Kayla Quote: "I'm dying!"
Short Synopsis: Today was a big day. At the bedside, Kayla got a tracheostomy surgery. They created a sterile field, cut a hole in her neck and implanted a new tube. The surgery was scheduled first thing in the morning at 7:30 as she had waited for days. This was really great but all good things take time. It wasn't done until 11 a.m. and it went very well. Now her head was totally free - no central line and no respirator. I could now comb out the mat!
Long Story: Kayla's pneumonia is really resolved now but her white blood cell count is still high. It was up to 17 but it now tracking down and getting to normal ranges. It's at 11.5 with normal being 10.
Kayla was very happy just hanging out with me. Her trach area was a little bit sore but not bad. Everything was going smoothly. Then a nurse came in with a syringe and informed Kayla that she needed this shot of darbepoetin alfa (.75 mg). It was a single use pre-filled needle and it had to go into the stomach.
Kayla panicked! Quickly it escalated into a full blown attack of nerves. She grabbed my hands and was scared. I tried to calm her down. I am getting better at this. It's ok, I told her. It's only a shot.
The substance was supposed to help Kayla's body make more red blood cells. Without any hesitation, the nurse plunged it into her belly.
Kayla grabbed her clipboard and scrawled - "I'm dying!"
Wow - not that is fear!
"No, you are fine, sweetheart. It's going to be ok." I stroked her forehead like my Michael taught me. It calms her down immediately. I told her that it would be just fine. Talking gently with touch really works for her and I am relieved. It took only a few short minutes.
I began to work on her hair mat. When she wasn't aware, I got a pair of scissors from the nurse from one of the kits and cut into it. There was no way to comb it out otherwise. Long clumps of hair came out. It could always grow back. It took nearly an hour to get it completely done. I then combed it free and put in in a mess bun at the top of her head.
"No, I want a ponytail," she says.
"Ok."
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Violet, the red-tailed hawk is still sitting on her three eggs. She is patient and quiet. What a mother.... The mother fox was sighted too....she ran across the back of our garage, but no one has seen her pups for days.
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Judith, Mordechai's mother, is 73 and suffered two cardiac arrests over a three day period. She is located in the CCU - Cardiac Care Unit, which is right next to Kayla's unit. Mordechai walks through Kayla's unit as he makes his way to see his mother. This is the only way he can go because there is no mechanical device to get into the unit. He can just open a door. No fire power there so he is obeying his religious rules...
He walks by Kayla's bed each time he walks through the unit. Now that he knows where she is located, he can glance into her room to see how she is. She is awake a lot of the time but she does not know him yet, even though he knows her.
His mother is completely off the sedation but she is not responsive still, but where there is life, there is hope.
"Can I come and meet your mother?
"Sure....."
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