"The Kayla" - Monday, May 2, 2011 - "My Mom Helps Out"

Kayla Quote:  "Mom, can you help me out?  Can you go see Kayla the hospital?  I have been offered a 2-day temporary nanny assignment so I thought I would try a little bit of work.  It's only a few hours each day.  I am also a substitute in the morning to give swim lessons to the little ones at the rec center."  Stephanie to her Mother, Kayla's grandmother

Short Synopsis:  Kayla has been over a month now in the ICU in a tiny room where the equipment that throws off heat, barely fits.  The view of the Hudson River is not really a possibility as we try and figure out if the bed can be turned sideways.  When I am by Kayla's bedside, and if I get over-heated, which happens on sunny days with the heat streaming in from the window, I am able to escape.  The poor Kayla cannot escape! 

The rubber gloves on my hands get sticky and even they are over-heating.  I wear sleeveless shirts as one has to wear the yellow gown over your clothes to keep the place as sterile as possible.

The two fans on her are not enough.  She has small bags filled with ice to hold, one in each hand.  She wears a cold, ice-dunked wet washcloth across her forehead.  She puts chips of ice in her mouth and spits them out as she is not able to eat or drink yet.

All for keeping cool!

Maintenance has been called and even though the temperature has been lowered as far as it can go in the room, the heat continues to oppress.  There is no solution yet.  The machines are plenty and all produce heat which cannot dissipate.

Mom is helping but Kayla is panicking a lot.  She is uncomfortable.  Beth, our newest angel, whose mother is also in an ICU bed down the walk way, only yards away, has come to help "the Kayla" with her panic attacks.  Beth knows exactly what to do.

Beth is beautiful with her curly  flowing blond ringlet hair.  She has the best light eyes, full of  a precious soft, love.  Kayla attaches to her immediately.

Psychiatry is with Kayla every day to help.

Long Story:  Kayla has been too long in the small room in the ICU!  She is beginning to have trouble with some of the nurses.  There are personality clashes.   All of the nurses are competent - not an issue there.  The physical heat of the room is making it tough for "the Kayla" to progress.

I go to Stop & Shop and am sad.  I don't even care about food shopping but Kayla loves it so that makes it fun for me.  It has been her family thing to write me a list of what to buy.  For the past month, there is no longer a list.  The refrigerator is empty now.

I pass the strawberries and green apples and think of her.

I pass the green tea, cereals, beauty aisle....  everything reminds me of her.

I just get a couple of items - cat food and frozen Mexican meals. 

Thomas is a baker here so I can stop and make some plans with him.....