Friday, January 31st, 2003
A great visit with Dad
Mom and Wes "had a real good meeting" with Dad tonight. David, the ICU nurse on duty this shift, had just given him a bath and told them that Dad had been very responsive and aware, helping by moving himself around to get cleaned up.
When they went in, Dad wasn't responsive and Wes told Mom that he was probably tired out from the bath and all. But then David came in and dialed the Diprivan infusion rate down to zero, and after about five minutes Dad cracked his eyes and started to respond. They both held his hands, and he squeezed Mom's hand. Wes said Dad must be mad at him because he'd driven the Lexus, and Dad smiled and then squeezed his hand, too.
They talked to Dad for a long time, as they stood by the bed holding his hands. Wes asked if he was in any pain, and he shook his head. They told him about everyone who had come by to visit, and everyone who had called, and he smiled and nodded. He told Dad about this website, and about how so many family and friends are keeping up and sending best wishes, and his mouth turned down and he teared up. Mom said he was really touched.
Wes told Dad how well he was doing and how optimistic everyone was about his recovery. He told him about the re-evaluation on Monday when they plan to remove the oxygen tube, and generally caught Dad up on his progress. Dad followed everything that was said and seemed to understand everything.
The whole time they were with him, Dad never became agitated at all; he was always in control of his senses, and never tried to move around or pull at his tubes. He just held their hands and looked at each of them, responding with light nods and shakes of the head and frequent smiles.
Dad tried to cough a couple of times, but couldn't because of the intubation. In response, David came in to clear his airway and then dial the medication back up. Mom and Wes said good night and went out, then drove home for some much-needed sleep before they return in the morning.
They were both very happy about the visit, as I'm sure you all are. Thanks so much for continuing to keep up, and for continuing to pray for Dad and for our family.
Posted at 10:49 pm by Tony :: link
Dad sleeps through the visiting hour
Dad was "deep in sleep" when Mom and Wes visited at 5:00; they stayed for 15 minutes or so and he never stirred. The head ICU nurse on duty said "I am really pleased with his condition." Mom said when that nurse is pleased, she is pleased.
Dr. Barnett will be out of town at a conference this weekend, and Dr. John Campbell (no relation) is filling in for him. Dr. Campbell said that they were really happy with Dad's progress, and that they were planning to "keep the status quo" through the weekend.
The intubation, which was started on Tuesday at 12 breaths per minute, is now down to four breaths per minute at 30% oxygen (that's almost normal atmosphere), at 700 milliliters volume. They can further reduce it to 500 ml volume and/or reduce the rate to two breaths per minute, but as it is he is almost fully weaned from the additional oxygen. If all goes well, they'll probably remove the intubation on Monday.
On a side note, the coma-inducing medication he's being given is Diprivan (propofol) at 1% solution. The infusion rate has varied from 20 to 25 (µg/kg body weight/minute, I think), and today was increased to 30. At 30 he doesn't move around as much and he is slower to respond, sometimes completely sleeping through a visit as he did this evening, but he rests better.
That's all the news for now. Thanks for all your prayers and support, folks.
Posted at 6:48 pm by Tony :: link
Mom requests extra fussing
Mom has told Dad's nurses that from now on, she wants them to "fuss at him" for fifteen or twenty minutes before each visitation. She said it takes him that long to start responding, and she doesn't want to waste the first part of every visit watching him sleep. (She was kidding of course!)
Dad lay quietly for most of the 1:00 p.m. visit. They've started to wean him off the oxygen, which is now providing only four breaths per minute (his respiration is stable at about 14 breaths per minute). We're looking forward to that tube coming out, but they'll do it when they know that Dad's ready and not a minute sooner, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Toward the end of the visit, Wes told Dad that he was going to go fill Mom's gas tank this afternoon, and that Dad had better get up and say something if he didn't want Wes driving his Lexus. Sure enough, Dad grinned really big. Wes told him to squeeze his hand if he was smiling, and he squeezed. Wes told Mom to take his other hand, and he squeezed her hand and smiled even bigger.
All signs point toward a good recovery, and we're so grateful for everything the doctors and staff have done, for all the strength that God has given us, and for all the prayers and support that you all have offered and continue to offer.
Posted at 4:22 pm by Tony :: link
Morning visit, more smiles
Mom and Wes got to see Dad about an hour ago. Wes said that they had reduced the drip that's keeping him in the induced coma, down to 20 from 25 yesterday. Dad wasn't alert, but he was pulling at his tubes and moving his legs around as if he were trying to get out of bed. When the nurse saw what he was doing she dialed the medication drip up to 30. Apparently, keeping it continuously at the appropriate level is a rather arduous process—I guess that's why they call it intensive care.
As he began to relax and he stopped concentrating on whatever he'd been trying to do, he noticed Mom and Wes were there and he smiled a lot. They visited with him for a couple of minutes as he drifted off, and when they left he was resting easy. Thanks again for your continuing prayers.
Posted at 10:33 am by Tony :: link
A visit from Doctor Misulis
Dr. Misulis came by and talked to Mom and Wes this morning. He said that the clot behind Dad's left eye is being reabsorbed very well, and that he is progressing nicely. He and Dr. Barnett still believe that Dad didn't have a myasthenia crisis on Tuesday; they think that Dad's body had just gotten tired from the "extended period of agitation" and just didn't have the energy to keep his oxygen intake up. He said that Dad is past that situation now, and that it will not reoccur.
Dr. Misulis told Mom that Dad has gone through a lot, but that he sees no reason that Dad wouldn't "recover very well" from everything that's occurred. He said that Dad's recovery will be more drawn out due to his age, and though he should be walking and talking in not too long, we shouldn't expect him to be out working in the garden very soon.
As I think I've mentioned before, we appreciate all your prayers.
Posted at 8:52 am by Tony :: link
Thursday, January 30th, 2003
New central line working well
The procedure went well, and the central line is working as advertised. Dad is still in a medically-induced coma, and the nurse on duty during the 9:00 p.m. visitation said that he hadn't been active at all since the surgery. The nurse stopped the drip, and Dad became somewhat responsive. Wes told him a joke that Wilbur Campbell had asked him to pass along, and Dad smiled through the whole thing. After the visit, the nurse reinstated the drip, and Dad drifted off again.
We've come a long way, and a lot of prayers have been answered already. Please continue to pray for Dad and for all of us who love him.
Posted at 11:04 pm by Tony :: link
One more procedure
Dad was taken down this afternoon for insertion of a central line, which will make it a lot easier to give him fluids, draw blood, and monitor his blood pressure. He's back in ICU now, and Mom will get to see him again in an hour. Please continue in prayer for Dad and for us—it's working wonders.
Posted at 4:03 pm by Tony :: link
More details, even more optimism
Dr. Barnett talked to Mom this morning and said Dad is looking much better. He'd told Dad to raise two fingers and he did; he told him to stick out his tongue and he did. He's moving both arms and both legs equally. Dr. Barnett also said that his ultrasound is still looking better and better, and he's pretty certain that there will be no long-term impact on Dad's speech.
On a side note, Dr. Vegors had said last night that they were almost certain that yesterday morning's incident was a myasthenia crisis, but Dr. Barnett said that he and Dr. Misulis were not sure of that. He didn't say what they thought it might be, only that they were not convinced that it was myasthenia-related.
A nurse in the ICU told them that Dad was extremely aggressive on Monday and Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning had pulled out two IV's. He said that it had gone on for so many hours that he believed Dad's body had gotten extremely tired, and might not have had the strength to breathe deeply enough to keep his oxygen level up. He described it as something like an extended panic attack.
Mom and Wes got to see Dad at 9:10 a.m. Wes thinks that they've lowered the dosage of the medication that is keeping him in an induced coma, because he was moving around trying to get up on his side and get comfortable, and he was pretty responsive. Wes said Dad opened his right eye and saw them, and "smiled real big." They talked to him for quite a while, and he responded to a lot of it. Wes told him to squeeze his hand that if his mouth was dry to squeeze his hand, and "he squeezed really hard." Wes told him he'd try to get a nurse to come in with some ice or something and relieve that.
They named all the people who had called or come in to visit, and he responded to quite a few. (A note to the Campbell Clan in California: I told Wes about all your messages and prayers, and he said that when they next see him at 1:00 p.m., he would specifically mention all your names to Dad.) He began to tire toward the end and started to drift off to sleep again, so they left him to rest.
They're going to keep him in the coma for another 24 hours or so, then they'll take the tube out of his throat and make sure that he's breathing well. Everyone is very encouraged and optimistic about how well he's doing. Thanks to everyone for all your prayers, love and support.
Posted at 11:13 am by Tony :: link
Wednesday, January 29th, 2003
Cause for optimism
Dr. Vegors came to the ICU waiting room about 8:30 tonight and said that they believe that Dad has "turned a corner for the good." The team is reasonably certain that what Dad experienced this morning was a myasthenia crisis, in which his epiglottis had completely relaxed and collapsed, blocking the windpipe. They intubated him so quickly after it occurred that there was no danger of adverse effects from oxygen deprivation. Also, Dr. Vegors said that the myasthenia medication is doing its job, and the crisis is passed.
They're planning to keep Dad in a medically-induced coma for the next 24 to 48 hours; this will give his brain time to recover fully, and for the doctors to monitor and adjust his medication. Also, beginning with today's 5 p.m. visitation, they've let Mom talk to Dad—although they don't know if he's aware of her, he isn't in the same danger of agitation now.
Also, Dr. Vegors said that the blood clot behind Dad's left eye is being reabsorbed and is progressing nicely.
If you ever doubt the power of prayer, call me—I don't. Thanks so much for your prayers and support, everyone, and please keep it up.
Posted at 10:08 pm by Tony :: link
More news from ICU
The ICU nurse came down to the waiting room with some news. Dad's blood oxygen level had dropped, so they intubated him. He is still breathing on his own, she said, but the tube is getting him more oxygen. She said his throat may be swollen from last night's agitation, and that would have interfered with normal breathing. She wanted us to stay optimistic, though, and said that she's seen many patients go through this and recover fine.
The doctor asked, though, that Mom bring in a copy of Dad's living will, "just in case." Maybe you can imagine the impact that this request had; I couldn't have until I heard it. Mom is convinced that everything that can be done for Dad is being done; that and her faith have allowed her to cope with what's going on.
We need your prayers now more than ever. Thank you all for your love and support.
Posted at 11:35 am by Tony :: link
Morning update
Dr. Barnett came in at about 6:50 a.m. and said that Dad his still agitated. He said that the IVP filter is in and that surgery went well, but that Dad's blood pressure and blood sugar are both high, and he is not alert. He said we still have "several hurdles to face," and that they're keeping Dad in ICU. Dr. Barnett said that he is "concerned."
Later, Dr. Misulis came in and whem Mom told him what Dr. Barnett said and that it was not encouraging, he said that this area was not Dr. Barnett's specialty, and that the body has an ability to heal and overcome a lot. Mom told him that Dad's been sick for almost a year now, and is not as strong as he was.
Still, he's encouraging us to be hopeful, but it's very hard to be hopeful right now. Please continue to pray for Dad and for us.
Posted at 7:45 am by Tony :: link
Tuesday, January 28th, 2003
Out of surgery and resting
The surgery was uneventful, and Dad is back in the ICU. The nurse said Dad had been agitated since he came back up from surgery, and he believed that lying on the surgical table had made Dad's back tired. They positioned him so that he was lying on his side and gave him a dose of sleep medication, and he quieted down just before 9:00 p.m. Since he had only just gotten quiet, they didn't want him stirred up again during the visitation. Mom agreed, so she only stayed for about ten minutes and just watched him from the foot of the bed. At one point she moved around to the side of the bed, and Dad cracked his eyes and may have seen her, because he started to groan as if he were trying to speak. He still wasn't fully awake, so she left the room hoping not to rouse him; sure enough, once she was outside Dad quieted down again. We hope that he will rest quietly until morning.
All four doctors working with Dad are very optimistic about his recovery, and that makes us hopeful as well. Thank you for your continued prayers for Dad, his doctors, and our family.
Posted at 9:41 pm by Tony :: link
Another surgery
Dad is in surgery now, having an IVC filter inserted into his inferior vena cava. That's the vein that carries blood from the legs and lower body to the heart. This will protect his lungs and brain from clots coming from the legs, and the only danger is that it might clog with clots. In that case, he would begin to get swelling in his legs, and they could correct it in the hospital.
Mom went down to the surgical unit with Dad, and told them she wanted the best radiologist in the hospital to do it. When the radiologist came in, Mom said "are you the best one?" and he said "Well, ma'am, I'm sure going to do my best."
We're praying, and we hope you're praying too.
Posted at 5:01 pm by Tony :: link
Touching note, and a plug
I just checked my email, and found a note from Adrian Frost offering best wishes and prayers for my Dad and the family (thanks, Adrian). For those of you who don't know, Adrian is the programming genius who wrote BlogWorks XML, which makes this weblog possible (or at least practical). If you're running an ASP website and want to run a blog, or you just want to learn more about using XML in your webpages, I encourage you to try BlogWorks XML.
Posted at 10:54 am by Tony :: link
The morning ICU visit
Dad is still getting better. He's a bit more restless now and moving all his limbs some, and during the visit he opened his left eye just a bit, and smiled a little. One of the nurses said that she saw a lot of improvement since yesterday, and that at one point when she was tending to him this morning and talking to him, he responded to her with a recognizable "yes, ma'am." Hearing that really raised our spirits.
Posted at 10:29 am by Tony :: link
Morning update
Dr. Barnett just checked Dad, and said that he has good strength in all four extremities, and that he said a couple of words, though Dr. Barnett didn't make them out. He said Dad's improving faster than he'd thought he might.
He also said that Dad should not be put back on Coumadin, and instead they will implant an "IVC filter" to keep clots from moving from his legs to his heart, lungs and brain. Please pray for Dad and the doctors who are treating him.
Posted at 7:01 am by Tony :: link
Monday, January 27th, 2003
A modicum of encouragement, a dose of dissent
Now, several hours after the surgery, Dad is not yet fully conscious. He is still not communicating, but he is now moving his right arm, when it was completely motionless before. The doctors see a lot of cause for hope that his recovery will be good.
Dr. Misulis met with Mom earlier and told her that the clot in his brain had developed after surgery, as a result of the brain expanding to fill the space left by the hematoma. In an older person's brain, Dr. Misulis said, the blood vessels become more brittle, so when the brain returns to its normal shape, a vessel may rupture under the strain. He said that the clot in Dad's brain is very small, and in the brain tissue behind his left eye. He said that it would likely dissolve and disappear like a bruise, and that Dad's symptoms would lessen over time as a result.
Dr. Barnett came to the ICU waiting room about 6:00 tonight, and said that he disagrees with Dr. Misulis. Instead, he believes that Dad suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, perhaps as a result of a blood pressure event. Dr. Head agrees with Dr. Barnett, and although the fact that three neurologists aren't getting together on this is pretty frustrating, the end result is much the same either way insofar as it affects Dad's condition.
Mom went in to see Dad at the 9 p.m. visitation time and was able to spend half an hour with him. He seemed to be aware at times that she was there, but he still seems only on the verge of waking. The nurse in charge mentioned that he had seen a noticeable improvement in Dad's responsiveness since he had come on duty at 4:00 this afternoon, and that was encouraging. We're all doing a lot of praying right now, and we're very grateful for your prayers, too.
Posted at 10:00 pm by Tony :: link
Complications
Dad is still in recovery. Dr. Barnett called a few minutes ago with some distressing news—Dad was having trouble using his right hand, and was having more difficulty with his speech than Dr. Barnett was comfortable with. He ordered an ultrasound, and it showed a small clot inside his brain. Apparently, he has had a stroke sometime in the past; one of the doctors said the same thing last November based on another brain scan. Dr. Barnett seemed to think that it was in a spot that would explain Dad's current symptoms.
Dr. Barnett told Mom that he and Dr. Misulis, who has been treating Dad's myasthenia gravis, would come up to the ICU waiting room and talk to her as soon as they could, though that might be later this afternoon.
Please, please pray for my Dad, and for our family.
Posted at 3:10 pm by Tony :: link
Dad's out of surgery, and it's all good
Mom just got the word—Dad is out of surgery, and everything went well. Dr. Barnett said that the hematoma was about three inches across and about an inch deep in places, and he believes he was able to clear it all. He saw no signs of bleeding anywhere.
Dad will be in recovery for another hour or so, and then he'll be transferred to the sixth-floor ICU. It looks like he's almost through this. Thanks for everyone's continuing prayers, and thanks be to God for His healing hand.
Posted at 12:15 pm by Tony :: link
Dad's in surgery
He's in surgery now, and he's doing fine so far. Prayers cheerfully accepted!
Posted at 11:07 am by Tony :: link
Dad's prepped for surgery
That's the latest on Dad. About half an hour ago a nurse called and told Mom that he'd been prepped for surgery, the site had been shaved, and he was now "in holding" waiting for the surgeon to send for him. Dad's doing fine, and everything appears to be right on schedule so far. Thanks for all your prayers.
Posted at 10:31 am by Tony :: link
Dad's surgery today
Dad had a blood test this morning at 5:30, and the results indicate that his clotting factor is back up to a safe level. Dr. Barnett just came in with that news, and said that he would be doing the surgery about 10:00 or 10:30 this morning. Dad says he's ready to get out of the hospital now. I'll update this again after he's out of surgery. Folks, your prayers are much, much appreciated.
Posted at 7:09 am by Tony :: link
Sunday, January 26th, 2003
Update on Dad
Dad is in the hospital awaiting surgery tomorrow to correct the subdural hematoma. We've been told that the the hematoma is about two weeks old, so it isn't related to the fall in November. Dr. H. Glenn Barnett of the Semmes-Murphey Neurologic & Spine Institute will be doing the surgery.
Dad's been finding it hard to rest, and Mom has asked us nicely to wait until after the surgery to talk about coming down. Again, we respect (and agree with) her wishes, but it's still very hard emotionally to stay away. All Christie and I can do for now is pray, and we covet and appreciate all your prayers as well.
Posted at 2:30 pm by Tony :: link
Saturday, January 25th, 2003
News from home, and a request for prayers
Mom called from Jackson-Madison County General Hospital and said that she had brought Dad to the emergency room. He's been having some difficulty finding words lately, but it was much worse this morning. She called the doctor and took him in for tests, and they diagnosed him this afternoon with a subdural hematoma, possibly caused by a fall he had last November, which he thought at the time only scratched up his glasses. The doctors plan to do surgery either tomorrow or Monday—he's currently taking Coumadin for blood clots in his legs, so they're giving him vitamin K to get his clotting factor back up to a safe level for surgery. The doctors said that Dad's in no danger right now and that their only major concern will be tending to potential blood clots, but since they're prepared for that they said it shouldn't be an issue.
Mom still wants all us kids to stay home, so we're going by her wishes for now. Still, I have a bag packed and sitting by the front door for when she says it's okay to come down.
We didn't go on the retreat after all—by the time we'd loaded the car and started locking up the place, Christie knew that she was hurting too badly to make the trip. (She slipped and fell during last week's snowstorm and pulled some muscles in her lower back, but didn't have any symptoms until Sunday night, and by Monday morning she was in quite a bit of pain. She's doing better now, but she's taking it very easy—doctor's orders.
Thanks for reading this far, and know that any prayers for Dad, as well as for Christie, are much appreciated.
Posted at 6:51 pm by Tony :: link
Friday, January 24th, 2003
Heading for the Smokies...
My wife and I are about to head to the Frozen East—East Tennessee, actually. We're going to a church-sponsored couples retreat in Pigeon Forge in the Great Smoky Mountains. We've made this trip every year since we got married, and we always have a great time. The hotel is nice, and the people take really good care of our group. All the outlet malls are great, too.
All in all, it's like Branson with snow.
Posted at 4:28 pm by Tony :: link
Thursday, January 23rd, 2003
Photos of my new niece!
We just got the first digital pictures of Trinity Estelle Pack, who was born yesterday. Pretty cute, huh?
Posted at 3:59 pm by Tony :: link
A localized defense of .NET
I've already gotten questions from friends who've visited the site (okay, one friend) and wondered why I'd gone with Windows and .NET for my Web server, instead of Linux and PHP. Short answer: It's what I know. Yes, I think Linux and PHP make a great, robust, easy-to-maintain platform for interactive website development. I am in awe of all the wonderful tools that have been created for it. However, my goal wasn't to have a beautiful site, but to have a solid platform for experimentation, development and testing of code, tools and techniques I use on the job. And guess what? My past, current and future clients and employers use Windows platforms almost exclusively. Call me a sellout if you like; I prefer the term pragmatist.
Posted at 10:59 am by Tony :: link
Wednesday, January 22nd, 2003
Focus, Trinity!
More details about the new family member:
Trinity Estelle Pack was born at 12:40pm today at Harris Methodist in Stephenville, Texas. She weighed seven pounds 11 ounces, and was 22 inches long. The proud parents are my brother- and sister-in-law Travis and Kendra Pack, both of Stephenville. Kassle Lynn Pack, who will be three years old on February 25, is the proud big sister, and has already renamed the child "Baby Whistle."
By all accounts, Trinity is healthy, alert, and beautiful.
Posted at 9:48 pm by Tony :: link
And so it begins...
Tonight I begin my long day's blogging into night. Why today? I dunno. It's been an auspicious day, to say the least. A dear friend buried her father, I became an uncle again, and I told my boss that I had decided to accept a better job. It's also the first week of my 38th year, and so far this one has been a bit too eventful for my taste.
Perhaps they all comprise the great impetus for this weblog-the sensation that important things are happening, and I'd better be about recording them. Perhaps not for posterity, but at least to jog my own memory when I begin to wonder what exactly I've been up to for the past few weeks, months or years. I hope that the jogging is good for me, and pray that as the blog grows, so will I.
Posted at 6:34 pm by Tony :: link