Karl has been off his antibiotics for almost 24 hours. Doctors hoped this would cause his fever to spike in order to take more cultures. Oddly enough, his fever is going down! So now they think he may have been having a reaction to the antibiotics. He is miserable with a rash caused by the drugs and didn't sleep well last night. Mom is hoping he can rest today as the antibiotics continue to leave his body and his rash goes away.
His creatinine level is still 4.0 and his blood pressure is a bit on low side, but they're thinking once the antibiotics leave his body, those measures will level off and he'll feel better. We're praying this is the change in direction he needs to start recovering enough to get home.
Continued blessings,
Kerry
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Culture shock
I spoke with Karl first thing this morning (7:30 a.m. Hawaii time). He sounded exhausted. He told me his back was very sore where they drained the fluid from his lungs. They've been giving him pain medication and a sleeping aid because they want him to rest.
Mom called later with news from one of the physicians on Karl's case. All the cultures -- and there are many -- came back negative. They cannot pinpoint what's causing the infection and his white cell count is normal. Therefore, they are taking him off all the antibiotics he's currently on and will wait for his fever to spike again. Then they'll take more cultures and proceed from there. They think the antibiotics are not killing the infection, but are doing a good enough job to mask the source. Right now Karl is developing a rash from one of the antibiotics so he's itchy and miserable. At least he'll get a little relief from that. They promised they'd get to the bottom of it, but they said it would take a day before the antibiotics were flushed out of his system so that his fever could spike.
Karl is pretty depressed and the thought of having to spend more time on a bed of ice isn't exactly a pleasant thought. Of course he makes fun of the situation and tells everyone they'd put him on ice if his temperature was 98.7. His blood pressure is running steady, but there was a faux pas in my last post about his kidney creatinine level -- it continues to remain higher than normal at 4.0.
Thank you for checking up on Karl. We all appreciate your prayers and kind thoughts.
Kerry
Mom called later with news from one of the physicians on Karl's case. All the cultures -- and there are many -- came back negative. They cannot pinpoint what's causing the infection and his white cell count is normal. Therefore, they are taking him off all the antibiotics he's currently on and will wait for his fever to spike again. Then they'll take more cultures and proceed from there. They think the antibiotics are not killing the infection, but are doing a good enough job to mask the source. Right now Karl is developing a rash from one of the antibiotics so he's itchy and miserable. At least he'll get a little relief from that. They promised they'd get to the bottom of it, but they said it would take a day before the antibiotics were flushed out of his system so that his fever could spike.
Karl is pretty depressed and the thought of having to spend more time on a bed of ice isn't exactly a pleasant thought. Of course he makes fun of the situation and tells everyone they'd put him on ice if his temperature was 98.7. His blood pressure is running steady, but there was a faux pas in my last post about his kidney creatinine level -- it continues to remain higher than normal at 4.0.
Thank you for checking up on Karl. We all appreciate your prayers and kind thoughts.
Kerry
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Just chillin' -- literally
I'm sorry I haven't given an update lately; I've been out of town. But Karl has sure been through the ringer and can really use a prayer booster shot.
On Friday Karl's creatinine levels stayed around 4 and his blood pressure was still 75/40. His kidneys were working okay and Karl was comfortable and cutting up on the phone with me and with medical personnel. They did a CT scan on his body but could not pinpoint a specific source of infection. There was fluid build-up around his lungs, but doctors thought maybe that it was due more from all the fluid they had been giving him intraveneously rather than the pneumonia. They ruled out that the infection was due to the port in his chest. Karl slept most of the day.
On Saturday Karl began running a fever. It spiked to 103.8 which is when they decided to put him on a bed of ice to bring down his fever. 'Doctors said the infection had gone septic again. To try to remedy that, they gave him a watered-down version of the vancomycin that caused him to have Red Man's Syndrome in Mayo Clinic. Remember that? They also infused it slower, thinking that would allow his body to accept it without any issues. Mom reported that within 5 minutes of infusion, his skin started getting blotchy and he began itching. Needless to say, they dicontinued the vanco immediately and told him, if asked, to say that he's very allergic to it. Karl was kept on ice most of the night because his fever was still elevated. Mom said she said a prayer over him and he woke up long enough to grab her hand as she was doing so. I talked to him about 1 a.m. EDT; he seemed in good spirits although very tired.
Today Karl is VERY tired. His fever is lower and he's now being cooled by fans, cold compresses and only a sheet to cover his body. Mom said he didn't want to be bothered. The tell-tale sign is that he keeps a sheet over his head. We figure he got little or no sleep during the night and the staff wants him to sleep as much as possible. The good news is that his creatinine levels are almost normal and his blood pressure is more acceptable, albeit a bit low still. They think perhaps maybe they're past the point of Karl being septic. They tapped his lungs and drained a quart of fluid from it. They will run a culture on it. Only sputum in previous cultures has showed signs of infection and as Karl said, they checked every orifice. They tried a different antibiotic on him and we're hopeful this one will do the trick. They told Mom that draining his lungs will allow him to cough and exercise his lungs. There has not been any discussion about dialysis since his first admission to Maui Memorial on April 3.
Mom is hanging in there. I asked her if she wanted me to fly out and help. She said absolutely not. She's been receiving hugs and words of encouragement from the staff and both the hospital and the hotel. She was told by the social worker that she shouldn't worry about flight arrangement, which put her at ease. She IS worried that Karl will be very weak when he's released. But I imagine the social worker will make arrangements when the time comes to address that situation. There is no talk of a release date -- that's way too soon. I'm just praying Mom and Karl will be home for their granddaughter/niece's wedding on May 1. But most of all, I'm praying they figure out what combination of drugs works to knock out the infection so that Karl begins feeling better. That would be a wonderful wedding gift.
We are feeling your prayers and concern and thank you for them.
Hugs and blessings,
Kerry
10 p.m. EDT: Just talked to Mom. Karl's fever is down and he's feeling better. I could hear him in the background chit-chatting with the nurse. Mom said everyone there loves him. No surprise!
On Friday Karl's creatinine levels stayed around 4 and his blood pressure was still 75/40. His kidneys were working okay and Karl was comfortable and cutting up on the phone with me and with medical personnel. They did a CT scan on his body but could not pinpoint a specific source of infection. There was fluid build-up around his lungs, but doctors thought maybe that it was due more from all the fluid they had been giving him intraveneously rather than the pneumonia. They ruled out that the infection was due to the port in his chest. Karl slept most of the day.
On Saturday Karl began running a fever. It spiked to 103.8 which is when they decided to put him on a bed of ice to bring down his fever. 'Doctors said the infection had gone septic again. To try to remedy that, they gave him a watered-down version of the vancomycin that caused him to have Red Man's Syndrome in Mayo Clinic. Remember that? They also infused it slower, thinking that would allow his body to accept it without any issues. Mom reported that within 5 minutes of infusion, his skin started getting blotchy and he began itching. Needless to say, they dicontinued the vanco immediately and told him, if asked, to say that he's very allergic to it. Karl was kept on ice most of the night because his fever was still elevated. Mom said she said a prayer over him and he woke up long enough to grab her hand as she was doing so. I talked to him about 1 a.m. EDT; he seemed in good spirits although very tired.
Today Karl is VERY tired. His fever is lower and he's now being cooled by fans, cold compresses and only a sheet to cover his body. Mom said he didn't want to be bothered. The tell-tale sign is that he keeps a sheet over his head. We figure he got little or no sleep during the night and the staff wants him to sleep as much as possible. The good news is that his creatinine levels are almost normal and his blood pressure is more acceptable, albeit a bit low still. They think perhaps maybe they're past the point of Karl being septic. They tapped his lungs and drained a quart of fluid from it. They will run a culture on it. Only sputum in previous cultures has showed signs of infection and as Karl said, they checked every orifice. They tried a different antibiotic on him and we're hopeful this one will do the trick. They told Mom that draining his lungs will allow him to cough and exercise his lungs. There has not been any discussion about dialysis since his first admission to Maui Memorial on April 3.
Mom is hanging in there. I asked her if she wanted me to fly out and help. She said absolutely not. She's been receiving hugs and words of encouragement from the staff and both the hospital and the hotel. She was told by the social worker that she shouldn't worry about flight arrangement, which put her at ease. She IS worried that Karl will be very weak when he's released. But I imagine the social worker will make arrangements when the time comes to address that situation. There is no talk of a release date -- that's way too soon. I'm just praying Mom and Karl will be home for their granddaughter/niece's wedding on May 1. But most of all, I'm praying they figure out what combination of drugs works to knock out the infection so that Karl begins feeling better. That would be a wonderful wedding gift.
We are feeling your prayers and concern and thank you for them.
Hugs and blessings,
Kerry
10 p.m. EDT: Just talked to Mom. Karl's fever is down and he's feeling better. I could hear him in the background chit-chatting with the nurse. Mom said everyone there loves him. No surprise!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Maui Wowie
You aren't going to believe this -- Karl and Mom are spending at least another night in Maui. He's back in the emergency room at the hospital and they're going to keep him overnight. His kidneys are acting up and his blood pressure is low again. Medical personnel, Karl and Mom all agreed that his kidney function is too important to risk a 14-hour day in planes/airports. He's pretty bummed. But in typical Karl fashion he said, "I guess Maui doesn't want me to leave." He's feeling okay, although very tired.
The past two days he's spent lounging around in his hotel room. Yesterday and today he ate well and drank plenty of water. As today progressed, his kidneys were not processing the water, which alarmed him. I'm so glad he sought help. He called cousin Trese, RN, who advised him to visit the ER. We were hoping a little lasix would take care of the situation. Unfortunately his creatinine level is back up to 4 which is a signal his kidneys are working too hard. Karl didn't have any more information as far as what they're going to do to help him.
Anyway prayer warriors, we need your help...still. Thank you for everything. I'll keep you posted.
Kerry
Addendum 1: I heard from Mom about 8 a.m., 2 a.m. Maui time. He's back in ICU and is hooked up to myriad IV bags. He has some sort of infection. They're not sure what it is, but they're trying to get to the bottom of it. His kidneys are now doing what they're supposed to be doing. His blood pressure was dangerously low again. One of the nurses told him it was a good thing he didn't get on the plane. With his blood pressure as low as it was, Karl was told he probably would have quit breathing on the plane. Yikes! Anyway, it seems that both Karl and Mom have gone from upset about not being able to come home, to thankful they stayed. I'm thankful they can roll with the punches. And when you think about it, Karl's been through a lot worse.
Addendum 2: Just talked to Mom. It's 11:15 a.m. there. Karl's kidneys seem to be working well right now. They are not sure of the source of the infection, but Mom said they will definitely get to the bottom of it this time. They don't think it's pneumonia. Rex, the RN, said it could even be his port. She said Karl has tubes running everywhere, but he's very comfortable and resting well. Mom said she wouldn't be surprised if they kept him another week. Oy.
Mom got about two hours of shut-eye last night. She's still very optimistic and said she'd make up for it tonight when she leaves the hospital early. As I write this she's checking out of one room and into another at the hotel. They have been absolutely wonderful there. The shuttle driver who took them to the hospital last night, Scotty, asked her what was going on when he saw her. When she told him, he said, "Come here; you need a hug." Then he told her if he had room, he'd let her stay with him. Scotty has also offered to make special runs for both Karl and Mom. Of course Karl has already asked for McDonald's. Rex (the nurse) actually dropped her off at the hotel after his shift ended early this morning.
Some of you have asked how Mom is doing. She said her attitude is this: Karl's the one who has to go through it. If he can do it, it's no big deal for her. What a superwoman she is.
Love and blessings to all.
The past two days he's spent lounging around in his hotel room. Yesterday and today he ate well and drank plenty of water. As today progressed, his kidneys were not processing the water, which alarmed him. I'm so glad he sought help. He called cousin Trese, RN, who advised him to visit the ER. We were hoping a little lasix would take care of the situation. Unfortunately his creatinine level is back up to 4 which is a signal his kidneys are working too hard. Karl didn't have any more information as far as what they're going to do to help him.
Anyway prayer warriors, we need your help...still. Thank you for everything. I'll keep you posted.
Kerry
Addendum 1: I heard from Mom about 8 a.m., 2 a.m. Maui time. He's back in ICU and is hooked up to myriad IV bags. He has some sort of infection. They're not sure what it is, but they're trying to get to the bottom of it. His kidneys are now doing what they're supposed to be doing. His blood pressure was dangerously low again. One of the nurses told him it was a good thing he didn't get on the plane. With his blood pressure as low as it was, Karl was told he probably would have quit breathing on the plane. Yikes! Anyway, it seems that both Karl and Mom have gone from upset about not being able to come home, to thankful they stayed. I'm thankful they can roll with the punches. And when you think about it, Karl's been through a lot worse.
Addendum 2: Just talked to Mom. It's 11:15 a.m. there. Karl's kidneys seem to be working well right now. They are not sure of the source of the infection, but Mom said they will definitely get to the bottom of it this time. They don't think it's pneumonia. Rex, the RN, said it could even be his port. She said Karl has tubes running everywhere, but he's very comfortable and resting well. Mom said she wouldn't be surprised if they kept him another week. Oy.
Mom got about two hours of shut-eye last night. She's still very optimistic and said she'd make up for it tonight when she leaves the hospital early. As I write this she's checking out of one room and into another at the hotel. They have been absolutely wonderful there. The shuttle driver who took them to the hospital last night, Scotty, asked her what was going on when he saw her. When she told him, he said, "Come here; you need a hug." Then he told her if he had room, he'd let her stay with him. Scotty has also offered to make special runs for both Karl and Mom. Of course Karl has already asked for McDonald's. Rex (the nurse) actually dropped her off at the hotel after his shift ended early this morning.
Some of you have asked how Mom is doing. She said her attitude is this: Karl's the one who has to go through it. If he can do it, it's no big deal for her. What a superwoman she is.
Love and blessings to all.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Karl got sprung!
I'm happy to announce Karl is out of the hospital and is happily settling in to his hotel room near Kahului. Karl's creatinine levels are near normal. His white blood cell count was a tad bit high, but the doctor released him under the condition that Karl see a doctor immediately if there was any sign of fever. Karl readily agreed. He was growing pretty tired of the hospital setting.
On the way to the hotel, Karl asked the shuttle driver if there was a McDonald's nearby. Not only did the driver know of one, he took a detour so Karl could get a Big Mac. Pretty nice! The rainy weather has precluded Mom and Karl from enjoying a pool-side session today, but they are looking forward to being outdoors tomorrow and Wednesday.
Their journey back home begins at 9 p.m. Wednesday night (3 a.m. Thursday our time) and they will hopefully be back in the comfort of their home by 6:30 p.m. Thursday, exhausted, but extremely happy to be home. What a trip this has been!! I'll be sure to let you know when he's home.
Again I want to reiterate how thankful I am for your prayers and concern. Blessings to you all.
Kerry
On the way to the hotel, Karl asked the shuttle driver if there was a McDonald's nearby. Not only did the driver know of one, he took a detour so Karl could get a Big Mac. Pretty nice! The rainy weather has precluded Mom and Karl from enjoying a pool-side session today, but they are looking forward to being outdoors tomorrow and Wednesday.
Their journey back home begins at 9 p.m. Wednesday night (3 a.m. Thursday our time) and they will hopefully be back in the comfort of their home by 6:30 p.m. Thursday, exhausted, but extremely happy to be home. What a trip this has been!! I'll be sure to let you know when he's home.
Again I want to reiterate how thankful I am for your prayers and concern. Blessings to you all.
Kerry
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Count down
Just a brief update to let you know Karl's counts are going down/getting better every day thanks to your continued prayers. He's been told the IV will come out on Monday and he's hopeful he'll be released from the hospital then. He's also been moved to an ocean view room. I'm not sure it's making his stay any easier, but I do know he's very thankful to be alive -- it was a close call.
Carol Partridge and Mom moved out of their timeshare unit on the northwest side of Maui today. Carol departs for the mainland about 9 p.m. -- 3 a.m. our time. Mom will be moving into a hotel closer to the hospital (near Kahului) and she'll also be turning in the rental car. Fortunately the hotel has a shuttle that runs from the hotel to the hospital and the airport and in reverse. They probably won't find out until Monday about flight arrangements, but the social worker said she's shooting for departure on Wednesday, which means they'll be home probably Thursday morning. We're hoping Karl and Mom have a couple days to enjoy the north side of the island before they come home.
Mahalo for your prayers and concern.
Kerry
Carol Partridge and Mom moved out of their timeshare unit on the northwest side of Maui today. Carol departs for the mainland about 9 p.m. -- 3 a.m. our time. Mom will be moving into a hotel closer to the hospital (near Kahului) and she'll also be turning in the rental car. Fortunately the hotel has a shuttle that runs from the hotel to the hospital and the airport and in reverse. They probably won't find out until Monday about flight arrangements, but the social worker said she's shooting for departure on Wednesday, which means they'll be home probably Thursday morning. We're hoping Karl and Mom have a couple days to enjoy the north side of the island before they come home.
Mahalo for your prayers and concern.
Kerry
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Big kahuna
The big kahuna, Karl's nephrologist Dr. Schwartz from U-M, called him today. He concurred with the staff at Maui Memorial -- Karl has to stay longer. He explained that it was important to take plenty of time with his kidneys and get the creatinine levels down to more normal levels. It's critical for Karl's health in the future and minimizes the chance of dialysis, which is definitely what they're trying to avoid.
The staff is carefully monitoring Karl's intake of phosphorus and magnesium. He was told both could be deadly if there was too much or too little in his system. With the state his kidneys are in at this time, they are unable to easily filter these elements with ease. Karl's also a bit anemic, which is also due to his kidneys not functioning properly. He is still receiving IV therapy to flush his system. Everyone is confident Karl will have all kidney markers back to normal by the time he is scheduled to leave on Wednesday. He was told he'll need to closely monitor his kidneys for the rest of his life and they will be especially susceptible if he's ill. Drinking plenty of water will be crucial.
In the meantime, social workers have been working with Mom to find a hotel closer to the hospital and get a flight back at a reasonable price. Hopefully Priceline will give them a refund or a credit for the seats that will go unused on Saturday. If anyone knows anyone that can help, please let us know!!
Now for some Karl humor. I asked him if he remembered anything about Saturday and shared some things that happened. He didn't remember. When they were getting ready to head to the clinic that day, Rodney told Karl he needed to put on a fresh shirt. Karl, in his confused and weakened state, reached for the suitcase nearest him. It was Mom's. Karl had put on one of Mom's shirts. As Rodney described it, it was tight and flowery. "If I hadn't stopped him, he probably would have put on a pair of your mom's underwear." We have all had a good laugh over that. Of course Karl has called Rodney a few choice names, which makes us laugh even more.
As I write this, Rodney, Terri and Khol are either sitting at the airport or are on the plane heading for home. Words cannot convey how thankful we are to them. I think the only way we can describe them is that they are angels on earth. May the angels in heaven bless them for their caring generosity and bless you for your prayers and good wishes.
Kerry
P.S. If there's little change over the next few days, I won't be posting, but I'll post something if I have any pertinent news.
The staff is carefully monitoring Karl's intake of phosphorus and magnesium. He was told both could be deadly if there was too much or too little in his system. With the state his kidneys are in at this time, they are unable to easily filter these elements with ease. Karl's also a bit anemic, which is also due to his kidneys not functioning properly. He is still receiving IV therapy to flush his system. Everyone is confident Karl will have all kidney markers back to normal by the time he is scheduled to leave on Wednesday. He was told he'll need to closely monitor his kidneys for the rest of his life and they will be especially susceptible if he's ill. Drinking plenty of water will be crucial.
In the meantime, social workers have been working with Mom to find a hotel closer to the hospital and get a flight back at a reasonable price. Hopefully Priceline will give them a refund or a credit for the seats that will go unused on Saturday. If anyone knows anyone that can help, please let us know!!
Now for some Karl humor. I asked him if he remembered anything about Saturday and shared some things that happened. He didn't remember. When they were getting ready to head to the clinic that day, Rodney told Karl he needed to put on a fresh shirt. Karl, in his confused and weakened state, reached for the suitcase nearest him. It was Mom's. Karl had put on one of Mom's shirts. As Rodney described it, it was tight and flowery. "If I hadn't stopped him, he probably would have put on a pair of your mom's underwear." We have all had a good laugh over that. Of course Karl has called Rodney a few choice names, which makes us laugh even more.
As I write this, Rodney, Terri and Khol are either sitting at the airport or are on the plane heading for home. Words cannot convey how thankful we are to them. I think the only way we can describe them is that they are angels on earth. May the angels in heaven bless them for their caring generosity and bless you for your prayers and good wishes.
Kerry
P.S. If there's little change over the next few days, I won't be posting, but I'll post something if I have any pertinent news.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Hawaiian Punch
Hello family and friends,
View from the condo looking at the island of Molokai
Maui Memorial Medical Center
On Saturday, March 27, Mom, Karl, and family friend Carol Partridge took off from Detroit for a well-deserved, long-anticipated, two-week stay in tropical Maui. For five days they toured the island visiting Wailea, Lahaina, Kaanapali and watched whales breach -- truly spectacular views.
View from the condo looking at the island of Molokai
On Thursday after filling up with food from their favorite Chinese restaurant, Karl said he felt chilled. He napped on the couch for a bit and later he went to bed. Often after Karl has a big day, he'll rest up the next. So Friday, he spent most of the day sleeping. However, as Mom checked him, she realized he was becoming more confused and less responsive which was a huge concern.
Upon seeing Karl, Rodney Partridge, who had arrived in Maui Friday night with wife Terri and son Khol, decided he needed to be seen by medical personnel. Karl was confused and weak. The staff at the nearby clinic at the Mariott in Kaanapali sent Karl to the emergency room at Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku. Upon arrival, Karl's blood pressure was 65/30, his pulse oxygen was 86, and his heart rate was 130. To try to increase his blood pressure, they gave him two liters of fluid as well as medicine. His blood pressure came up but his kidneys didn't produce urine. He had an infection -- pneumonia -- and it had gone septic.
This is where I have to back up a bit. At Karl's last check-up at U-M in February he got good news and guarded news. The good news was that his CT-scan showed he continued to be cancer-free. Actually, that's FANTASTIC news. The guarded news is that the creatinine levels, a kidney marker, continue to rise with each checkup although they were not above normal levels. Dr. Scheutze told Karl that sometimes chemotherapy can damage kidneys and that they wanted to stay on top of the situation. They ordered an ultrasound, a 24-hour study and referred Karl to a nephrologist. The ultrasound and study turned out normal but they warned that Karl may have the start of kidney disease. Also, Karl's x-rays showed he may have been fighting off a virus in his lungs, which would explain why he felt a little punk for a few weeks in January/February.
Oh, and in the meantime, Mom was diagnosed with pneumonia in February which required two courses of antibiotics. She is feeling fine, but it took her a while to kick it.
Back to this past Saturday, April 3. Doctors were working fervently on Karl. They put in a main line, gave him strong antibiotics and continued testing. His creatinine count was 6.8. It's supposed to be 2 or below. He was admitted to the ICU where they could carefully monitor the blood pressure meds. After just a few hours of the antibiotics, Karl was becoming less confused although his kidneys and blood pressure were still a huge concern. They performed an ultrasound on his kidneys; they were normal. They did a CT scan on his brain and didn't find anything (joke intended). I spoke briefly with Karl on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. He was confused on Saturday, but not in any pain; on Sunday he seemed tired and on Monday he was worried about getting his taxes done. I guess that's a good indicator of how he's doing and how quickly the drugs worked.
Maui Memorial Medical Center
On Monday and Tuesday they began weaning him off the blood pressure medicine. They require patients to be off the medicine for 24 hours before they can be transferred out of ICU to a regular floor. (Incidentally, no phones are allowed in ICU which is why communication was sketchy...that and a six-hour time difference). On Tuesday a team of doctors tell Karl their plan of action is to speak with Karl's doctors and U-M and avoid dialysis, which means he may have to stay past Saturday, which is when they're supposed to catch their flight back to Detroit. A social worker meets with Mom to tell her they will work with the airline and hotels to get affordable prices. They are both incredibly impressed by the entire staff and the facility.
Today, Karl was transferred to a regular room. Mom is not as impressed by this room as it's in an old section of the hospital and there's not much room for visitors. Doctors told Karl he wouldn't be discharged until Wednesday, April 14. They are hoping they can get Rodney to appeal to doctors to let him go home on Saturday. Karl says he feels fine although has a little pain in his chest from the pneumonia. Of course nobody wants Karl to take the 11-hour flight if it jeopardizes his health, but he's getting tired of seeing Maui from inside a hospital room.
Anyway, we're sure thankful for the Partridge family, and I'm not talking David Cassidy. Carol, Rodney and Terri have been fantastic lifesavers -- both figuratively and literally. Of course your prayers had a great deal to do with Karl's quick recovery. Thank you all for your prayers once again. I'll continue to keep you posted.
Love and blessings,
Kerry
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
All is well
Hello folks,
Karl and I just returned from a whirlwind trip to the Mayo Clinic on Aug. 13 for his 13-month check-up with Dr. Yaszemski. I'm happy to report that after reviewing all of his scans, Dr. Y congratulated Karl and told him he continues to be cancer-free!!
Dr. Scheutze, Karl's oncologist at U-M, told Karl if he can make it to the 18-month mark without recurrance, that the odds of the sarcoma not appearing again drastically improve. As you can imagine, we are all praying that's the case.
Dr. Y also told Karl he wouldn't have to come back out until February...that he'd be happy getting scan results from Dr. Scheutze. Anybody want to volunteer to help Karl at that time? You get a free trip to beautiful Minnesota in the coldest part of winter!!
Karl has also been working ever-so-diligently at his physical therapy. Insurance has run out so he's now in the maintenance process, but he's come a long way. Rather than tell you about it, there are two videos and a photo that do a much better job than I could ever do writing about it. You're either going to have to turn your computer or tilt your head to watch the video. Sorry about that!
Blessings!
Kerry
Karl's Physical Therapist Jen, Karl,
and Mary, a PTA. Great care at
Herrick Total Rehab.
Karl and I just returned from a whirlwind trip to the Mayo Clinic on Aug. 13 for his 13-month check-up with Dr. Yaszemski. I'm happy to report that after reviewing all of his scans, Dr. Y congratulated Karl and told him he continues to be cancer-free!!
Dr. Scheutze, Karl's oncologist at U-M, told Karl if he can make it to the 18-month mark without recurrance, that the odds of the sarcoma not appearing again drastically improve. As you can imagine, we are all praying that's the case.
Dr. Y also told Karl he wouldn't have to come back out until February...that he'd be happy getting scan results from Dr. Scheutze. Anybody want to volunteer to help Karl at that time? You get a free trip to beautiful Minnesota in the coldest part of winter!!
Karl has also been working ever-so-diligently at his physical therapy. Insurance has run out so he's now in the maintenance process, but he's come a long way. Rather than tell you about it, there are two videos and a photo that do a much better job than I could ever do writing about it. You're either going to have to turn your computer or tilt your head to watch the video. Sorry about that!
Blessings!
Kerry
Karl's Physical Therapist Jen, Karl,
and Mary, a PTA. Great care at
Herrick Total Rehab.
Karl's Physical Therapist Jen helping Karl walk.
Karl discusses his goals with his therapists while taking a few steps. Listen carefully!!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
An update...finally
Hello faithful blog followers. My apologies for not updating the blog in such a long long time. I was struggling during that period to come up with encouraging/inspirational messages. I had made it a mission in previous blog entries to keep things on the light/upbeat side.
In a nutshell, chemotherapy was particularly nasty for Karl after his return from Mayo in October, which is why I didn't update the blog. I didn't want to upset folks. It was pretty tough watching him go through it. He was emotional, weak, and even a little loopy. But of course there is a humorous story that goes with that...One day while receiving chemo, all he could manage to say was, "Owww." There were different intonations and inflections, but that was the only word he could speak. On that day, Laurie, the PA came in to see how he was. He grimaced at her and sharply quipped, "Ow." She asked him another question. He responded, "Owwwwwwww." She then moved his arm to check his pulse and he whined, "Owww." At that point, Laurie looked at me with sad compassion. I could have easily broken down at that point, but us Hamiltons have always used humor to shield our emotions to an extent, and not knowing what else to do, I shrugged and said, "Karl is just doing his James Brown impersonation."
Of course that was the same day he was admitted to the hospital. It's amazing that his metabolism could have changed so much, but the U-M folks thought maybe all the anesthesia and drugs he was on at Mayo affected him drastically. To offset that, they lowered and even omitted chemo doses. They even gave him "Smurf Juice," as Karl called it (methylene blue) to flush the chemo through his system faster. Regardless, we are all happy he's done with that chapter of his life. I'm happy to say he's now getting his hair back and is feeling pretty darned good! (I've attached a photo I took of him on Easter Sunday.)
He just returned from a check-up at Mayo last week and got the all-clear, although one of the bone grafts was broken. Apparently they were not concerned and had built in redundancies for such an occasion. Dr. Yazsemski was very encouraged that there is no sign of cancer. Sarcomas are particularly nasty because they have a tendency to -- although not always -- come back. I pray Karl's one of those cases where it decides it's had enough of the chemo poison.
Karl is doing well and adjusting to life as an incomplete paraplegic. Mom's house was completely renovated so he can get around in his wheelchair. The carpet was taken out and the hardwood floors were sanded and varnished. We also took out most of a wall between two small bedrooms, thanks to the help of so very many people. That room is now Karl's suite and has a tiled floor in one half with a handicap-accessible shower and sink. It's very nice.
He also bought an old van with an elevator that enables him to get himself in and out of it with the push of a couple buttons. The doors swing open, the lift flops down, and then he rolls himself on. It's a tight fit but he eventually gets his wheelchair in place and then transfers to the captain's seat, turns to face the steering wheel and then uses hand controls to accelerate and brake. It's pretty slick. And it's given him a tremendous amount of independence.
He made the van purchase so he could get himself back and forth to work. A week after the purchase he went to Adrian Steel to get the lay of the land. Instead, he was one of 30 to be laid off. He missed the first few rounds of layoffs so he feels pretty fortunate that he made it this long. The folks there have been amazing to Karl and they earnestly felt bad about it. They've told him they want to bring him back as soon as they can, but with this economy, there's no telling when that will be. Needless to say, he was pretty bummed. But, as I told him, he's already had the fight of his life so this is no big deal. Plus it will give him all the time he needs for physical therapy.
Speaking of that, he's really making big gains in physical therapy. At first he was trying to strengthen and stretch his legs. Now he's using the parallel bars to learn how to walk. He stands -- using the bars to steady himself -- for several minutes at a time. He's also getting on the treadmill with the use of a harness. His left leg is very strong with movement in his foot. His right leg isn't as strong, but he's hopeful he'll get movement there as well. The next step is to get him using a walker with the end goal of using crutches. That way he'll be able to bebop around the house.
Karl is doing well and adjusting to life as an incomplete paraplegic. Mom's house was completely renovated so he can get around in his wheelchair. The carpet was taken out and the hardwood floors were sanded and varnished. We also took out most of a wall between two small bedrooms, thanks to the help of so very many people. That room is now Karl's suite and has a tiled floor in one half with a handicap-accessible shower and sink. It's very nice.
He also bought an old van with an elevator that enables him to get himself in and out of it with the push of a couple buttons. The doors swing open, the lift flops down, and then he rolls himself on. It's a tight fit but he eventually gets his wheelchair in place and then transfers to the captain's seat, turns to face the steering wheel and then uses hand controls to accelerate and brake. It's pretty slick. And it's given him a tremendous amount of independence.
He made the van purchase so he could get himself back and forth to work. A week after the purchase he went to Adrian Steel to get the lay of the land. Instead, he was one of 30 to be laid off. He missed the first few rounds of layoffs so he feels pretty fortunate that he made it this long. The folks there have been amazing to Karl and they earnestly felt bad about it. They've told him they want to bring him back as soon as they can, but with this economy, there's no telling when that will be. Needless to say, he was pretty bummed. But, as I told him, he's already had the fight of his life so this is no big deal. Plus it will give him all the time he needs for physical therapy.
Speaking of that, he's really making big gains in physical therapy. At first he was trying to strengthen and stretch his legs. Now he's using the parallel bars to learn how to walk. He stands -- using the bars to steady himself -- for several minutes at a time. He's also getting on the treadmill with the use of a harness. His left leg is very strong with movement in his foot. His right leg isn't as strong, but he's hopeful he'll get movement there as well. The next step is to get him using a walker with the end goal of using crutches. That way he'll be able to bebop around the house.
His next job is to learn how to update this blog himself. I've tried to train him, but it's now up to him. Until then, if you have a facebook account, he's on there.
We are so very grateful for all the prayers, kindnesses and love you've shown to our family throughout this ordeal.
Blessings,
Kerry
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