Livin' It Up in the Hospital

We come to you today from a little room on the cardiac floor. It is tan. Very, very tan. I think I will bring up a plant or two. Perhaps a few vivid cascades of fabric to drape over the medical equipment boxes on the walls. Maybe then, I won't run into them so often.

The desk lamp casts a homey glow upon Loren's computer. Yes, it works! We have contact with the outside world. Our life here is simply bursting with options. Especially since I have just installed a new 3-way bulb.

I am even logged onto AOL Instant Messenging. Now, if only I could have some "Instant Disciplining," options for a certain young man or two back in Iowa. Someone really needs to look into this area of technology.

Concerning Loren: The doctors have raised his level of Sotolol, which makes him very fatigued. They have also started him on Lanoxin, and there is talk of restarting his Coreg, which had been discontinued because of prolonged low blood pressure. Ah, the thrill of new, increased and constantly changing meds. (evening update: nix the Coreg, starting him on Toprol, which helps protect the heart muscle. Lanoxin helps the heart squeeze better.)

Coumadin has been started up again and they want to raise his INR to a level where they can discontinue the heparin IV. Apparently, the post-transplant docs (the third team of medicos to start following Loren) do not wish to draw blood from Loren's PICC line, since there is the risk of infection. If his PICC line has to be pulled out for a bit he would be downgraded in transplant status. So, the lab techs continue to poke and prod for a usable vein in the other arm. You know, the one that doesn's have good veins.

The children and I came up yesterday to have a visit as a family with Loren. The social workers had arranged for a complimentary lunch for everyone. This is really quite a nice gesture, though, I don't think they comprehend the logistics for taking that many kids through a small cafeteria line. We survived, (not so sure about the workers) and didn't slow down the traffic TOO much. As usual, the older children were quite a help with the younger ones. It was very good to have Sharon with us. Not only as a help with the little ones, but to give me someone to be silly and joke around with. The kids hated to see her go back, but she will return for Thanksgiving, and just a few weeks later for Christmas break.

Part of our afternoon visit to Rochester included me dragging the kids outside for a walk down to the complex of Mayo Clinic buildings, a 15 minute walk from St. Mary's hospital. I showed them all the exciting highlights: the waiting room for labwork, the subway level necessary to reach each new building. ("You're gonna see how far I've had to push that wheelchair, or my name ain't Ma!") The usual disputes arose among the youngest ones as to who got to push what elevator button. Walking the skywalk was popular, as was sitting down to rest and cruising for drinking fountains. It was on the walk back to the hospital that I remembered Derek had twisted his ankle the day before. Oops. Oh well :-( He was a good trooper despite some pain.

As we drove home, I was dismayed to find no radio station covering the baseball game. I was left with no recourse but to make two cell phone calls to Loren for updates. ("Whaddya mean you're watching another show? You're not watching the game?!") Assuming the game would be over when we returned, we had planned on an "I Love Lucy" festival. THREE episodes. But the game was not finished. What to do? WHAT TO DO? We compromised and watched two. Discovered the game was STILL going, so we watched the very end. By that time, we were too tired to care how it turned out.

Back to today: Arose at 6, left with Sharon at 7, dropped her off in Waterloo for her ride back to Grace. Proceeded up to Rochester on route 63. The first time I drove that road it was dark, so I was looking forward to seeing the scenery in the light of day. Today's drive confirmed my previous suspicions: there is NOTHING between Waterloo and Rochester. And no, the gravel pit doesn't count.

Got here after the THREE teams of doctors had checked on Loren. But that didn't mean more "visitors" weren't on the way. People kept streaming in, one after the other. I had made an appointment to take a tour of the "Gift of Life" guesthouse for post-transplant patients and their caregivers. I wasn't looking forward to it, but was suddenly thankful as the chaplain (he was fifth) came through the door. I had to get out of there!

It is more peacful now. I was able to get out for a walk, the first decent exercise in days. Up and down the tidy streets in back of the hospital. Taking an informal poll of lawn signs, I found Kerry ahead, 10 to 1. I am not worried. Just as the Red Sox will never come back to win the conference title after being down 3 games, neither will John Kerry overtake Bush. Course, if I had to choose, I'd gladly sacrifice the Yankees for a Bush win.

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