Steps for permanent dialysis...

Information update

On Monday the doctors will put in a dialysis catheter in Larrys neck....  this will allow him to come home when they can find a dialysis center that can deal with his LVAD as well.....

This will be a temporary port, they plan on doing a fistula Y graft in his arm for eventual use, but it takes a couple of months for that to heal...  dont know when that is planned for......  hoping to find out on Monday....  

He is back on iv heparin drip because he cant take his coumadin prior to this surgery/procedure....  such a fine line between clotting and not with his pump....

Cardiologist says his heart/LVAD are doing fine....  and Larry likes the kidney team doctors....  he really is doing well considering...  at least he can see the water, and now that he has his Ipad he can keep up....  

 Catheter 

A FISTULA

A surgeon connects an artery to a vein, usually in your arm, to create an AV fistula. An artery is a blood vessel that carries blood away from your heart. ... The AV fistula is a blood vessel made wider and stronger by a surgeon to handle the needles that allow blood to flow out to and return from a dialysis machine.

Ok...  today he had all Iv’s removed, but his numbers are not doing what we had hoped....

Larry had severe pancreatitis right before we got married, the years of being insulin dependent diabetic took a toll on his kidneys....  about 5 years ago ge was told he had stage 3 kidney disease....

so it us beginning to look like his kidneys just are tired...

the doctor told him today that he can walk out and most likely die in A couple of weeks or he could begin dialysis....  in the past when we discussed this, Larry was worried that it would hurt, but after going through this he now understands just what it is, but he is ok with doing it...

so not sure when he will get to come home, but he has his ipad now, his glasses and his teeth.... so we just monitor and adjust...

No matter what I have been blessed to have Larry for as long as I have...  I treasure the life we have....  and the time we will have....

Ok. Todays update...

Larry is in a room on the 9th floor with a waterview....
his dialysis port is out....  he seems to be feeling good....

Tomorrow I am taking a care package to TGH for him...
Some basic essentials, like his glasses and his teeth....
And phone charger...

Some grooming stuff too.... he went a week ago via ambulance transport, so none of those items were on my thoughts to gather...
I gathered his LVAD essential...

The Nephrologist doctor is now watching over him.... heart seems good, but kidneys are the concern, but today I heard the doctor say, via phone, that right now he wants to monitor his numbers, my guess is 4 or 5 days....  there is always a possibility of future dialysis but that is not a given....

Thanks everyone for your concern....  many of you needs prayers as well...  you have mine....

Update on Larry
Tuesday at noon, April 14

Ok. Just talked to nurse.....  Allison, she was with him yesterday as well....

He did have `1 unit of blood yesterday numbers were slowly dropping, hemoglobin now at 9

Stopped dialysis st noon yesterday, then did last night for 10 hours
He is peeing on his own, and eating about 80% of his food and getting protein shakes

Might decide to do hemodialysis hold till tomorrow... watching his numbers
Then will go to dialysis as needed... rather than scheduled.

Map in high 80’s so increased his coreg

The dialysis line he is on is not compatible to the floor type, so before they transfer him they will do a line exchange....  maybe tomorrow on that.....

So will be in ICU until at least Thursday....  which in my mind means he gets better monitoring....

PT coming today to get him up and moving, but he was in his chair for about 4 hours yesterday....

All postives....

It is such a relief to be able to facetime him...  actually I am letting him connect with me, since I dont know how he is feeling or who is there...  he just finished PT

Thank you friends for following and caring....

Sunday 7pm update

Good info phone call with nurse Dillon.... about an hour ago, then Larry just called... as I was typing this update..

Ok. No fever, no pain,
vital signs are all stable...
Heart rate jumped this afternoon to 150, but started carbetasol (sp). And it is normal now
Decided to not stop dialysis yet because he does have a kidney infection,

Creatinine 1.6
Bun 27
Potass 4.4
Mag.    2.2
Phos.   2.5

Will be in ICU at least 3 more days....
i told Dillon I have a concern with the floor, since I cannot be up there....  last time he was in a room at the end of the hall, and the nurses told me, they could not hear his lvad alarms in that room.....

But he is ok with being there for now, and is in much improved spirits, ready to get feeling better....

Update on Larry’s condition.
Sunday, April 12 12:45pm

Larry is doing better today, but still a LONG way to go....  no one has said, but he will be in the hospital for many more days, if not weeks.

he was in severe renal failure.. got that controlled to some extent by putting him on dialysis... and a lot of other bags of fluids.....  his numbers were higher than they have ever been....  severity 10 on a 1-10 scale according to his LVAD nurse.... I was actually allowed to go into the hospital to see him on Thursday night when he was so critical

Then his INR was so very high that he was having gastric bleeds, so got that back down and the bleeds have seemed to stop.

Yesterday they did ct scans, abdomen, chest, pelvis, and he had some pneumonia, temp also was at 101.5.

But this morning his temp is back down, he is breathing better, O saturation is good, and he is more alert...

he is in Tampa General Hospital because he has a LVAD heart pump....  still in ICU, which is fine with me... better monitoring...

i did get to facetime for a very short time this morning, which helped me cope...

thank you all, for prayers, for posts, for texts....  Larry has done this too many times.... survived 4x before when they said he would not make it...  his will to stay with me longer is amazing....

to keep myself occupied, I have been building, cleaning out cabinets, and today making a new batch of egg noodles to dry....  I am not a tv watcher and my mind is too restless to read....

Again and again thank you to his great medical team...

Sun 9am update april 12

Just talked to nurse Matt who was with him yesterday....
He said he seems much improved over yesterday....
more lively and in good spirits
breathing better with regular nasal canula. O saturation is great.
Temp down to 98.8
Ct did show some pneumonia
Treating him with 4 different antibiotics, 2 this am, 2 in pm

Pancreas - no significant inflamation, ct does show chronic pancreatitis,

Just got to do a quick facetime with him.... he looks pretty good, very alert.... doctor came in so we cut is short....