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Showing posts with label Lissa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lissa. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Update, Sheets and a Share

10:19 AM | Posted by Mel

Lissa Update

I just returned from a visit to Utah where I was able to play Hand and Foot (card game) with Lissa at the rehab center she has been moved to!  It was soooo great to see Lissa sitting up and able to speak!  She had a trache plug to make sure she could go with out having to use the trache tube for 10 days, if so they will take it out completely!!

Lissa has been working hard at physical therapy, pushing herself to be able to go home!!  She can move herself from her bed to her wheel chair and it gives her a great sense of accomplishment.  It’s a miracle really, a true miracle.

One of her 8 year old sons, Brady asked her if she could come home for a sleep over for just one night.  AWWww!!  When Lissa told her that the doctors probably wouldn’t let her leave yet, he asked if she could come home for a couple of hours.  Still nope, not yet . . . but getting there!

* * * * * *

I’ve got a few deadlines for this and that, but what am I doing??

second hand diamond prog

Sewing up my vintage sheets, top almost done . . . pics to follow.

* * * * * *

I have to share with you a wonderful FREE program that Trisha let me know about when I was having lots of blog uploading problems.  It’s Windows Live Writer.

My preferred browser is difficult to run Blogger tasks so Live Writer is my answer!  Live Writer has it’s own blogging format, but you don’t have to use it, I don’t.  I like Blogger, but it’s totally compatible!!

It’s a universal writing program in which you write posts then upload to your blog.  Whether you use Blogger, Wordpress, etc this is an writing editing program where you can insert pictures, links, tables, etc. You don’t have to change any of your presets with your blog!!

When you are ready, just push ‘Publish’ and you are blogged! Yes, you can schedule your postings too if you want to pre-post.

I love it, maybe it will make your life easier too!  Thanks to Trisha and everyone else who shares their knowledge!!

Labels: , | 9 comments
Wednesday, June 30, 2010

A Lissa Update {Thank You!}

10:30 PM | Posted by Mel
It's been a LOOOONG (almost) 7 months since my sweet sister-in-law Lissa went to the ER with excruciating stomach and back spasms. 


{Lissa and her youngest son, Logan.  Early 2009}

To have Lissa complain about something was shock enough, but to have her ask to be taken to the ER - we knew something must be terribly wrong . . .  and it was.

Ultrasounds and MRI testing showed that due to several gall stones, Lissa's pancreas got terribly infected.  Both of her kidneys were in failure.  Her lungs were in failure too as she had created Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a more severe form of pneumonia. Her blood pressure dropped to an alarming rate.  Her white blood cell count was up, indicating infection and her liver enzymes were also high.


Ironically, her oxygen and temperature, at this point, are good/normal.


{Lissa playing cards and drinking a Pepsi. September 2009}


Lissa needed dialysis since her kidneys have shut down.  With all the immediate and extreme care Lissa needs, Tooele hospital send her into Salt Lake City to the University of Utah Hospital.  This is where she remains.

Lissa's heart was restarted THREE times with in a three day period.
Naturally, family members were getting worried and gathering so I flew back to Utah to be closer to the situation.

While there, Geri and I bought a pink Christmas tree for Lissa's room and some decorations.  The hospital staff was sooooo encouraging of us brightening up Lissa's room.  Arrangements were made for a CD player and some of her favorite CDs (mostly Country) to be brought into her room.  Since it was Christmas time, they played Christmas music including her favorite soundtrack of The Nutcracker.

Operations to remove the infected organs at this point was not a possibility since her heart was too weak to handle that additional trauma.  The longer the affected organs remained nonworking, the harder it would be to get them started again.  Time was not on her side. 




During this time Lissa was in and out of consciousness and on pain meds.  It was so hard to see as her face grimace showing the pain and nightmare that is going on within.


About a week later


Lissa is still on life support.  Anti anxiety meds are being administered so her heart rate can come down making it possible to go in and remove the gall bladder and any other infections.


Another week goes by


A feeding tube has been inserted into a vein because her stomach and intestines are not working.  Lissa has an intestinal infarcment in her small intestine, meaning a part of the small intestine has died. There is also a blood clot by her liver.


Nurses report that Lissa has become even less responsive, not responding to by opening her eyes or squeezing their hands.


By this time, still in December, the medical staff got Lissa's body stable enough to remove infected organs and infection.  At this point, much of the decision to do so was life threatening - there was so much toxins inside her that Lissa would certainly have died if the dead or infected areas weren't removed.


They took out Lissa's gall bladder, colon, and large pieces of her pancreas and  small intestine.  Removing these organs were critical to her life, but as expected, pockets of infections were harder to locate and get rid of.


Lissa was going into surgery at least once a day to be 'cleaned out'.  To keep this procedure as quick, easy and sanitary as possible, the Dr's kept the incision open (from her sternum to her pelvic bone) using a Velcro type technique.


Lissa had been hooked up to continuous dialysis since her kidneys were still not working.  A tracheotomy was performed for direct oxygen. Lissa is having to be tied down (arms) because she tries to pull out all her tubes.  It is very, very heartbreaking.


On December 30th, when her husband Mark went into visit, Lissa was able to smile and mouth some words.  Because of the trache, she had no voice.


Into the new year, nurses unofficially put Lissa at a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worse.  Not a great way to start the year.  The daily operational clean up continues.  Abnormally colored fluids are coming from  unknown location internally.


End of January


Lissa is more awake now and is becoming depressed. There are no answers for her/our questions and no end to her boredom.  Lissa has not seen her boys for almost 2 months.  Her three boys are her life.  It's so hard to see our care free, always happy Lissa in such emotional and physical pain.


During a 'clean out' the Dr. could see blood filling up her abdomen cavity.  The artery to her spleen had burst about the same time they got her dressings off.
After 5 hours of vascular surgery, they had patched the artery and removed her spleen.  40 units of blood were needed for this surgery.

In February Lissa's kidneys have started working!!  The trache has a button now that allows Lissa to speak for bits of time.  Physical therapists are working Lissa's arms and legs.  Infection pockets are still forming and so are the daily clean outs. 



Lissa's boys were able to go in and see their mother in March!!  The visit lifted her spirits immensely!  Because of all the meds Lissa is delusional from time to time.  Lissa is able to talk more and reports of her talking endlessly make us happy!!  She seems to be working through the depression.


Doctors take a skin graft from the top of Lissa's thigh in a third attempt to patch the artery that broke.  This time they used mussel tissue.  She still has the huge opening for surgeries, the trache, still being fed through an IV. Pneumonia sets in again and is accompanied by sepsis.


By the middle of April, Lissa has had 28 surgeries and over 200 units of blood.  The Doctors are going to skin graft over the huge opening in her stomach - no more clean outs!  She has sat up in bed on her own for a couple of minutes!  


A couple of days ago Lissa had a swallow study done to see if she could tolerate food. Saltines, yes.  Applesauce, no.  Ice chips, good!


Friends and family are going to go celebrate Lissa's birthday with her.  The staff thinks this is a wonderful idea.  I wish I could be there with them, but they promised to take pics and tell me all about it!


I was having lunch with a friend while back in Utah and was updating her on Lissa.  She commented that if she didn't know us personally, she would have thought all this was exaggerated or made up.


Thank you ALL for your prayers, thoughts, positive energy, and kind words you've sent.  I'm amazed and comforted by those of you who inquire about Lissa even when I haven't posted about her.


Labels: | 20 comments

Happy Birthday Lissa!!

12:16 AM | Posted by Mel
I love you Liss!!  
Congratulations on your new gift - I hope it gives you hours of entertainment and company!  Skype me!!


For everyone else, today is Lissa's birthday!!  Unfortunately she is celebrating it in the hospital, BUT fortunately she IS able to celebrate it!!  It's been a hard 7 months!!  One of her presents is a lap top so she can finally be in contact with the rest of the world!!


I'll post more on that and give you all an update in the next couple of days.


Labels: | 5 comments
Monday, December 21, 2009

Lissa Update

4:41 PM | Posted by Mel
Lissa (who?) has an intestinal infarcment in her small intestine, which means a part of the small intestine has died.  She also has a blood clot by her liver.  


They are moving her to the surgical ICU and will be doing surgery to take out the dead part of the intestine and fix it up either tonight or tomorrow.  They aren't able to give any blood thinner for the clot until after the surgery.


They have had to give her anti-anxiety medicine the past few days and had to increase her oxygen again.





She has been less responsive the last few days.  She will open her eyes when they say her name but won't respond in any other way.  The nurse said that she's not following commands anymore, like squeezing their hands. 


Her stomach and intestines are not working so they had to put her feeding tube right into her vein
The picture here of Lissa is during one of our many, many Hand and Foot games at our parents-in-law's.  She always wins, and she always drinks Pepsi.  I don't think there's a correlation.

Labels: , , | 23 comments
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