In an attempt to avoid the shift changeover problem I get into on most days, I decided to leave Dads at 8am today. I got to the hospital ten minutes later and made my way up to ITU. I found that Sally was going to be Heather’s nurse for the day and she told me that a new arterial line had been fitted overnight to replace the one the fell out yesterday afternoon when she was moved. This means that they can once again get blood from her easily and monitor her blood pressure in real-time. They had also fitted a new nasal gastric tube. When I called them last night for my usual 10pm check-in, I had found out that Heather had managed to pull out her last one!! They had also tried to put her back onto the ventilator to give her a bit of a rest as she’d done so well during the day, but she objected to it. I guess she’s happy breathing for herself now. Brilliant!
As ward rounds approached at 8:30am, I went to get some breakfast and do my usual phone reports and checks. When I came back, the staff had put her into her chair so she could try breathing while upright. She had a chest x-ray to confirm that the nasal gastric tube was correctly placed. I also had a little nursing job to do myself. I was given some sponges on sticks and soaked them in water for Heather to bite on and get some water into her throat. She actually seemed to like this, which was encouraging and responded when I asked her if she wanted more. It was apparent that she is beginning to understand us again, as she nodded and shook her head when we asked her questions. However, she motioned that she had a headache and seemed very restless in the chair, so it was decided to put her back into bed to make her feel more comfortable.
As they moved her back into bed, I sat in the waiting area and her sister Nicky arrived. We went back into Heather’s room a few minutes later, but she had gone back to sleep! I guess the events of the morning tired her out a bit. Well, she has been asleep for ten days. You’d get exhausted after a little effort after sleeping for that long too.
As the morning went on, Nicky and I talked to her and occasionally stopped her from pulling on her tubes. She gave the occasional cough, which she needs to do on her own before they can remove the tracheostomy tube. At present, if she can’t clear her own throat, the nursing staff has to do it for her. It’s not a pleasant experience I can tell you, not for the patient or the family member who happens to be watching it.
There is something about the air and light in her room that makes you very tired and anyone who sits in there for long periods often finds themselves yawning and dropping off. It’s therefore important for us to take breaks outside the room for time to time and Nicky went off to get us some coffee. Of course, food and drink isn’t allowed in ITU itself, so Nicky drunk hers in the waiting area and when she was done, she relieved me from Heather watching duties while I had mine. The waiting room was getting busy, as a new person was coming into ITU that afternoon and her family were waiting for her to arrive from theatre. At 1:40pm, Mum arrived with another fabulous lunch (which actually filled me up before I could get to the banana – save that for later)
After lunch, we returned to the room and found out that Heather’s bloods were coming back perfect. This result was repeated later in the afternoon, confirming that Heather is fighting the infection well.
At 3:15pm, Heather’s Dad arrived following work in Canterbury during the morning. He seemed most impressed by his daughter’s progress (as we all are), so while he looked after her and talked to her, Mum and I went for a coffee break. During the break, the physio had arrived to move Heather onto her side, as her breathing was a bit crackly. After her physio session and moving her position, we were allowed back into the room and as we kept a keen eye on her, Heather went through periods of sleeping and waking, occasionally stopping for a cough. The more she coughs, the better it is for her, so we actively encourage her to do it.
At 5:30pm, they moved her back into a more comfortable position. When we were allowed back into the room, I asked her if she felt more comfortable. She nodded. Another example of the two-way communication we have started to see today. Needless to say, we were thrilled. Sally told us that she had also knocked Heather’s oxygen down to 28%, as she no longer needed a larger dose. Heather once again showing us all she’s not going to let this illness stop her.
By 6pm, we had all left the hospital for the day, weary but satisfied with Heather’s continuing improvement.
Today has been another day of great progress on Heather’s part and most of it was down to her own efforts. Let’s hope for more steps forward over the weekend.
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