Aug 21 - ICU

My family and I are going to WI near the MN border early on Thursday and will return Monday evening. If you are inclined to visit Mom, please make an extra trip to visit her while I'm gone. I have been visiting her 4-5 days a week and feel guilty about not being there while we're gone.

Mom continues to be on the vent but she hasn't had a temp in the last 24 hours that I was able to learn about. They were talking about weaning her off the vent again but this time much slower. The orders hadn't come through from the docs when I was there this morning at 8 am.

Yesterday, Dad told me that they found an infection in her urine though the am nurse this morning couldn't confirm that since she hadn't looked at Mom's chart yet. She hasn't been on antibiotics for the last 36 hours that I know of. She has been itchy so they give her Benedryl. She scratches so much and so hard that she's drawing blood. Basically, her pic line isn't being unused. The Infectious Disease doc mentioned that she had bacteria in her sputum.

Last night, Mom pulled out her feeding tube and appeared to be trying to extract her pic line. I'm not surprised because she kept pulling at all the wires while I visited her yesterday and kept holding her arms in funny positions. She was uncomfortable and antsy. Mom and I have been talking about her getting a temporary feeding tube through her side and get that tube out of her nose. She's on board with that notion. I told the nurse today. We'll see if anything happens.

Mom seems to be slipping into "ICU psychosis" again. She "can't" hear although that is very sporadic. In the past, her hallucinations were proceeded by so-called hearing difficulties. It's hard to tell when she can hear and can't because she's so agreeable she'll not her head along with you whether she can hear you or not. Hard of hearing seems to be Mom's ICU psychosis M.O.

Mom was happy to show off her newly polished toes and filed finger nails thanks to Aunt Susie.

I liked Mom's nurse today and last night -- I feel like this is a record for her having a pleasant nurse two shifts in a row. I consistently like the Respiratory Techs too. I am a bit dissatisfied with some of the nurses and all of the docs. Lovely, right? The resident in charge of Mom's case is unpleasant. She continues to talk down to me and interrupts me when I talk to her. The longer Mom is in Hurley, the less impressed I become. Have you noticed the scraps of garbage in the elevators? In Mom's room?

I haven't gotten a decent, informed update in a while. I will call tomorrow morning to get one. I'm too tired this evening.