Was THAT the Other Shoe?

It has officially been Tuesday for almost two hours. No...I am not sleeping. Everyone keeps telling me that I should be getting my rest, but from where I sit....that is much easier said than done.  The fact is that since a week ago Monday....I have probably logged only about 5-6 hours of sleep.....total! Yeah...I am surviving on adrenaline and fear. Every time I think that this will be the time I can sleep....either monitors go off and a steady stream of nurses come in or David is just too sick for me to take my eyes off of him. The result of no sleep is sending the wrong text messages to the wrong person....getting off elevators on the wrong floor.....and trying to talk to doctors only to sound like Daffy Ducks speech impeded sister. The fact is that I am TIRED! The last time I was this tired was when Z was a baby and had colic. I don't think I actually slept for about 3 weeks. Of course I was much younger back then. Yep....sleepless nights are for the much younger crowd!

Well...apparently leaving St. Louis yesterday was little more than a pipe dream. No...it was obviously another God thing. I have to keep remembering that He is in charge....not me! In my defense though....I am too tired to remember much of anything. At any rate...the plan was to fly out Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. and be touching down in Wichita at 12:30 p.m. However...there was no plane availability and David was still running fever. The doctor came in and told me that David would not be leaving until he was 24 hours without fever. Since his surgery....he hasn't even been 24 minutes without a fever so our going anywhere in the near future doesn't look like it is going to happen.

David saw Dr. Keeler today and she surprised me and made me very happy. David was not casted like we first thought he might be. His bones were hard enough that his legs were wrapped with ace bandages and then splints were put over them. The splints go from thigh to mid calf. Then he has a blue foam wedge that goes between his legs that fits snugly at the crotch and then on either side his legs they are tightly velcroed in place so that his legs and hips are supported. Since surgery everything has stayed in place with these contraptions and in bed, pillows are placed under his feet to keep them propped so they won't swell. The foot part of the bed is then raised for even greater elevation. When Dr. Keeler came in she started disassembling him. First she pulled out the blue foam support and then she took off the splints. David winced but never whimpered or struck out. She then removed the ace bandages to show two knees...each with steri strips protecting sutures from the recent surgery. The strips were clean and there was no swelling, bruising or discoloration of any kind at the knees. They were beautiful and best of all...they didn't turn in. She said we could leave them completely uncovered and only wear the splints at night, but David immediately started trying to pick the steri-strips. Needless to say they had to be recovered and splinted. The splints will have to be worn at night for 12 weeks and if we don't want to....we don't have to use the blue foam any more at all. I however opt for using the blue foam when I am changing him or turning him as it gives his legs more stability and he seems to be much more comfortable during those processes. She then said to she wanted him up and in a wheelchair immediately.

I found that with the light weight splints, I myself can easily move David from bed to chair with no problem. Once in the chair we lift the legs....add pillows and we are good to go. I took him out to the 8th floor Rooftop Garden. I was told that it was donated by the Olson Twins several years ago as a philanthropic gesture which they bestowed on several hospitals throughout the country. The garden was beautiful and welcoming and David seemed to enjoy himself with no recognizable pain. We had a really nice time.

Once back in the room though...what I had feared....started to manifest itself. The other shoe seemed to be dropping. In the morning, David's lower temp seemed to be ever so slightly climbing. So did his heart rate. I was watching it creep from the low 100's to the 120's and gradually make its way into the 130's. I was beginning to get concerned. By early evening he was burning up and his heart rate was staying consistently between 155 and 165. Things just weren't right and I was getting concerned. Knowing that the doctors and nurses were also concerned....concerned me further.

The day however had not been all bad. Earlier in the day the Shriners Family Service Coordinator had called me to let me know that we had been turned down for a hospital bed. You gotta love insurance and red tape. It was just another hurdle in this long distance run I was doing. As I always seem to do right now....I vented on facebook. I actually vented and ran, as our room had a steady line of doctors and nurses making rounds and asking questions, not too mention my phone was ringing off the hook with more questions trying to get things lined out for us to "someday" go home. When I got back to facebook and was actually able to check phone messages (this hospital does bad things to my phone) I was amazed to find out that those who loved David had stepped into action. It was decided that insurance or not David "would" have a hospital bed. I had people searching Craigslist and others trying to go through medical supply houses and still others willing to take on the insurance company for me. I was so tired and so overwhelmed I didn't know what to think. It was beyond anything I had ever imagined. Wichita Shriners were watching and reading too. Before I knew it....the Midian Shrine in Wichita was on the phone to me....telling me that David would definitely be going home to a hospital bed. They were just working out the details. They were even one step ahead of me making sure that the bed would have sheets and pads. It was a done deal! End of story! I was in awe of all those who had jumped in and were willing to pull strings and even fight the insurance companies to ensure Davids bed. I can never thank these wonderful people enough. Especially since the fight is all but gone from me. I have the worlds best friends and again....David and I are beyond blessed. As far as the Shriners go.....there are simply no words. For a group that a year ago I thought only walked in parades....they have turned our lives into a whole new world. I will forever be grateful for all they have done for us and for all they continue to do. I am sure I would have better expression if I weren't so tired...but let me just say that "thanks" will never be enough for all they have done.

By about 10 p.m. last night...I was starting to get extremely worried. Visions of another Friday were tormenting me and honestly I was not sure I could go through that again. David's temp continued to climb and then he had a seizure. I held my breath....afraid that his temp was climbing to the point that he might go into a full blown febrile seizure. Thankfully after about 30 seconds he was coming out of it. It was at this point that I began frantically trying to piece together the last week. Friday we found out that David's body had neither recouped the fluid or blood it lost during surgery which was causing high heart rate and contributing to the fever. He of course did have pneumonia but the compromised state of his post surgical body gave the infection a fertile breeding ground. Looking at David's face, his lethargy and adding in the heart rate and fever...I couldn't help but wonder if he was needing more fluid. Yes he was drinking but it was going through him like a sieve. Perhaps his body was not retaining the fluid it needed. I discussed it with the nurse who in turn must have discussed it with the doctor. He too decided that it might be worth checking out....so a bolus (a large amount put into the body by IV quicker than normal). Within just a few minutes of starting the fluid I began to see both his temp and his heart rate go down. After everything was down to within normal range....he was given tylenol for pain and he was off to sleep. I think he slept more peacefully than I have seen him since before surgery.

Is this the culprit? Dehydration? I don't know. I hope so. I would like to see my home again before summer. He has eaten this morning and he is now watching Spongebob and his heart rate is around the 120's and 130's (not quite as good as the 80's I was seeing earlier), but then again he is awake now. We have a big day today. We both need to get cleaned up. I am back to smelling again. He needs to be in the wheelchair and I need to get laundry done...so he and I will do it together. We will be seeing ortho and infectious medicine again and hopefully if they both like what they see....we will be going home Thursday. If not....we will be staying at "hotel" Children's for a few more days. Whatever the situation....I do not care as long as David is happy, well and healthy when we head back to Kansas.