The Poison Is In The Dose....

Now with all the blood products being massively pumped into me..... I have broken out in a all encompassing "rash" that feels like fire ants feasting on what's left of me.

It's going to be a loooooong night.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Darkness Comes In Waves....

The blooding is back.

With a vengeance.

So far tonight they've given me:

• 2 Units of Blood

• 4 Units of Plasma

• 6 Units of Platelets 

And it's only 1:30 am.

All of this is not very conducive to good sleep.

I hope you are all resting well.

One more sun comes sliding down the sky...

Day 12 here at The Pinnacle again finds Bob still residing in the ICU. 

Today I was lucky enough to get Deb the ICU whiz back as my nurse and one of the first things she noticed after coming on duty was that my BP was again way too low and heart rate was way too high so just like Alisha yesterday she was quick to call the doc and get things resolved. 

They are good here.

The drug therapy started yesterday seems (very cautious optimism here) to

be working as the bleeding, although not 

completely stopped, has definitely decreased.

On the slight downer side is this BP / heart rate thing and the fact that my  white blood count took a leap today and

this can be indicative of infection (which would be horrible as I am soooooo  immuno-depressed right now).

So they are putting me on some more

hard core antibiotics.

I have super high hopes to transferred  

out of ICU and to a regular room tomorrow. I was told today that NOBODY goes from ICU - straight home.

So I suppose I'll have to serve some time

in the regular hospital. 

Argh.

Serious cabin fever here.

Thank you to everybody who has been

checking this blog, sharing comments,

thoughts, and prayers.

I am a very lucky man to have you all in my life.

Quiet Stormwaters

So the bleeding is happening at the anastamosis of the pancreas to the rest of the system.
They are doing their best to treat the problem "medically" (as opposed to surgically).
There are several invasive options but the docs really don't want to follow those if at all possible.
So they are "hooking me back up" to what I consider some damn invasive apparati and they have given me more plasma, more platletes, and are trying a rarely used therapy known as cryoprecipitate.

And a very heavy dose of  albumin.

A protein compound to help keep blood nutrients running though the blood and helps prevent these
nutrients from leaking out through the tissues.

Dr. Yang is to be back tomorrow.

I will miss Dr. Ottmann as he goes back to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington tomorrow.

He has been spectacular.

So has been my ICU nurse Alisha today.

She has gone far beyond  her call of duty to ensure my wellbeing and comfort today.
I cannot say enough about this woman or thank her enough.
Alisha was a Godsend today.

 

                   ICU Nurse Alisha and Dr. Shane Ottmann discuss my next course of blood therapy.

I feel that I am in good hands here.

My family has been very supportive.

And I've been showered with good thoughts and prayers from everywhere.

Thank you.

Here We Go

Scan time.

 

My ICU nurse Alisha gets some the equipment together that I need to travel with to the scan department. - I'm not traveling very light these days.



It's not suppose to be like this...

So this morning, as previously posted, I felt like hell and when my new nurse came on she took a very vested interest.

She alerted the Rapid Response Team which brings all kinds of people to your room. Drs., additional nurses, blood people, etc. My BP went super low, heart rate was super high - not a good scene.

They again put me on fast infusion of yet 2 more units of blood and 2 more of platelets. They are taking me for another blood scan shortly. A 1.5  hr scan.

Dr. Ottman has been great. I mean he has been great! He has even called Dr. Yang in France for a consult and  he now thinks that a super boost of platelets may be the ticket.

While he continues to be supportive, he also told me this morning that they can't continue to transfuse me forever. So the time is coming for some sort of decision.

The staff here have ALL been uber awesome. But I'm beginning to see deep concern in their faces. 

I will not lose my faith.

It's an inside job today. 

If ya got an extra prayer...

I'll be sure to pay you back.

Stop this train...I want to get off and go back home again.....

Last night I went to sleep feeling so good.

Numbers were all good.

And the hemorrhaging had all but stopped.

Yesterday with the help of nurse Deb, Travis & Kara,was my best day in ICU so far.

I was really cautiously optimistic that I hand "rounded the curve".

But overnight all the bleeding returned and as much as I hate to even admit it to myself this morning - I feel like death warmed over.

Argh.

Waiting to see what the good Doctors have to say today.

B