8 Days in the Hospital

I didn't mean to leave everyone hanging over Kyle's condition. I have been focusing on making sure Kyle recovered from the last procedure. Anyway, Kyle is doing well. As a matter-of-fact he played poker at a party last night with all adults and ended up tying the game with a elder! :)

Seriously though, his 8 days in the PICU had many setbacks. His pneumothorax condition caused him a lot of pain and he was on major meds for 7 of those 8 days.

THE FIRST NIGHT IN THE HOSPITAL


I didn't leave Kyle's side the moment I first saw him. I wanted Kyle to wake out of his drug-induced stupor so I could talk with him. I was waiting to find out if Kyle was okay mentally. Finally, he awoke. I told him something bad happened while he was in surgery and the doctors had to give him a endotracheal tube. I told him he couldn't speak while the tube was in his trachea. He motioned for paper and a pen. The nurses brought us a clipboard and a pen. He started writing, "This sucks." "I told you this would happen." "Am I going to die?"

His pain was out-of-control. I was hoping the doctors and nurses would keep Kyle asleep for the first night with meds because he was so uncomfortable. For those of you who have been given morphine for pain knows that it doesn't last very long. It works fast but short lived and they were only giving him a shot of morphine once an hour. He didn't rest at all the first night.

THE NEXT DAY

The next day the doctor believed Kyle was breathing on his own well enough so the trachea tube could be removed. They told us he would have to go into the OR to have it removed just in case anything happened. I told them they will remove it with me there. They told me I couldn't go in to OR so they decided to remove it in the PICU. They had to bring a lot of equipment to his room, but who cares. I held Kyle's hand the entire time. Kyle was scared it was going to hurt but luckily it went quickly without any major issues. Kyle immediately started to cough and spit mucus and then he spoke, "this sucks!" Everyone laughed and you could feel the tension in the room lift.

That same day, the orders came in to remove Kyle from the IV. What? Why would they do that? I was so mad because it was way too soon. He's still sick. Major air and fluid was still leaking from his lung through his chest tube.

Two days later they realized he still needed the IV.

V-TACH

(ventricular tachycardia: life threatening arrhythmia where the heart beats too quickly)

On May 10th, Kyle had a v-tach. His heart rate was already extremely high the entire time he was in the hospital but on May 10th his monitor went off on high alert and a team of nurses and one doctor immediately rushed to his bedside. They ended up doing an EKG on him and put him back on the IV.

We are still monitoring his heart rate at home, and it remains to stay high. The cardiologist doesn't know what to make of it yet.

MAKING WAVES  - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

On May 11th, Kyle doesn't look good. I made everyone in the PICU know I was angry. Kyle was so pale, weak, and somewhat out of touch with everything.

My husband insisted to speak with the anesthetist to find out exactly what happened in the OR on May 8th. The PICU Nurse Manager setup a private meeting for us.

I then insisted Kyle needed meds to control his pain and I told the doctor no more morphine because Kyle doesn't want it. So they gave him Tylenol with Codeine and Toradol (which worked beautifully). I also insisted to give Kyle respiratory care because he was having a hard time breathing and I didn't allow his nurse do the hourly checks on him if he was alseep because he NEEDED the rest. Then we brought in food from a restuarant nearby for Kyle because he wasn't eating the hospital food.

Before the night was over, Kyle was smiling, eating, and his pain was in control!!

GOING HOME

Kyle didn't get to go home until May 15th. From May 11th to May 15th he did well but he had to stay in the PICU just to heal. He was getting x-rays three to four times a day. The neurosurgeons had to make sure his implant was ok and the lung surgeon had to make sure Kyle's lung was healing. The orders came in to stop the suction of the chest tube and do a water seal on May 13th. Then they monitored the x-rays to see how much air was leaking and if Kyle's body would push the air out the chest tube without the suction. The chest tube got removed on May 14th. His x-ray was relatively clear on May 15th. He was clear to go home!!