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MONDAY — unsettled

We had hoped to move Nancy to Ellensburg when she is ready to leave the hospital but there is a glitch. She still needs more attention than the places in Ellensburg can provide. She will likely stay in a skilled facility in Yakima for two to three weeks, perhaps, beginning as early as Tuesday. That is unsettled. It is clear she needs care because of her weakness. It is also clear that there are truly sick and injured people that need hospital space.

Over the next couple of weeks Nancy will have to go to check-ups with hospital staff and doctors so being only a few miles away will be good. Ellensburg is 45 minutes away by interstate highway and while the next few days look fine weather-wise that might not continue.

The floor she is now on – called the Advanced Care Unit (ACU) – was buzzing with activity today. One of the ICU nurses from the second floor wheeled a person into a room near Nancy and then stopped in to visit for a minute, and ended up staying 15 to help with Nancy’s care. I’ve no idea what is happening in the rest of the hospital but these two units (ICU & ACU) are activity centers.

Moving to a different type of facility may be a cultural shock.

SUNDAY — just cruising

We actually had a discussion with the surgeon today about the possibility of a pre-release conference concerning procedures, medications, and behavior beyond the hospital. He and the surgery nurse were both visitors today and they are still thinking of releasing Nancy to the rehabilitation facility this coming week.

Early in the morning they took several vials of blood – enough for eight different tests. Then they gave her a pill for anemia. Go figure!

Other than the blood draws this was an uneventful day for Nancy. Visits from other sorts of doctors, other than the surgeon, have dropped off as Nancy has gotten better. One measures progress by odd means.

Yesterday the hospital admitted 30 people. I wonder what all the reasons are? When I left today – via the locked doors – there appeared to be a family reunion in the waiting room and adjacent hallway. Rules are for only 2 at a time to go in for about 10 to 15 minutes each. I think they won’t all get inside today.

>>>>>>>>>>>Sunday update . . .This is from a phone update from Nancy. At 7 P.M. they booted her out of the ICU because of two new admittees needing critical care. By 7:20 she was in a room on the fourth floor but didn’t have anymore information but did confirm that there is still a group of about 20 people outside the ICU – that may increase with two new folks in there.

SATURDAY — mirror, mirror . . .

Nancy weighed about 9 pounds less this morning than she did yesterday morning. That’s what a double shot of diuretic will do for you. Today she only got a single dose but tomorrow or Monday they will double dose her again. It really showed in the lower legs, ankles, and feet. They also want to keep her lungs clear so they are being aggressive about this.

On a lighter note, the head nurse of the surgical team and I were commenting on the natural color that has come back into Nancy’s eyes and face. She had been a bit grayish. We realized Nancy hasn’t looked in a mirror since Thanksgiving. Unknown to us is that the over-bed food stand has a mirror hidden underneath the serving part. I’m glad we didn’t know that a month ago. She needs her hair cut and her face is thinner but she actually looks healthy. As regards hair, she began losing a little with the endocarditis last May and she thinks she is still doing so. Unlike someone being treated with chemicals and radiation for a tumor where hair loss is more rapid, this is a slow motion loss as her body seeks to repair other damaged cells and neglects the hair. I think that is the idea as expressed to us today. I’ll see if I can find any info on the Web.

The same nurse brought in the photographs from the surgery and they made copies for Nancy. I was gone by then but via the phone Nancy claims that even on standard paper they are very good quality and I will be able to scan them. I saw a few of the originals the day after surgery but I don’t know what all they have given us.

FRIDAY — Oops !

Yesterday as late as a quarter to 5 the plan was to move Nancy. At 5:30 the plan was cancelled. I thought she was being moved during the time I was writing last night. Not so. She is still in the ICU and, perhaps, to remain there over the coming 3-day weekend. Then she might get shipped off to Ellensburg. I’m hedging my bets now.

I do know that the social services folks at the hospital have contacted the admitting folks at one of the local skilled nursing/physical therapy facilities – with an estimated time of arrival of early next week. We’ll see.

I think the removal of the chest drain resulted in a bit of extra fluid building in Nancy’s body, especially the feet and legs. They gave her an extra dose of diuretic but they removed the bladder catheter a couple of days ago also. Guess who is happy he is not having to deal with the consequences of that combination of decisions?

(Yesterday I mentioned the lifting machine in Nancy’s room. Actually the term used is a “Standing and Raising Aid” or SARA. The link here will let you have a look at it. The first image has the optional potty in place. ) http://www.allegro.hu/arjo%20encore.pdf

THURSDAY — escape !

It didn’t happen while I was there but there is a report that Nancy escaped to the fourth floor today. Either that or when she started calling people on her cell phone they decided to throw her out. Actually, the move is supposed to be going on as I write this so I do not know a room number. I have a meeting to go to tonight and want to get this posted before I leave so I don’t have time to wait on more information.

They have a patient lifting machine (real name unknown) and Nancy can be sitting in a bed with feet toward the floor (or in a chair) and the machine is pushed forward and with straps and handholds she can be lifted into a standing position. Then she can be moved from point A to point B. Before today her legs and knees were so weak that this was more like strapping a sack of wheat to a pack saddle on a horse. She could not help at all. Now she can hold herself against the upper part and wait the few seconds for this thing to stand her up. She can then lock her knees and be vertical.

Progress comes in small increments.

I don’t know what mechanism is hidden under the machine’s fenders but when in use it sounds like a small jet revving up to take off. An interesting place – the ICU.

WEDNESDAY — moving on up?

Today Nancy asked for me to bring her something to read. That’s new. I guess she has healed enough to bet bored. To bad they can’t shift her a little more into the center of the area and let her keep track of all that is going on in the ICU.

She had visits from the surgeon, a cardiologist, and a physical therapist (the only one that actually did anything). She seems to be eating better each day, something she has been told is necessary for healing.

She is still very weak but improving and that is now the focus.

There was not a room on the fourth floor so she gets to spend tonight in the ICU. Tomorrow may be the day but who knows?

TUESDAY — plugging the holes

The chest drain is gone and the hole sutured shut. That is a sort of milestone, I suppose, indicating the reduction of danger from open heart surgery. However, the sutures will have to come out in about two weeks and so – in my mind – when that happens I will think of the heart surgery episode as having closed. I’m thinking here in terms of danger level because I know there is still a long healing processes. It will be a major step down in terms of stress – not actually an end.

Today also marked the beginning of a more aggressive plan to get Nancy moving and back on her feet. A physical therapist arrived about 2:15 P.M. and I left for home. Such folks have been coming daily but the doctor and the operating room nurse were both in today to indicate the stepped up activity.

The Advanced Care Unit (ACU) has been asked to make a room available and to insert an extra nurse into the schedule. ACU did not have an empty room today but Nancy will be kicked upstairs (4^th floor) soon, possibly as early as tomorrow.

The fourth floor rooms are directly off the hallway and visitation is easier in contrast to the 2^nd floor ICU rooms which are configured on the periphery of a central personnel station. Thus to get to an ICU patient you have to ask over a phone to be allowed in and you walk through the work space of the doctors, technicians, and nurses. Once inside that space there may be a security guard when required, patients may be wheeled in or out, coming from or going to operations, or, in fact, if there is a lot going on you won’t be allowed to enter.

I suspect some such thing happened recently because Nancy woke to find a balloon and candy “Get Well” package in her room. This seems to have been purchased at the downstairs gift shop but the clerks there this afternoon don’t recall selling it and have no way of determining to whom it was sold. So, ‘thanks’ to the person or persons responsible. Nancy will thank you in person if the mystery guest signs in, please.

(If you are under a certain age you probably won’t recognize the television connection to this last phrase.)

MONDAY — might have been

The only news today is that there may be news tomorrow. It is quite likely the chest drain will come out tomorrow. That will be followed by a move out of the ICU and up to the fourth floor. The move could be on Tuesday or Wednesday. Plans are not set yet.

It is increasing clear that Nancy is having no problem recovering from the surgery. I wonder “what might have been” had she gone into the hospital for an elective operation that relied on heparin? The initial use of heparin was with the Friday after Thanksgiving heart attack – not a seriously invasive procedure such as cutting one’s chest and heart open. I wonder if she would have survived both the surgery and the heparin allergic reaction?

Having gotten the explanation of the operation posted last night I’ll not do any more now but hope to have something to report on Tuesday.

UNDER THE SAW AND KNIFE

This will be a short description of Nancy’s open heart surgery. I’ve used notes from the surgeon and information taken from the internet. I’ve changed most of the medical terms to simple English and in the process reduced the accuracy. I’ve added links where I’ve found helpful drawings and information.

When the operation was completed Nancy had a new valve and two replaced sections of artery leading to parts of her heart.

This link shows the location of the parts of the heart. Note the location of the ‘left atrium’ because that is how one approaches the mitral valve.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitral_valve

The heart needs oxygen rich blood that is provided by arteries and when these become narrowed by disease the muscle of the heart suffers or dies. Two arteries needed to be replaced. One of the larger heart arteries is called the “left anterior descending” (LAD) coronary artery. Its location is shown on this page:

http://www.texheartsurgeons.com/cad.htm

From the main arteries are branches or “diagonals” and one of these also had reduced blood flow from clogging.

To get to these arteries and the mitral valve Nancy’s chest had to be opened. This is done with a reciprocating saw with the same basic design of a wood worker’s tool you buy at the hardware store. The design is more refined and the blade is short – it only has to be slightly longer than the breast bone (sternum) is thick. The location of the sternum is shown here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sternum

A photograph of one brand of sternum saw is shown here:

http://www.terumo-cvs.com/products/ProductDetail.aspx?groupId=6&familyID=114&country=1

You will sometimes hear of “breaking” the chest bone but the instrument of choice is a saw and not a hammer. Here is a link to a video that shows the chest being opened. There is some blood, but not a lot, and you get a look at a beating heart. If you feint at the sight of blood skip this or sit down in a comfy chair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7RsB0BA4EI

Once the surgical team gets the chest open the blood flow to the body is maintained by bypassing the heart with a “heart lung machine.” The concept is shown here:

http://biomed.brown.edu/Courses/BI108/BI108_2004_Groups/Group03/HeartLungMachine.jpg

And here is a picture of the real thing.

http://heatherwritesablog.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/heart-and-lung-machine.jpg

Much more complex. The issue is to take the heart “off line” and repair it while maintaining blood flow to the rest of the body. You can read about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_bypass

An issue in all of this is that you do not want the patient to get blood clots while doing the surgery so an anticoagulation chemical is necessary but you then need to put the parts back together with sufficient clotting ability in the blood so that they don’t leak around every suture.

Nancy managed to complicate this already complex issue because of her serious allergic reaction to heparin, the anticoagulant of choice. For her they used a chemical called Angiomax.

The next issue is that the heart will be stopped and disconnected from the blood supply and both the patient and her heart will fare better if all this is done at a lower temperature. So she was cooled from a normal 98.6^o F. to 86^o F. (37^o C. to 30^o C.).

Her heart was stopped by using cold blood (with added potassium) put into it by way of both the main artery and vein and kept cold by repeating this every 10 minutes. This is called “cold potassium blood cardioplegia” with the last word meaning “paralysis of the heart.”

A vein from near the surface on the inside of her left leg, above the ankle, was “harvested” and used to replace the “diagonal” artery. The vein used is called the “saphenous” vein (clearly seen) as it is close to the surface of the body and can be seen under the skin. When the body is too hot the body shunts blood from the deep veins to the superficial veins, to facilitate heat transfer to the surroundings. Normally this vein doesn’t get a lot of blood volume and so can be removed without harm.

Next the “left anterior descending” or LAD was bypassed. For this they used an artery found within the chest cavity called “left internal mammary artery” or LIMA. There is also one on the right side. These unique blood vessels run along the inside edges of the sternum, sending off small branches to the bones, cartilage, and soft tissues of the chest wall. For unclear reasons, the IMAs are remarkably resistant to cholesterol buildup and thus a good choice for replacing an important heart artery. Read more about the IMAs here:

http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1491

To replace the mitral valve the left side of the heart has to be opened. This is called “left atriotomy” — meaning cutting open the upper chamber on the left side of the heart (the atrium). Nancy’s mitral valve was in need of replacement and (apparently) dead bacterial ‘vegetation’ from last summer’s endocarditis was also found there. The attachments that make the valve work were shaved some to make them work better. The old valve was cut out and a replacement from a pig (a 33 mm Hancock II porcine prosthesis) was set in and sutured into place.

With the new valve in place the surgeon than had to close the opening in the heart. As they worked their way back out of the chest cavity they re-warmed Nancy’s entire body and sent warm blood back into the heart. Her heart came back to life with a single electrical shock. It started with a normal rhythm, which in medical terms is called “sinus rhythm” but the use of the term ‘sinus’ likely derives from a mistaken idea and so has only historical context for its continued usage. She was on the heart-lung machine for 100 minutes.

On a normal patient the surgery would be about over at this point. But for Nancy there was a long wait ahead. The blood thinning issue meant she would stay in danger of excessive bleeding for some time. With all the major and minor cuts and sutures in her chest cavity there were lots of places for something to leak. So they waited. First they waited for 3 hours with an open chest, watching and monitoring the instrumentation, and testing the clotting time (ACT = activated clotting time). Then they closed the chest and stayed with her in the operating room for another hour. She spent from 9 in the morning until about 4 in the afternoon with the operating team. Then she was returned to the ICU, a room full of instruments, and watchful nurses.

The operation was on a Tuesday. Watchful waiting lasted into Thursday.

Then the ventilator was taken away and slowly other sensors and monitors were removed. About Friday Noon the ever-vigilant nurses started to relax.

Nurses from earlier days, doctors, and many others started coming by, standing at the foot of her bed, smiling, and giving her 2-thumbs up.

SUNDAY — drainage reduction

I’ve mentioned the drainage coming from Nancy’s chest. From just after her operation until today the rate of discharge has steadily decreased and is now just half of what it was. It still seems a lot to me but the surgeon thinks that it will soon be time to remove the tubes.

The pleural space is the space between the inner lining and the outer lining of the lung. A drawing can be found here:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/9968.htm

A tube, usually about as big around as a small finger is inserted in the pleural space. This tube is sutured into place and the skin around the tube is sutured. This tube can be hooked to suction to facilitate drainage. The function of this set up is to help get the serum or fluid out of the body without allowing fluid, air, or organisms to enter.

You can learn a bit more about this by visiting the following site.

http://web.mac.com/kieran.mcmanus/Chest_drains/Chest_drainage_systems.html

There is a simple drawing showing three bottles and the basic set up. Scroll down to see the 3-chamber plastic unit such as is being used for Nancy. This is not shown in use here but continue scrolling down and there is a photo of a plastic unit (a Portex bag) showing the color of the initial fluid being drained from Nancy. Over time this color has become more pink and transparent.

The pleural fluid allows the pleurae or membranes to slide effortlessly against each other during the breathing process. The fluid is produced and reabsorbed continuously. The decrease in volume and the change in color indicate the improvement taking place within Nancy’s body, especially the chest cavity.

Soon the sutures holding the tubes in place can be removed, the tubes pulled, and the holes closed – then her lymphatic system will have to take over the absorption of any excess fluid.