Sunday, May 22
When I got to the hospital this morning, I saw that Linda was moved to ICU (third floor) during the night and is intubated. She is not doing well. Aspiration pneumonia is what they told me.
The only person I saw was a doctor who told me what had happened and he said they didn’t know if she was going to live or die! He told me she would be sedated all day so I might as well go home, which of course I didn’t do! I sat beside her bed and rubbed her arms and talked to her. Then I just sat there and read books with my Kindle app until I had to leave at 7:30 p.m.
Her nurse was a woman named Courtney.
Monday, May 23
Linda is still intubated, no changes. My BG is skyrocketing due to the stress.
Today was a better day from my perspective. Did not talk to any doctors. Just 2 RNs, a dietitian, and a respiratory therapist. The dietitian talked to me, asking me about Linda’s typical diet at home.
The main RN (Courtney) was very impressive. It just seemed like she knew what she was doing. I watched while she set up the “liquid nutrition” to go in a feeding tube, directly to Linda’s stomach. She also “woke her up” for a short period, when she opened her eyes and looked around, moved her legs a bit but not her hands. The nurse told me to go ahead and talk to her, even when she seemed to be sleeping because she could hear me even if she couldn’t respond. So I told Linda that I got my bloodwork done at Kaiser this morning, and my 2nd shingles vaccine and a blood pressure check. I told her how much Emily (and I) missed her at home.
At home, I went online to the Honda dealer and made at appointment for an oil change at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Tuesday, May 24
I did not go to Alameda today. I’m at the hospital. No changes from yesterday.
On the main monitor, the top number in green is heart rate. The next number in blue is oxygen saturation which has to be 90 or above. The numbers in purple at the bottom are BP.
I have not talked to any doctors since Sunday. Just RNs and respiratory therapists. However, they both said their goal is to get her breathing on her own without intubation. She was awake several hours today and her numbers were good EXCEPT for high blood pressure.
Linda was awake most of the afternoon. She did NOT want me to leave, so I stayed as long as I could (7:45 p.m.). I told her I had an appointment tomorrow morning for an oil change at Honda, and she kept shaking her head. I thought she didn’t want me to get the oil change but I couldn’t figure out why. She couldn’t tell me, of course, because she was still intubated.
Wednesday, May 25
I took Emily with me to the Honda dealer for my oil change appointment at 8:30 a.m. It was supposed to be ready by 11:30 but a technician came out and told me they had to repeat the alignment because they didn’t count on the weight in the back of the van (the scooter). I walked Emily outside then we waited the rest of the time in the customer waiting room with Emily on my lap while I drank my own coffee and watched the TV. It was hard to take Emily back into the house and leave her for the afternoon, but I had to.
They took Linda off the ventilator today and are trying to get her to breathe on her own. Even though her O2 numbers are good (over 90), she said she feels like she is struggling to just get a breath. Also, the RLS has come back. Also, she still has pneumonia.
She told me later that today she was very close to just giving up and dying. Then she thought about her two boys, Will and Steve, and decided she couldn’t do that to them.
She said a nurse named Brian came in and told her how much I loved her, that I had stayed with her every minute that I was there. She didn’t remember him from when he was caring for her, but she remembered he had a red beard like Will.
Her nurse today (the first one she remembers) was a Muslim named Laila and Linda really liked her. Later, a man named Bill whose ID badge read SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE came in to talk to her. His speech was gentle and caring and Linda allowed him to pray for her, something she wouldn’t ordinarily do. She said she could sense a strong faith in both Bill and Laila. She does not remember nurse Courtney from Monday and Tuesday, though she does remember RN John who she did not like.
Thursday, May 26
They moved Linda from ICU to a regular room. She’s still on oxygen.
This was on Linda’s care plan for last night. Apparently she was talking about Emily a lot,
