After considerable effort (thanks Kathy, Karen and Olivia), Pete was finally discharged from the hospital late Friday evening. So for the third time Pete left the hosipital and hopefully the final time as a patient. The next couple of weeks will be spent on some much needed rest and relaxtion on the boat!
Thank you again for all of your support and encouragement through this. We are hopeful that Pete will have recovered enough to start classes fall quarter to complete his nursing degree.
After spending one day on "the outside", we are back in the hospital today. Pete was readmitted this morning to treat a post-op infection. Right now we are looking at another week in the hospital and most likely a longer recovery time. The problem now is that Pete is healthy enough to be bored, but not healthy enough to leave the hospital.
After six days of riding the continual ups and downs of Pete's health status, it looks like we will be able to go home tomorrow. Well, not quite home but close to it. We will be staying at a local B & B for the next week to give Pete a little more time to heal before attempting the challenges of boat life. All in all our visit has been a very successful one, Pete has been put back together (surgeons are better than all the king's men) and has been able to catch up with some of his favorite caregivers. We are looking forward to our relaxing stay at the B & B and having a great big salad party once we get back to the dock. Thank you as always for all your love and support, we couldn't have made it through this experience without all of you!
We have had a busy second day in the hospital, after showing some concerning signs, the decision was made to move Pete from the floor to the Intermediate Care Unit (one step down from the ICU which we know so well). Right now he is stable and while he does have some concerning symptoms, they could just be post-operative stress.
Hopefully everything will be under control and Pete will be up for some visitors in the next couple of days. Thank you for your support!
Today started at 0400, as Pete had to change his ileostomy for one last time and take a special shower before his big surgery. As we were walking down the dock a sliver of the moon was still up and the sun nowhere to be seen. We checked into the hospital by 0600 and after running through the pre-op circuit with Pete, we said goodbye at the operating room doors just before 0800. After 6 nail-biting hours, his surgeon came out to inform us that Pete was out of a successful surgery! His ileostomy was reversed and his abdomen is once again closed. Tonight finds us back in a private room on 11 east and a somewhat disbeleiving, groggy Pete! Only time will tell, but a this point it looks like Pete will make a healthy recovery.
We can't thank everyone enough for all the encouragement and support we have received over the past six months. Thank you!
today marks six months since Pete first checked into the hospital and with a little luck tomorrow will begin the final chapter in Pete's road to recovery.
Tomorrow morning at 0600, Pete checks-in for pre-op for what we hope will be his final surgery! We will post updates as we know more . . .
During our stay at the Reichert's home for recovering invalids, Pete had some very specialized care including his own personal walking coach, baby Mazu! Jen and Marcus' soon to be one-year-old was just beginning to walk and actually took her first steps during our stay. When she threw down the gauntlet and kicked her walker aside, Pete took up the challenge! And again when she started out-pacing Pete in the stair-climbing category, he knew it was time to step it up! In addition to his lovely walking coach, Pete received some special care from her parents, Jen and Marcus, which sped Pete along the road to recovery.
Pete's dad, Larry, made the trip up from California and took charge of Pete's rehab, chauffeur and all-around cheerleader responsibilities.
After 49 days of incarceration, Pete was able to walk out of the hospital today on his own! He will be convalescing at the Reichert's long-term care facility under the watchful care of his personal rehabilitation specialist, Larry Jacobsen (otherwise known as Dad).
Thank you to everyone who made this day possible! We appreciate all your love and support more then you could possibly know!
As his release date gets nearer and nearer, Pete's cabin fever increases exponentially. At this point going home (to Jen and Marcus') is about all he talks about.
Monday came with some bad news, Pete has developed more blood clots in his legs which greatly increases his risk of developing a pulminary embolism (potentially fatal). Yesterday they increased his blood thinners and today they plan on placing an inferior vena cava or Greenfield filter to prevent any blood clots from blocking blood flow to his heart or lungs. If everthing goes well, Pete could be released from the hospital as early as this evening!
Sorry for not updating recently, plans have changed daily if not hourly and we just couldn't keep up. Rachelle is back to work full time. Pete was doing so well with rehab that as of Monday, he no longer qualified for acute rehab...so the remainder of the week was spent discussing Pete's options. His medical team felt Pete had enough issues that they weren't ready to discharge him quite yet.
On Thursday, we came to the decision that Pete was ready for his next operation. On Friday, they took donor skin from his thighs to place a skin graft over his abdomen. The surgery went well but Pete will remain in the hospital a little longer as they work on managing the pain from the donor sites. We're hopeful he will be able to come home in the next week, but until then Pete would love to have visitors!
For the third day in a row Pete's creatinine levels have declined without dialysis, this a very positive indication that his kidneys are heading for full recovery. At this point it looks as though Pete will not need anymore dialysis treatment!
As of today, Pete is scheduled for discharge to the acute rehab facility on Monday and if everything continues to go smoothly he will be able to move to our land-based home (thanks Jen & Marcus!) by mid-April. Pete will spend the next week rebuilding his strength and fine motor skills. Even once he is released from rehab, he will have quite a bit of work ahead of him before he is able to return to the boat. However, everything seems to be progressing well at this point.
I've been wanting to write a blog entry for a while, but usually by the time I get around to it, my nurses and therapists have completely wiped me out for the day. So today, I'm feeling up to it, and here I am.
First and foremost, I have to say thank you to you all for your constant care, thoughts and the help that many of you have given to Rachelle and I during this episode. I am truly touched by the vast outpouring of care and support that has been given us in many, many ways.
Secondly, we had some great news today. Apparently I was the high point of one of my doctor's day today (unfortunately for her it was at 8:30am), when she told me that my creatinine dropped since yesterday. This means that my kidneys are once again filtering at a high enough rate that I am likely done with dialysis.
YEAH!!!! says I!
I will still continue to be monitored in the hospital over the weekend to make sure there is no backsliding and that my electrolytes continue to normalize, but...this was a big boost to my morale and has considerably helped abate my growing cabin fever.
I really have enjoyed the many visits and please continue to come by and say hi. It's been really great to see so many of you.
Thanks again for all the help and support you've given us. It has been most helpful and is greatly appreciated.
Sometimes it feels less like two steps forward and one step back, and more like running an obstacle course. Pete has successfully navigated the course so far and with any luck we will be out of the hospital soon and on to the next lap. As of today, the plan is to discharge Pete from the hospital early next week and transfer him to the Cherry Hill Acute Rehab facility. If you want to visit Pete while he still has an awesome penthouse view, you better come soon!
After having a couple of days off of dialysis, Pete had to start off today with another dialysis session. We keep hoping that each session of dialysis will be his last . . . Pete's kidneys continue to improve, but they are not quite able to handle everything on their own yet.
Pete was able to walk all the way around his unit yesterday and completed several trips in his wheelchair (completely under his own power!). The highlight of the night was when Pete was able to go back down to the ICU and thank several of his nurses that cared for him through some of the darkest stretches of his journey. We are both so grateful for the excellent care he has received and it was really wonderful to pass some of that appreciation along!
We've updated the visitor sign-up and while it is not necessary to sign-up before visiting, it does give Pete an idea of what his day will look like and something to look forward to. Thank you for the support and encouragement!
Pete's kidneys continue to improve and at this point is down to dialysis every third day. We are hopeful he may be able to come off of dialysis completely by the end of the week.
More and more the focus of Pete's care is on his rehabilitation. He spent almost a month in bed and lost over 50 lbs and has had significant muscle atrophy. Pete has a lot of work ahead of him to rebuild muscle and fine motor skills. Currently, Pete is moving out of bed and sitting up in a chair for all of his meals and going for short walks two to three times a day (this morning he walked 200 feet!). This weekend we got a rare treat and Pete was able to move to a wheel chair and I was able to give a tour of our home for the past month.
Pete continues to enjoy all the visits, well wishes and all the food! Thank you!
Today, Pete's kidneys showed the further signs of recovery and improved function. This is a reassuring sign and the doctors' are hopeful they will eventually recover fully.
The other milestone Pete achieved today was the removal of his feeding tube. Over the past four days Pete has been gradually working up to satisfy his nutritional needs the old fashioned way, yesterday they turned off the feedings and he was able to consume enough that they felt comfortable removing his feeding tube today. He was also able to eat his first meal sitting up in a chair and not in bed!
As always, we are thankful for all the continued support and encouragement!
Pete was able to walk today! He has been working on sitting and standing for the past couple of days and today he successfully took his first steps since February. He made four short circumnavigations around his room, maybe tomorrow he will conquer the hallway!
Pete has really been enjoying the visits and well wishes! Thanks again for your support!
All the tests yesterday came back negative for pulmonary embolus, which is very good news! They have decided to continue the drug therapy and not move on to more invasive measures at this time. The infection in Pete's abdomen seems to be under control and as long as things continue to improve Pete's last day of IV antibiotics will be April 13. With the transfer to a more private room on a quieter floor and getting his meds sorted out, Pete is sleeping better and finally slept through the night last night!
Pete continues to see PT and OT everyday, however his lack of sleep and low energy have limited his rehab routine. He has been sitting and standing up everyday, but so far has not been able to go for any walks.
Pete's dialysis treatment has been changed to HD once every 48 hours, which means that after he finishes his treatment today he will have a full day off of treatment. Today Pete will also be receiving two units of blood; the doctors think that the infection has impaired his production of red blood cells, but now that the infection is under control it should return to normal soon. Hopefully, the transfusion will give Pete the energy boost he has been needing.
Thank you for your support, visits and well wishes that continue to buoy us along the way!
The good news is that Pete has moved out the intensive and intermediate care units and is now installed in a private room in the Nephrology/Organ Transplant/Urology Unit.
In the road to recovery there are several different speed bumps that are best to avoid. Yesterday, Pete encountered one such speed bump in the form of a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis) in his right calf muscle. This is concerning as the clot can move into other areas and cause severe problems. Today Pete has a battery of tests lined up to further diagnosis and treat this issue. At this point they have started drug therapy to treat the clot and hopefully by the end of the day we will have a clearer picture of how to treat it.
Since, he is on a regular floor visitors are welcome, if possible please use the visitor sign-up log.
Today Pete was moved out of ICU (Intensive Care Unit) to the IMCU (Intermediate Care Unit) which means he has improved to the point where he requires less attention and critical care.
Tonight I am filled with gratitude that my husband is on his way towards recovery and although it may be a long and frustrating path, we can travel it together!
Thank you to everyone who has helped to make this possible, the doctors' dedication and persistence, the nurses' attentive care-giving, our friends and family providing a wonderful network of support, love and food. Each and everyone have a made an impact and helped us along the way! Thank you!
After a busy meeting packed morning, we have a slightly clearer picture of Pete's future. His abdomen could not be surgically closed yesterday and will not be able to be closed for some time yet, once the adhesions and scarring from the infection calms down. In the interim, he will keep his current wound vac and with the addition of an abdominal binder. Once the damage from the abdominal infection has sufficiently healed, Pete will go back for a surgery to cover the wound with a skin graft. Given everything goes smoothly from here on out, Pete's surgeon hopes to complete the final surgeries this coming fall to repair and reverse the remaining damage.
On the bright-side, Pete has remained stable enough that he will be able to move a step down in care and will be moving to IMCU by tomorrow. This means he can have visitors and is looking forward to seeing some more friendly faces! Since we are pushing for Pete to get out of the hospital as soon as possible, he is on a fairly rigorous schedule between all his PT, OT and dialysis appointments, so please utilize the visitor sign-up that Jen so kindly setup.
Hi All, At Rachelle's request, I am trying out "Jooners" in order to organize visitors for Pete who is being transferred this afternoon to a room in the IMCU!!! This means he is now classified as "intermediate care" which is definitely a step in the right direction!! At the time of this posting, we are unsure of his room number but they can tell you at the front desk and I will post the room number as soon as I can. Rachelle wants me to let you know that he gets tired and overwhelmed very quickly so please don't bring too many people at one time (no more than 3) and plan your visit to be flexible if he is tired or scheduled for something. We set up blocks of three hours and you do not need to stay the entire time! Just as long as it works for both you and for Pete. The time shifts are between 11-2, 2:30-5:30 and 6-9. If it turns out you can't make it, please release your slot so others can potentially fill it. No food for Pete, yet, and no flowers/toys but cards or pictures are always welcome. And if you are sick, stay home please!!! Visitor sign-up log
Pete was taken down for his operation this afternoon. He remained stable during the procedure and was returned to his room without a ventilator, good news as this was a real concern for him! The bad news is that once they had everything open and were able to look at Pete's abdomen, they decided they would not be able to close the abdomen at this time. At this point we are uncertain of what this means for the near future and how this will impact Pete's recovery.
We are hoping that tomorrow will bring more clarity and some answers.
Hello All, Jennifer here at Command Central where the buzz has quieted down quite a bit of late. It is hard for us all to sustain the intense level of concern and care that showered Rachelle and Pete in the first weeks, to be sure, but here we are living the "drama" daily. And there is much more to come... Our infamous CWO (Chief Wellness Officer) is now also Pete's CWL (Chief Wellness Lackey) and he keeps her moving!!! She is an amazing woman with deep wells of reserve and is non-stop going from our house to the hospital (where she sleeps most nights... or at least tries to!), to work, quick errands, back to the hospital, back to our house, back to work and so on and so on. Never resting. If she is by chance not there, she is always calling in, getting updates, getting information, getting news. Her complete devotion to Pete is both firm and admirable. Today she did take a quick nap before getting called back in to Pete's side but she woke exhausted, not rejuvenated, as she sleeps little at night. It is taking its toll and I am worried about her as she attempts, as well, to finish her schoolwork and get credit for her Spring classes. What to do, you ask? The main thing I am focusing on is making sure she eats and drinks enough liquids. And this is tricky. We make sure she dines with us every night but many days this is the only time she stops and eats all day. Anyone out there who can help me get snacks and food to her is welcome!!! As Pete is on a feeding tube, he forgets that she needs to eat and take breaks. And she does too. If you visit her or Pete, bring her food! Snacks! Or drop them off here and I will load her down with them. Healthy, energizing snacks...! The burdens she carries are many these days... a terrible roller coaster ride she'd rather not be on. Pete needs our visits, thoughts, prayers and energy for his long road to recovery. Please keep in mind that the caregiver, Rachelle, needs us all as well. Now. Help me help her!!! Signing off, Your CCS (Command Central Supervisor)
Today was a busy day for Pete. The morning started off with a visit from occupational therapy in which he sat up on the side of the bed for 7 min. Afterwards Pete has his first hemodialysis treatment, which is shorter but more strenuous then the 24-hour treatment that he has been on.
Almost as soon as he was off dialysis physical therapy came by and Pete was able to sit up for more then 20 minutes. Since his abdomen is still open, his surgeon wanted to make sure he had an abdominal binder before attempting anything more difficult.
In the afternoon Pete was whisked off to IR to have a semi-permanent tunnel catheter placed (for dialysis treatment) and to have the two latest drains removed. Everything went according to plan and now Pete is back in his room resting up for what is sure to be another busy tomorrow. The current plan is to take him into surgery tomorrow to close his abdomen.
Please keep him in your thoughts tomorrow as it is always concerning going back into surgery. Thank you!
We are definitely getting back to the basics here. Saturday was learning all about breathing, Sunday we tackled speaking, and today we are on to the big leagues of sitting up! Pete had his first PT/OT appointment and with their assistance he was able to sit on the side of his bed for almost 5 minutes today!
Tomorrow Pete will be starting hemodialysis, which means instead of being hooked up to a dialysis machine 24/7 he will only have to have dialysis treatment for 4 hours each day. This is also a step towards getting his kidneys functioning again. Incidentally, seven hours after they took Pete of the 24/7 dialysis, he was able to urinate (which means, well we don't know yet).
Thank you as always for your support and encouragement. . .
Today was spent catching Pete up on all the fun from the last 3 weeks, meeting his medical team (first time for him) and getting little things that you don't need when you are sleeping, but make life a little more comfortable.
Tonight, Pete has a clean shave, clean underwear and is able to voice his opinion on everything!
Today I got to speak to my best friend for the first time in 18 days! Since we we first met each other (5676 days ago) that is the longest period of time that we have gone without speaking to one another.
He was successfully extubated this afternoon at 1430 (or 2:30 pm) and taken off all his sedation meds. He had to use an oxygen mask for about an hour and a half and since then he has been breathing on his own with just a nasal cannula (small oxygen tube that rests at the tip of your nose). The majority of this evening was spent holding hands and breathing together. Pete has been on a ventilator for a little over two weeks now and it is taking a bit of work to remind his lungs exactly how they are supposed to function. The easiest thing for Pete was to sit with me, watch and mimic my breathing pattern until he was able to breathe again without concentrating on each breath. By the time I left this evening his breathing was more natural and he was able to maintain O2 saturation levels at 93-97%.
Tonight, Pete is trying to get some much needed rest, so that he is able to start physical therapy tomorrow. Thank you again for your continued support and well wishes! I can't tell you how much it is appreciated!
After three successful breathing trials over the past day and a half, they decided that Pete was ready to be extubated today! He is still very sick and still has a ways to go, but this is a definite step in the right direction!
As I write this he is extubated and doing well. They are keeping him on an oxygen mask until he is able to maintain an O2 saturation level above 97%. He is able to talk, but everything comes out as a hoarse whisper and a little slurred.
I know you've talked to Eric a few times since Peter's been in the hospital,
but we wanted you to know that we're all thinking of you and Peter. I check
the blog several times a day for any updates. (I'm not savvy enough to
subscribe!)
Sydney drew these pictures in hopes that they would cheer everyone up and
help Uncle Peter to feel better. We've had a long, cold winter and we're
looking forward to the return of the bugs.
Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help you.
