Watched Closely

Fred is still in SICU and the “A” Team is still watching him closely.  His kidneys took a hit, which we were warned could happen.  His creatinine levels keep going up, so the team keeps changing things up, trying to avoid dialysis … but at this point, not completely ruling it out.   They had him on fluids, then stopped the IV and have added diuretics to increase urine production.  That seems to be working but I don’t know, yet,  if it has helped his numbers.  He also has a really low platelet count and is currently receiving a platelet transfusion AND his glucose has been rising.  He  is teetering on the threshold of needing insulin.  (He is at 150 and they have orders to give him insulin at 151.)  Hang in there, baby!

The back is still a problem.  I have tried massaging and supporting him in a side-lying position with pillows.  Every new position provides relief for precisely 10 minutes.  They have also added a muscle relaxant to Fred’s cocktail and he has at least managed to snooze a half hour here and there. 

It is a challenge, but he is doing GREAT with his breathing exercises and has already taken three walks -- each longer than the other -- and both  3x (or more) as far as he went yesterday.  In the midst of the pain and challenges, he still manages to crack everyone up. 

I took this quick video while he was on his third power walk and doing just that -- making people laugh.  I had to shut it down before he caught on.

His NG tube has been removed and he has happily downed water (instead of ice chips) and two “delicious” banana popsicles.  And you know he has been on a low sodium diet too long when he can just take a look at the chicken broth and say “I can’t have that!  It is going to have too much sodium for me!” 

They transplant team has cleared him to leave the SICU and move to the solid organ transplant war as soon as a bed is available.  I am not sure when exactly that is supposed to be, but I know it is progress!

Go Fred!

In between hanging with Fred, I have been working the apartment thing.  We had put in an application on Sunday, but I got a call while Fred was in surgery that the Month-to-Month they quoted was inaccurate because the furniture rental charged a HUGE premium.  Like $1200 more a month than we wanted to spend.  We were being asked to lock into a 3-month lease to pay less, but that was now also quoting higher than when we submitted the app, and we are hoping to only make this a 2-month gig.  I made some calls yesterday and discovered we needed to be further away and in an area with less places to walk around during recovery to get it down lower.  I set up a 1:00 meeting with the agent to try and reduce the furniture (get less for same price).  I was looking at cancelling this meeting if I wanted to talk to the team when they made 1:00pm rounds, but instead, I heard from a gal that our 45 Madison leasing manager had referred me to. (Thank you, Amy!)  She emailed me about an upcoming opening for a reasonable price in an area we want and it is all inclusive.  We don’t have to set up any cable, electric, etc.

Now the crunch is to get the apartment ready by Friday, when my hotel reservation is up.  I have been forced to become the Queen of Plan “B."