Best Laid Plans… --- 10-01-2011

You may recall that I tried to orchestrate a big Birthday surprise for Robin. The theme was “Angels,” and packages and cards arrived all week. We have been carefully putting them away, unopened, in preparation for the big day. Thursday night, when I got home from work (after picking up the gift I had ordered for Robin), Robin seemed perfectly fine. About 7:00 PM, Robin started talking a bit “loopy” and by 7:30 she was not communicating at all. We called the hospice nurse, who checked Robin and called the hospice doctor, who ordered a standard oral antibiotic. First, I don’t know how I was supposed to give her pills when she’s basically unconscious. And secondly, I’m pretty sure that the type of antibiotic and the low dose prescribed was not going to do ANYTHING to the kind of bugs that Robin gets. In fact, it would probably just piss them off!

Friday (Birthday) arrived, and Robin was still out of it. She needed a change, but I couldn‘t do it myself when she was unconscious. So I waited for Connie, Robin‘s friend and attendant, to help me. We discussed the options for Robin‘s situation and agreed the hospital (not the hospice inpatient hospital) was the best place for her. I called an ambulance to transfer her, and they took her to Southeast Memorial-Herman Hospital (instead of Clear Lake Hospital, as I requested), because Robin was not conscious. I might add that I insisted that they NOT use Narcan, a drug used for overdose cases, since we knew the last time she took her medicine, and it was more than 16 hours before they arrived. In spite of acknowledging my “request,” they used Narcan, which has many effects, one of which is immediate withdrawal of any narcotic effects, causing Robin incredible pain. Fortunately for Robin, she will never remember the pain. Fortunately for the ambulance personnel, I didn’t find out until after they left the ER.

In the Emergency Room, they prodded and poked, took samples of almost every bodily fluid, gave her a sedative (since she was still thrashing from the Narcan), and got her into a room by late afternoon.

There was concern that cancer had affected Robin’s brain, or that she had a stroke, so they did a CT Scan. We received a report today that nothing was found. (I didn’t mean it THAT way, and you know it; they did not find tumors or blood showing cancer or stroke). They found bacteria in her urine, and they started Robin on broad spectrum IV antibiotics. She is starting to talk, although what Robin says generally does not make sense. After they get the results of the cultures (Sunday or Monday), they will know what SPECIFIC bacteria is at work, and they will be able to give Robin the right IV antibiotic. (I am betting on ESBL-producing E.Coli; should we start a pool?) She should recover fairly quickly (except for exhaustion) after starting these antibiotics.

I expect that Robin will get released from the hospital to get IV antibiotics at home by Monday or Tuesday (maybe Wednesday). After the antibiotics are finished, she will be able to reregister with hospice again.

With respect to the Birthday, we sang “Happy Birthday” to Robin three times that night, even though there was no response from her. We plan to hold a “birthday party” to open the cards and presents when she is aware enough to enjoy it. My guess is in about a week. So, if you thought you were too late, you were WRONG. Get that card in the mail tomorrow!

Once more, please double your prayers for Robin this week. She is very sick, and her normal immune system is too weak. That means your prayers and the Grace of God are Robin’s defense against infection. We have faith that God will do His part; we need to do ours.

Thank You! I will let you know if there are any significant changes, including when they let Robin out to go home.

Love,

                  --- Larry, Robin, & John