Kevin Part 2

Well...here we go again....Kevin take two.

Wednesday, September 4th:

Kevin's mom took him to the cardiologist for his recheck and another echo cardiogram to see if the fluid had increased.  When we had left the hospital the last time, they said the fluid was just a  little, but it was at the back of the heart, so they couldn't drain it even if they wanted to. So Kevin had come home on some medicine.  Unfortunately it had increased and so now they had to go in and drain the fluid from around his heart. (Which Kevin and I both knew that he wasn't getting better, but we thought the doctor would change his medicine and send him home) Nope! I got the call that he was going right back to the hospital.  His scan showed that the fluid had increased to all the way around his heart now and it was too dangerous for him to go home and come back the next day for the procedure. The procedure to drain the fluid would be the next day, Thursday and off to the hospital he went.

So I went to pick Madalyn up at church daycare, came home and packed a bag for all of us and my father-in-law drove Madalyn and myself to the hospital.  My mother-in-law and father-in-law took Madalyn home with them for the night.

In the mean time while I was preparing to be at the hospital for the next few days, Kevin was showing out at the hospital.  He had eaten breakfast, but had not eaten lunch. He thought that after his doctor's visit, he could go eat lunch. Well that didn't happen.  While they were getting is IV in him and some other things, Kevin ends up passing out and it was quit a scene from my understanding. He was in the hospital bed at the time, so they leaned him back with his feet in the air.  Kevin said that was the best sleep he had gotten in two weeks and didn't like waking up to someone tapping him on his head and asking him all kinds of silly questions. :0)

That night, our Pastor, Keith, came to visit Kevin, he prayed over Kevin and anointed him.  We both appreciated him coming to visit with us and praying for Kevin.


Thursday, September 5th:

The nurses kept telling us that they didn't know when the procedure would be because there were two people in front of Kevin and they didn't know how long it would take them.  About lunch time, they came to get Kevin ready and around 2:30, they took him down to the OR room.  What they did was, they put a heart catheter inside the sac around the heart to drain the fluid out.  They left the catheter in until Sunday.  However, if they felt it was better for them to take out part of the sac from around the heart, then they would go ahead and do that too.

Kevin and Cedric on the way to surgery



While were were waiting,we got to meet Annie.  Annie is a very special therapy dog, who gets to come around and visit people in the hospital.  The main purpose for Annie is to help the patients and their families to be able to let their minds focus on something else for a few minutes.  So, my mother-in-law saw Annie and asked if we could see her and we learned about her story.



 

Annie and her owner/trainer



Somewhere between 4 and 4:30 that afternoon, the surgeon came out and said that everything went well. They didn't take part of the sac, but just put in the catheter.  They ended up draining 400 cc's of fluid  from around his heart (which is about the same as 2 cups of fluid).  The surgeon said that in about an hour we would be able to go see him in the recovery room.

So I went to get something to eat, Kevin's mom went home to take care of Madalyn (she had been at the church all this time with my sister-in-law, Tori), and my dad  stayed in the waiting area.  While I was gone, a nurse came out and told my dad that Kevin had had some breathing problems when they were pulling the breathing tube out and that it would be another hour before we could see him.  (Later, Friday morning, I found out in detailed what his breathing problems were exactly).  Apparently when they pulled the breathing tube out, because Kevin is strong and healthy, his body started to fight the breathing tube, and his voice box closed on top of his windpipe because the throat was beginning to spasm.  This caused Kevin  not be able to breathe and he started sucking fluid into his lungs.  They did about 3 things really quick to try to get him breathing, but then had to put the breathing tube back down his throat rather forcefully.  Kevin said that was the most traumatic part of this whole thing. Not being able to breathe and trying to tell them you can't breathe (which he didn't realize that they worked very fast and the machine was breathing for him).  It took a minute or two for Kevin's body to realize it was breathing again on it's own before they pulled the breathing tube out.  So imagine that you are completely tied down and can't move at all and be able not to breath and have all these people around you and you can't seem to get help (at least you feel that way).  He said that Friday morning, the anesthesiologist, came in to apologize for his throat being so sore. But she said that it had been 10 years since she had seen this happen to someone, but that his lips had turned blue on them.  (I was glad I didn't know that part Thursday night, it was hard enough knowing what I did know and sitting in that waiting room). But that was why  he had to stay in the ICU of the heart floor Thursday night.  During all of this, they asked Kevin if they wanted him to go get me, but he shook his head know. He didn't want me to see him with a breathing tube in.

I couldn't stay at the hospital, so I was just going to drive home, when I realized how silly that would be, because we had family and friends that live in Columbia.  So, Kevin's cousin Brantley was very kind to come pick me up at the hospital and let me stay with them for the night especially when it was her husband's birthday.  That way I was only about 15 minutes from the hospital instead of an hour away, if I was needed I could get to him pretty quickly.  It was so nice to get a hot shower, and have a comfy couch to sleep on. It was also nice to have my mind being able to get out of the hospital and to focus on something else for a change.  I made quick friends with one of their dogs, Lexi.  Brantley said that she normally doesn't take to someone that quickly, but I think Lexi knew that I needed some extra attention that night.  :0)



Friday, September 6th:

Friday morning, Brantley and her little girl, Katherine Grace, drove me back to the hospital.  When I went back to see Kevin, he had had a good night, but was having some breathing trouble again.  He had been on 30% Oxygen during the night, but was now on 100%. Meaning that he was having a good bit of trouble breathing still.  I asked about him being seen by a lung doctor and they were able to get one to come see him that afternoon. Unless he could keep his Oxygen level above 90 and at about 50% Oxygen, he wouldn't be allowed to be moved to a room Friday night.  They did a CT scan on Kevin's lungs and drew some blood, which we won't have the blood work results back for a week or so.  But the lung doctor said that what happened to him with the breathing tube didn't have anything to do with him having asthma. Kevin has had some trouble with his asthma since about April.  He's been having to do his inhaler about every day and that's not normal for him.  So we are working with her to see what is going on with his lungs and to get his asthma under control.  Thankfully, he was able to get his levels up and was able to move into a room.  With his family following close behind him: his mom and dad, his brother (Nick), one sister (Tori), Madalyn, my parents, and of course, me. That evening Kevin also had some cousins (Andy and Hazel Sandifer) to visit him.

While we were at the hospital, Madalyn was having fun at church.



 

 

 

Madalyn helping Kevin to his room



Saturday, September 7th:

The lung doctor came to see Kevin and said that his CT scan looked good. She couldn't see any build up of bacteria.  (See they were looking for bacteria to see if the chickens, had caused a build up of bacteria in his lungs, or if anything else had caused it.)  She said that Kevin would go home on some new medicines for his asthma and would see her regularly over the next little bit until she feels his asthma is being controlled and then just once a year, unless he has problems.  Once the blood work has a chance to come back, he will go see her for a follow-up visit.  Kevin had told the nurses in ICU that he had to be in a room by 4:00 pm on Saturday so he could watch the game.  There's no TV in ICU, so Kevin only had the clock to watch to which he said he saw every hour come around. He didn't sleep at all Thursday night.  Kevin's sister, Heather, came by that morning to visit and then my uncle Keith, aunt Felicia, and cousin Emily came for the afternoon. The guys watched the ballgame while us girls talked.

Sunday, September 8th:

The surgeon came around and took the heart catheter out because it was just barely draining now.  They also did another echo cardiogram and didn't see fluid and everything looked good according the girl who did the scan, but we had to wait on the official word from Kevin's doctor on Monday.  I stayed with Kevin for most of the day on Sunday, then I came home last night.  I felt that he was okay to leave now and I had missed four days already of school and wanted to get back to school.  Plus, Madalyn was starting preschool for the first time on Monday.  :0)

Monday, September 9th:

I came to school, my dad took Madalyn to school, and Kevin's mom went to go pick him up at the hospital and bring him home.  He got the official word that he could go home today.  His first stop before coming home was to get some lunch. He had not ordered his lunch at the hospital because he had hoped to be out before then. He left around 12:30 pm.  He will go for a check up in two weeks to the cardiologist.  He told Kevin that if the fluid was to come back, it would come back by then. So we will continue to pray for complete healing and for the fluid not to come back.  Kevin said he couldn't go through this again.


It has been a crazy, stressful, emotional,  two weeks around our household.  I told Kevin last night I have been at Providence Hospital too long, because I was having to give directions to people.  But I will have to say, we couldn't have asked for better treatment from the doctors to the nurses, to the cleaning ladies while were were there both times.  I really appreciate all they did for Kevin and for myself.  I also appreciate all the prayers that were sent up for Kevin.  Thank you to all of our family, friends, and co-workers.  We may never know the cause behind Kevin getting sick, which is okay. The main thing is that hopefully now he is on the road to a complete recovery.  Praise God for the healing and continued healing that He will do on Kevin.

A verse that was special to me during our stay in the hospital was Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going

    both now and forevermore.

   Thank you Lord, for your healing on Kevin and our family. AMEN!