. And this afternoon, she told me she wanted me to take her to the hospital because she was having trouble breathing. The staff attributes this to sleep deprivation and tonight she was given a sedative to help her sleep about 8:00 pm and by 8:30 she was sound asleep. I pray that she gets a good nights rest and is back on top of her game tomorrow.
We received word that on Monday, we will have a conference with the teams looking after her to discuss what lies after the ICU and what we need to get there. The meeting will involve doctors from the Surgical ICU unit; General Surgery; Nephrology and Pulmonary/Lung Transplant; as well as the Palliative Care Team and a Social Worker. Hopefully this will provide some of clarity on what we can expect in the coming weeks.
1 comment:
Thank you so much, Greg, for giving us the gift of this blog. I want you to know how much it is appreciated. Shirley is so important to us. Thank you so much for the wonderful love and care you are giving her. I hang on your every word, and anxiously await new entries. We send our love to you and Shirley and the army of helpers. Barb and Marcella
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