The Pub Discussion Board

Okay, in order:

* No, I haven't really been writing anything lately.  Though I'm past the major stress of the hearing, I just haven't been able to get my muse in gear.

* I don't have "proofreaders".  I have "reviewers".  The difference is in what they're looking for.  A proofreader is checking mechanics (spelling, punctuation, grammar).  A reviewer is checking story content.  If you wish to become a reviewer, then you should submit to me (via email) a review of the last thing you read of mine.  Reviews are intended to contain: what you liked about the chapter, what you didn't like about the chapter, things that confused you, any questions that may have arisen because of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the continuation of the story.

* I don't do a whole lot of reading, but I'll keep your recommendations in mind for the future.

Eric Storm

Wait. What?

You accept reviews ?

Folks, I need to let you all know what's going on.

Currently, Keeshaba is in the hospital.  It is unknown whether she will come out.

As I mentioned, last week, she and I both contracted the flu.  It was a slightly nastier version than I'm used to, but it wasn't really horrible.  I am recovering, with just a remnant cough.

In Keeshaba's case, however, that is not what happened.  Her flu symptoms grew to overwhelm her, and on Saturday night/Sunday morning, we went to the ER.  (That's where we were diagnosed with Flu type A.  I say "we" because we obviously had the same illness.  She was the only one being diagnosed.)  She spent five and a half hours in the ER, getting IV fluids, some electrolytes, anti-nausea meds, and whatnot.  By the time she left, she wasn't feeling wonderful, but she was feeling a whole lot better than she had been.

This condition was not to last.  On Monday, she started to find it more difficult to breathe.  As we both had a cough, we wrote it off to that.  Her doctor wanted to see her on Tuesday, anyway, so there was little to do but let the flu run its course.

On Tuesday, we tried to cancel the appointment, because Keeshaba didn't feel well enough to drive.  The doctor insisted on seeing us, and actually sent a taxi to get us.  By the time we made it into the doctor's office, Keeshaba could barely talk, she was so out of it.  Her blood oxygen saturation level was 48%.  (No, that is NOT a typo.)  The doc gave her two nebulizer treatments, IV fluids, steroids and antibiotics.  She arranged for home oxygen, and sent us home and ordered us to return in the morning.

Last night, Keeshaba's blood saturation was even lower.  It dipped all the way down to 42%, and never got above 61%.  (For those unaware, anything below 92% is considered a problem.)  When we arrived at the doctor's office, after a very brief consultation among about five of the healthcare providers at our GP (it's a medical group), we were sent for a ride in the boxy taxi with the fancy lights on it (better known as an ambulance).

Keeshaba has been at the hospital since.  She has been diagnosed with advancing sepsis, which has led to ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome).  She was intubated, but its taking their machine at full pressure just to keep her blood saturation in "acceptable" levels.  They are medicating the hell out of her, but they do not know if that will work or not.

Their last resort would be to attempt to transfer her to Tampa General Hospital.  TGH has more and better equipment than our local hospital, but even if they'll take the case, it may not be enough.

I do not know the outcome of this tale yet.  All I know is that I've been up for 30 hours straight, I'm tired, and I'm very worried.

Thank you for listening,
Eric Storm

My thoughts are with you as well - hoping for her recovery.  Please take care of yourself though, so that you are there for Keeshaba.

Too few people realize that the flu can either be fatal in itself, or open the body to opportunistic infections which can be, themselves, fatal. IOW - don't let it get the upper hand.

Last edited by darthel0101 (2019-02-07 00:18:28)

The shitty part is, darthel, that if they transfer her, I won't be able to be there for her.  I can't drive, which means I have no means to reach anywhere so far away.  She would be there alone.  (Of course, she would also be there unconscious, so she would not notice, but that's not really the point...)

Both Tampa General and the Largo hospital have rejected transfers, for whatever reason.  They are still waiting to hear back from Orlando and Gainesville.  As of midnight, her readings were stable... but then stable, when you're this bad, isn't really a good thing.

Eric Storm

Eric,

Even at this point, and even with everything that has happened, the fact that she has stabilised is a good thing.

Think of organ failures as a trail of dominos - once that first one falls over, they just continue to fall. That hospital has managed to put a block in the way of that toppling trail and, with time and support, now has a chance to set the ones which have fallen back upright.

A couple of years before she succumbed to pancreatic cancer, my other half went into diabetic sugar shock with a reading of 945 on the blood tester. Just for information, IIRC, personal testers stop registering at about 800 as once that point is reached, it's a slippery slide downhill from then on. Her organs had started failing as well, but they were able to sustain her long enough for the organs to start working again.

Hoping for Keeshaba's full recovery.

Hey Eric. I'm so sorry. If the new hospital isn't a crazy distance, I may be able to help out with some taxi/uber money.

My thoughts and prayers will be with you and Keeshaba. Hope everything turns out alright.

Keeshaba Update:

Not a lot to say.  Keeshaba is still in serious condition, but she is stable.  Yesterday, she had a bleed in her leg caused by one of the many lines inserted into her.  They put in a stent, and that problem is, for the moment, solved.  She is currently on dialysis - this is common for people on ECMO; sometimes their kidneys just can't keep up.  Other than that, she has shown neither improvement nor deterioration as of yet.

Eric Storm

Very sorry to hear what´s happening Eric.  Here hoping she will pull through.

Hey Eric how's she doing?

Thoughts and prayers are going out daily from the house. Lord and Lady watch over you both.

Josh

Hoping and praying for the best.

Definitely a go on the flue shots.  As a diabetic, I've been getting them for years.

I'm not going to second-guess her GP.  Her O2 levels in the dr's office had gotten up to 80%, so she probably felt that full O2 would be sufficient.  Keep in mind no one was expecting her to become septic.

As to today's procedure... she is still alive, but today did not go at all well.  I just got back from Gainesville, if that gives you any hints.

I will relate more later.  Right now, I'm just a little too drained.

Eric Storm