January 16-17

Wow! Another hard day for Jodi yesterday! Let’s hope this one is better. She has had pain in her right side for a couple of days but yesterday it topped out. She suffered all day while she waited for an x-ray of her chest and a CT of her abdomen. Of course, they had to hold her blood thinner in case they had to put a drainage tube into her right side to drain off fluid that was accumulating between her right lung and her chest wall. She had a plural effusion (the build-up of fluid outside her lung in her chest cavity). That is where they had to put a drainage tube. She also had to once more receive a contrast fluid in her abdomen and platelets before she could have the two procedures(if they found a mass of infection in her abdomen, they wanted to use a needle to drain it). Late in the day they told us that it was too late to do the Ct scan but that they would do the chest x-ray. I broke down and cried. I got angry and told them that they were going to have to work it out because she was not going to wait another day while they held her blood thinner and have to prepare once more with the platelets etc. just for the CT scan. The nurses and doctors agreed and fought for her and late last night she had both the x-ray and the CT done.

They did not find any infection in her abdomen which was a great plus but today her heart rate continues to rise and her blood gasses are showing the possibility of a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs). They have done an EKG and they are doing what is called a Doppler study to see if she might have a blood clot in her legs or arms. She is still in a lot of pain with the drainage tube in her right side (for the plural effusion)but they have given her another narcotic to help with that. She has also been put on a PCA pump so that she can give herself pain meds as she needs them. That gives her better control over her pain. Today they will put another NG tube down her nose (this one is much smaller and much more comfortable than her last one) It will go into her small intestine to feed her and then they can take her of off the TPN feedings. This type of feeding is so much safer and better for her.

Lots of ups and downs at this point but the doctors are very optimistic that she will get over this hump. Her spirits are remarkably good. Sometimes she gives me hope when I am discouraged. Robert says the same thing. Keep praying for her. We need all your prayers.

Connie