Christy Update

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Rhonda - 24 Nov 2006 03:30 GMT

I hope Christy won't mind me posting this -- I'm hoping not because she
gave the website address to all of us.

Someone, it looks like a sister, is posting daily updates on her
progress and some of the info about the surgery. I'm posting today's
entry but there are more updates here:
http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=kilikini

I feel so bad for her. I hope they can work out her pain medication. I
know how much of a difference that can make in your attitude, which in
turn affects your recovery. -Rhonda

-----------------------------------------------------------

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2006 12:58 PM, CST
Yesterday's recap from Christy's sister, Carrie:

Yesterday was kind of difficult in more ways than one. First of all,
they have found that the Morphine that she administers herself gives her
an immediate fever (up to 101) and gives her flu like symptoms which
makes her feel miserable. They have determined that it is not an
allergic reaction, that's just the way her body reacts. But this also
makes her reluctant to 'push the button' so she ends up feeling more
pain than she should.

All of this and family dyamics didn't make for great visits with her
yesterday. . .but poor Allan needed a break! So he was able to get away
for a couple of hours yesterday.

The doctor was going to see her early this morning and maybe they'd
determine a different pain killer would be better? Also heard that all 4
of her drains may come out before she leaves (whenever that is).

The good news is she put her own hair up in a pony tail yesterday. I
don't think they have had Allan's phone on. .. Chris has been in too
much pain to talk and she also needs rest which is hard to come by. We
will see how she is this morning. . .hopefully they will get her up
walking today. . .well, I think it is a must according to the nurses. .
.they don't want pnuemonia to set in.

Carrie's report after speaking with Christy this morning:

She is apparently undergoing careful watch and testing today. . .some
fear of infection and possible Gortex patch rejection (don't really know
if the doctor said this or this is her opinion). They are also going to
find a different pain killer for her.

In any case she was not in a good mood and the purpose of her calling us
today was to tell us a visit with her today would be useless because
there will be too much going on. they still want her to get up and walk.
So we are going to keep ourselves busy today and maybe go over to the
hospital later today. ..tonight and at least talk to Allan.

We leave tomorrow and I hope things look brighter by then otherwise it
is going to be hard to leave. We will keep you posted. . .

Reply to this Message

mlbriggs - 24 Nov 2006 06:18 GMT

> I hope Christy won't mind me posting this -- I'm hoping not because she
> gave the website address to all of us.
[quoted text clipped - 51 lines]
> We leave tomorrow and I hope things look brighter by then otherwise it
> is going to be hard to leave. We will keep you posted. . .

Still purring for Christy. The first three days are the worst. After
five days she should be much improved. MLB

Reply to this Message

Rhonda - 24 Nov 2006 06:49 GMT

> Still purring for Christy. The first three days are the worst.
> After five days she should be much improved. MLB

I hope you're right. It didn't go that way for my sig. other. They went
in through his rib cage -- don't know if they spread kili's ribs or
broke the sternum. He too had reactions to pain medications and it was a
tough road for a few months (I have to color my hair now.)

I hope kili feels better quickly.

Rhonda

Reply to this Message

polonca12000 - 22 Dec 2006 19:51 GMT

<snip>

>>In any case she was not in a good mood and the purpose of her calling us
>>today was to tell us a visit with her today would be useless because
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Still purring for Christy. The first three days are the worst. After
> five days she should be much improved. MLB

We think of Christy often, always sending lots and lots of purrs and
best wishes,
Polonca and Soncek

Reply to this Message

badwilson - 24 Nov 2006 11:30 GMT

Many purrs for Christy on her road to recovery.

Signature

Britta
Purring is an automatic safety valve device for dealing with happiness
overflow.
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

> I hope Christy won't mind me posting this -- I'm hoping not because
> she gave the website address to all of us.
[quoted text clipped - 51 lines]
> We leave tomorrow and I hope things look brighter by then otherwise it
> is going to be hard to leave. We will keep you posted. . .

Reply to this Message

Enfilade - 24 Nov 2006 12:15 GMT

> Many purrs for Christy on her road to recovery.

Purrs indeed.

My grandmother was allergic to anasthetics. It caused hallucinogenic
reactions. Imagine someone waking up after surgery, climbing out the
window and down the fire escape and walking home through the
fields...because she'd had an anasthetic-induced hallucination that she
was being held in jail by Russians, and therefore took it upon herself
to "escape" the hospital and go home to hide from them.

The doctors had to tell my grandfather that grandma was MISSING.
Again, a surgery patient--with no prior history of any mental
illnesses--who shouldn't even be able to stand up, is just gone. He
was driving to the hospital to try to figure out what was happening
when he saw her in the fields.

And since they won't let you have surgery while conscious...every
subsequent surgery they were prepared for more of the same.

--Fil

Reply to this Message

Karen - 24 Nov 2006 16:19 GMT

Continued prayers for Christy in her recovery. I feel so very bad for her.

> I hope Christy won't mind me posting this -- I'm hoping not because she
> gave the website address to all of us.
>
> Someone, it looks like a sister, is posting daily updates on her
> progress and some of the info about the surgery. I'm posting today's
> entry but there are more updates here:

http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=kilikini

> I feel so bad for her. I hope they can work out her pain medication. I
> know how much of a difference that can make in your attitude, which in
[quoted text clipped - 43 lines]
> We leave tomorrow and I hope things look brighter by then otherwise it
> is going to be hard to leave. We will keep you posted. . .

Reply to this Message

Christina Websell - 24 Nov 2006 19:30 GMT

>I hope Christy won't mind me posting this -- I'm hoping not because she
>gave the website address to all of us.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> know how much of a difference that can make in your attitude, which in
> turn affects your recovery. -Rhonda

Effective pain medication is essential after a major operation. It seems
that the doctors in the USA have done no better for Christy than they did
for me in Britain. It's shameful in both countries for docs to say "we'll
review your pain meds tomorrow."
I'd like those docs to experience the night before, themselves. Just once -
lying awake 8 hours in agony, they'd never forget it if they lived to be 90.

Tweed

Reply to this Message

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net - 24 Nov 2006 21:33 GMT

> Effective pain medication is essential after a major operation. It seems
> that the doctors in the USA have done no better for Christy than they did
> for me in Britain. It's shameful in both countries for docs to say "we'll
> review your pain meds tomorrow."
> I'd like those docs to experience the night before, themselves. Just once -
> lying awake 8 hours in agony, they'd never forget it if they lived to be 90.

I agree! I felt the same way when I read that. "In the morning"?? When
you're in agony, that might as well be next year. Every minute is torture.

Joyce

Reply to this Message

John F. Eldredge - 24 Nov 2006 22:01 GMT

> > Effective pain medication is essential after a major operation. It seems
> > that the doctors in the USA have done no better for Christy than they did
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>I agree! I felt the same way when I read that. "In the morning"?? When
>you're in agony, that might as well be next year. Every minute is torture.

Even a relatively-minor procedure needs pain control at times.

I have had perhaps a dozen heart catheterizations, although
fortunately not all of them turned out to need having a stent
implanted. Afterwards, you have to lie completely still on your back
for six hours, in order to give the site where the tube had been stuck
into your femoral artery time to clot up thoroughly. For me, at
least, this invariably produces a major backache. The pain
medications have generally been a one-time morphine shot, followed at
intervals by Tylenol tablets. On one occasion, however, it was three
hours or so before I could get them to give me any pain-killers. The
pain made me sweat heavily, which in turn led to me catching a nasty
antibiotic-resistant fungal skin infection which took about six weeks,
and three different antibiotics, to get rid of.

Signature

John F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com
PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu
"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better
than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria

Reply to this Message