Dear friends,
I have realized that these updates will always come at relatively good moments. I am not going to be tweeting during a code!
So, Lydia had a respiratory event earlier this afternoon that led to a room full of white coats for 5-10 minutes and some tense moments for Dad, but it blew over quickly and she's better now. Still just waiting for her lungs to get over her viral infection. So, we're still expecting full recovery, but it will be at least next week before she's breathing on her own. Until then she is mostly just lying there asleep breathing some oxygen and waiting to heal.
So unless things turn worse unexpectedly, Winona will probably take over tonight or tomorrow morning so I can be at church and see the other kids.
Most of you will want to quit there. Thank you. Here's details for all you medical types.
About that 2pm excitement--apparently her endotrachial tube got plugged with a hunk of junk from her lungs, leading to hypoxia and bradycardia and hypotension, and a code being called. Within a minute or two the airway was cleared and all the rest had resolved. Her heart never stopped. Along the way her FiO2 was turned back up (now at 75%) and she's still on an epinephrine drip, currently with arterial pressures around 90/36. An EKG was normal. An echocardiogram showed a small to medium pericardial effusion but normal chamber size and function so the cardiologists don't think it is affecting her to any meaningful extent. Still no culture results that would suggest a bacterial pneumonia, just the positive rapid test for adenovirus.
Thank you,
Kevin Black
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Lydia update #1
Dear friends,
If you haven't heard, our daughter Lydia is in the hospital. Please feel free to forward this information as you feel is appropriate.
Lydia has a viral lung infection (adenovirus). The oxygen levels in her blood were too low even with an oxygen mask, and she developed a fever and low blood pressure, so she was transferred to the intensive care unit and she is now breathing through a tube. That means she's sedated so she doesn't cough it out or pull it out. She is on antibiotics in case there's a bacterial infection too.
For all of that, she is doing OK at the moment. She hasn't had Tylenol or a fever in the past day, and her blood is staying oxygenated on 35% inhaled oxygen. The docs are still worried about why her blood pressure is on the low side, but it is not dropping, and they're watching all the right things. They'll see how she does with some liquid food today.
Mom and Dad are coping. It is difficult for both of us to be more or less useless and unable to fix anything. And, believe it or not, after over 100 child-years of experience, this is the first time one of our children has been hospitalized, so it is new and scary for us. Plus, it's the usual doctor thing, I know too many things I can worry about and too few things that are actually useful.
Charissa has been a huge help. Will, Rose and Jon have been very supportive too, and several friends have offered to help. We are very grateful for all the offers, and at present we're managing fine. The doctors and staff are competent and kind. Lydia has had a priesthood blessing and we are praying for her.
Lydia will be here at least a few days more. If there are big changes, I'll let you know.
Thank you,
Kevin Black
Kevin J. Black
If you haven't heard, our daughter Lydia is in the hospital. Please feel free to forward this information as you feel is appropriate.
Lydia has a viral lung infection (adenovirus). The oxygen levels in her blood were too low even with an oxygen mask, and she developed a fever and low blood pressure, so she was transferred to the intensive care unit and she is now breathing through a tube. That means she's sedated so she doesn't cough it out or pull it out. She is on antibiotics in case there's a bacterial infection too.
For all of that, she is doing OK at the moment. She hasn't had Tylenol or a fever in the past day, and her blood is staying oxygenated on 35% inhaled oxygen. The docs are still worried about why her blood pressure is on the low side, but it is not dropping, and they're watching all the right things. They'll see how she does with some liquid food today.
Mom and Dad are coping. It is difficult for both of us to be more or less useless and unable to fix anything. And, believe it or not, after over 100 child-years of experience, this is the first time one of our children has been hospitalized, so it is new and scary for us. Plus, it's the usual doctor thing, I know too many things I can worry about and too few things that are actually useful.
Charissa has been a huge help. Will, Rose and Jon have been very supportive too, and several friends have offered to help. We are very grateful for all the offers, and at present we're managing fine. The doctors and staff are competent and kind. Lydia has had a priesthood blessing and we are praying for her.
Lydia will be here at least a few days more. If there are big changes, I'll let you know.
Thank you,
Kevin Black
Kevin J. Black
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Robert Jordan (pseudonym) and Brandon Sanderson, Towers of Midnight
From around Christmastime:
OK, I liked this book, and I am proud that a BYU alumnus wrote it. But I suppose it could be seen as just a wee flaw to take over 11,000 pages (and counting) to come to the climax.
OK, I liked this book, and I am proud that a BYU alumnus wrote it. But I suppose it could be seen as just a wee flaw to take over 11,000 pages (and counting) to come to the climax.
David Weber, In Fury Born
From a week ago, or so:
800 pages or so, really 5 or so books, and I'd read it before. But pretty much fills the bill for escape reading.
800 pages or so, really 5 or so books, and I'd read it before. But pretty much fills the bill for escape reading.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Arthur C. Clarke, Frederik Pohl: The Last Theorem
Not surprisingly--given the authors and the title--I liked it. Enjoyable and well written.
David Stern, Star Trek®: The Children of Kings
I was not surprised that I enjoyed reading this book. I was surprised at how the plot included a mystery or two, some clever humor, decent character development, and a good touch of "show not tell."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)