Kathryn losing ground

[Moneyguy1]

Not such goot news today. THe surgeon, usually upbeat hasn't lost all hope, but says little things are going wrong. Her platelet level is down and one of the Doctors said it may be due to the Heparin so they are changing that out. The positives are the cardiologist says her heart looks strong and the kidney specialist said that the blood in her urine is due to irritation and the efect of the thinners. I do not know what to think at this juncture. How far should they go to maintain her? What should I say if they think the chances are slim to none?

THis is hard....on her on her daughters and on me.

[trekkor]

Don't give up hope. Be patient.

I'm sorry you and your family are in a time of stress.


KT

[Milu]

Trekkor has said it better than I ever could.

Keep telling her you love her.

[Moneyguy1]

Believe me, I do. She is my life, my reason for existing.

[Moses]

Don't lose hope, Bob. Platelet disfunction is reversable. How far should they go in treating your wifes condition? If she is maintaining her vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature, etc.) and she remains alert when not sedated then are dealing with respiratory failure. When the respiratory functions return ALL the rest will improve dramatically.

The question in my mind is what degree of permant respiratory impairment will she have when fully recovered? She may recover completely or have some degree of respiratory compromise that will not improve.

The low platelet complication is common and treatable. The complications we need to avoid are blood clots (thrombosis and embolism) sepsis, pneumonia and cardiac arrest. If these can be avoided she still has an excellent chance for recovery. Don't lose hope.

[450knotOffice]

Agree. Try to be positive. It's much better for your own well-being, and you need to be positive and strong for your wife.

[Moneyguy1]

Moses;

Your help has been inestimable. Like I said, the cardiac MD said her heart looks good but wanted to do an echogram to rule out the chance of damage the ekg does not show. He said not to worry about the atrial "flutter". The "blood" doctor said that a platelet infusion is possible but is waiting to see if the change in thinner has a positive effect. It is the ARDS that has me most concerned. She has maintained BP and pulse in acceptable limits for nearly three days with only temporary assistance. Pulse range 80 to 100 BP about 120/65 pretty darn steady. She is down to 5 infusions whereas a week ago she was on 11.

How long can they maintain a person under these conditions? Is it a function of ecomonics or a function of simply being humane?

[lisa_spyder]

Bob,

I've followed all your threads about your darling beloved Kathryn Mae...

Do not lose hope and try (however hard) to remain patient and optimistic. Kathryn needs to know you are positive.

You must be exhausted; mentally, physically and emotionally. Please ensure you take care of yourself and try to take some time out for you. Even just a leisurely walk on your own.

Prayers and positive thoughts from here are being sent...

Lisa

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Hang in there. It's still three major steps forward and one little one back. The big picture is still positive. Still hopeful for her and you.

[Moneyguy1]

Thanks Lisa..

I would like to thank everyone individually who has sent prayers and good thoughts. I am upbeat; been down a similar road before but it doesn't get any easier. I have a generally positive personality and if things go south, I will make no radical decisions until sufficient time has passed to dull the pain.

[Moses]

Originally posted by Moneyguy1
How long can they maintain a person under these conditions? Is it a function of ecomonics or a function of simply being humane?

Neither. As long as there is a reasonable hope for recovery, everything that can be done for your wife will be done.

[Moneyguy1]

OK.

Therefore: As long as her vitals maintain themselves, they have to continue trying?

[Moses]

Originally posted by Moneyguy1
OK.

Therefore: As long as her vitals maintain themselves, they have to continue trying?

No. Kathryns condition is not like a persistant vegetative state where someone can be maintained for years on life support. Her condition is an extremely dynamic one. Her body has suffered a tremendous injury and is working to get better. The high mortality rates associated with her condition are generally due to some of the severe complications we discussed earlier that can derail recovery. In the absence of any catastrophic complications she should have some degree of recovery.

It's possible but unlikely that her pulmonary function does not recover fully enough to allow living without a ventilator. If that is determined to be the case the medical team will talk to you about whether or not to continue life support. It does not sound like this is the case at all.

When her input/output numbers equilibrate and her sepsis is completely eliminated I expect her lungs to begin to improve. How much I don't know. Based on what I've read here I am still hopeful.

Please remember that I am not an ICU doc and I am no expert on your wifes care. Stay strong Bob. Your family needs you.

[Moneyguy1]

Thanks. I understand that long distance prognosis is difficult. She is far from vegitative and they lighten her sedative occasionally to a point where she can actively interact. My concern was the negatives from the surgeon vs. the relatively upbeat reports from talking to the cardiologist and the blood doctor. Not totally upbeat, but telling me that the conditions are controllable. That gave me pause.

[azasadny]

Bob,
I'm keeping your family in my prayers. Sitautions such as the one you are in right now sure do help us all realize how thankful we should be for our health and the health of our loved ones. Everything else out there is just a distraction from what's really important, as you are experiencing now. Stay strong!!

[tabs]

Never fking give up! Faith is when U put one step in front of the other when ALL is Blackness. Hope is one step in front of the other when there is light at the end of the tunnel.

You have Hope...Life is not without adversity and the same goes for her condition. Talk to her tell her how much you need her, how much you want her back, How much you Love her. Even how much it pains you to see her being ill and how helpless you feel. . That is the truth.

You don't know how much vehemence I feel when I say never fking give up.

[Noah930]

Bob,

A decreased platelet count is just one parameter out of many. Admittedly, a low platelet count is not ideal. Heparin can cause it, as can several other sources. This may be a speedbump on your wife's road to recovery, but most of your other updates have painted a picture of a slowly recovering person. So I wouldn't ignore the preponderance of information you've provided to us, which seems to indicate that things are slowly improving. Not that this might not prove to be a very serious complication, but certainly don't give up hope; if your wife, during her episodes of coherence, indicates she wants the tube out, she definitely hasn't.

[wrecktech]

Originally posted by tabs
Never fking give up! Faith is when U put one step in front of the other when ALL is Blackness. Hope is one step in front of the other when there is light at the end of the tunnel.

You have Hope...Life is not without adversity and the same goes for her condition. Talk to her tell her how much you need her, how much you want her back, How much you Love her. Even how much it pains you to see her being ill and how helpless you feel. . That is the truth.

You don't know how much vehemence I feel when I say never fking give up.

Agree 100% Be with her as much as you can and stay strong for her. Refuse to let her give up. You need to fight for her as much as she fights for herself. My prayers are with the both of you.

[Por_sha911]

Originally posted by Moneyguy1
How far should they go to maintain her? What should I say if they think the chances are slim to none?

Ask yourself "what would she want me to do?" If you do not have an advanced directive on her medical care, then the doctors must keep going until they feel that there is no hope.
I have prayed for you and will continue to do so.

[dtw]

Bob,
I haven't weighed in until now because words have failed. They still do - I can't imagine what you're going through. But, you and Kathryn came up tonight in conversation with my extended family, and our thoughts are with you. Just wanted you to know we're all pulling for both of you. God bless.