There have been technical difficulties in trying to post this. My laptop is being very contrary and not wanting pull anything up. And I couldn't remember my password for the blog to use my desktop. But, I decided to get my little cheat book out and look it up since I still can't get the laptop to do anything.

After saying all of that, there's really not much to tell you as far as yesterday went. The combination of meds they gave Bill to sleep did not work and they finally gave him the higher dose of Xanax. They said he then slept from 2 until 6 and then he slept the entire day, except for a few minutes here and there. The speech therapist came in and couldn't get him to stay awake long enough to try the speaking valve again. And his oxygen level stayed on the lower side of acceptable.

They did put him in the chair, which is not only horrible for me but also for him. It's lopsided, especially the footrest so he kept slumping over to the side. I told our nurse that the one we had we taken one night and I told her there was no way I could stay with him and sleep in that chair, especially since it doesn't recline fully. She was going to look for another one since there are a couple of empty rooms now. The recliners are also for patients to use and it can't be good for a patient to sit in such an old piece of furniture that should have been tossed out years ago.

They've said that he gets very anxious as soon as I leave, even though he tells me it's ok to go. And when he's calling the nurse in the night he wants to know when I'm getting there and that I haven't been there all day. I also think that when he calls the nurse, he thinks he's turning on the TV. He just pushes the top button because he tells them when they come in that he doesn't need anything. They still are not keeping his room completely dark. They can monitor is numbers from the nurses station and his bed is alarmed should he be able to move enough to try to get out of bed. So, again, why don't they close the blinds in his door and windows and let it get dark! I've noticed the more mobile patients have their doors closed, and it was closed when I was there. It doesn't make much sense, especially when you have a patient who is not sleeping.

I talked it over with Rachel and with Cindy the nurse for cardiology about giving him a lower dose of xanax during the day. He had taken .25 mg for years before the transplant and could take it up to 4 times a day. And then at night give him the .5 mg when it's bedtime, not in the middle of the night. That way maybe he won't be so anxious when I'm not there, but not so sleepy and loopy that he sleeps all day. Hopefully that got passed in report last night and put into his chart.

Dr. Williams wants to bronch him again today. He was starting to have some thicker secretions again. He said his x-ray looks the best it has looked in a long time. I think he was concerned about his sats staying so low yesterday. But, late yesterday when he was in the chair sleeping, his oxygen was 100%. It's like when he doesn't have to think about breathing they are fine but when he's awake more, that's when his respirations rise and his O2 drops. His heart rate has been good, along with his blood pressure. The only medication he's getting by IV is one of his transplant meds. He's even getting his lasix through the feeding tube now instead through the picc line. And it's been cut to once a day.

I'm going late today. I have to get the oil changed in my car and take care of some other business. The nurses know I won't be there until later. I also told Dr. Williams and hopefully he'll do the bronch this morning so Bill will be sedated and won't realize that I'm not there.

They had to move the patient in the room next to him yesterday while they air quality system was worked on. The air is filtered about 3 times in the unit and apparently the quality in his room was below standards. I know they were checking all the rooms the other day. There was also another death yesterday afternoon. The family made the decision to let her go and she passed away late in the day. The only change I would have made would have been to make sure all of the patient doors were closed when they removed her body. I watched the man from the funeral home take his gurney, covered with a burgundy velvet blanket, to her room, and then wheel it back out with the body covered. It seems that not only would it lend a little more dignity to her and the family, it wouldn't bother the other patients and families. I may suggest that to Dr. Mullinax, the palliative care dr. Just an observation. I just said a prayer as she passed by. I hadn't talked to any of the family members as her room was farther down the hall than the other families I've talked to. So that's the 2nd and possibly 3rd loss since he's been there. And yesterday was Day 32, for those of you keeping count.

It's another nice raiy day, with a little thunder this morning. I'm glad I'm not driving in it. I don't like driving in the rain...in the dark. I haven't even ventured out to feed the cats this morning, but they haven't triggered the security light so they haven't come out from under the house yet.

So, that's it. Maybe Bill will be awake when I eventually get there today. I'll stay a little later than usual since I'm going late, maybe talk to the night staff about keeping the room dark and the meds. I'll see once I see how he did last night.