Hello 4th Floor

Thank heavens!  About 1pm this afternoon, I was transferred up to the 4th floor out of the CICU!  It's WAY more laid back up here - I hope to get some more rest and further my recovery!  Last night, after I blogged, the nighttime docs were rounding and said it was time for the PICC line to come out so at 10pm, I had it removed!  Ah, talk about relief having that mainline out of my neck!  I rested a little better but still had the usual intensive care unit checks for good reason!  I was a little saddened today that I wasn't able to attend Warren's 5th grade graduation and Gemma's 8th grade graduation but was able to live stream the 8th grade graduation!  Congratulations to all the graduates today and last weekend for that matter!  I had lots of friends that walked the stage last weekend and I haven't forgotten you, I'll catch up with you later this summer!  

Not a lot of news to share today with the move upstairs - a lot of hurry up and wait but it was worth it!  I did take a stroll around the entire CICU again today and then did some exercising with PT!  After moving to 4th floor, I was hungry and asked if I could go down to the cafeteria to look around?  To our surprise, they granted me the wish as long as I signed out and promised to come back!  It was so good to spread my wings a little but I was ready to get back to my room after a short stroll through the cafeteria and the gift shop!  All in all, I'm one step closer to getting out of here, but don't want to rush it and know that there can be set backs!  It's crazy to think that just a little over 6 weeks ago I was listed on the transplant list and 1 week ago tonight, we were east bound and down heading this way!  By the Grace of God this is all working out for me and again, I can not begin to tell you how grateful me and my family are for all of your support!  I love you all, thank you! 

                                       Bye, Bye PICC line

              5th Grade Graduate of Woodrow Wilson Elementary 

                                   New home on 4th floor!

                                              Cheese!

                   Gemma graduating from Hays Middle School

                

                                                 

Post-Op Day 4

Good evening blog readers from hopefully my last night on 2nd floor cardiac intensive care unit!  For not sleeping the best and starting my day under the gun, I won the gunfight.  Sleep was interrupted from the usual vital checks, medication administration, x-ray, etc, etc!  I did sleep pretty good from x-ray at 5 am til about 8 am when my team of docs rounded and made the decision to have the drain tubes and pacer wires removed!  With the mx schedule at the time and most all of it on board, it was the ideal time to get the show on the road.  I get a little anxious whenever it comes to the drain tubes, especially eradication, so they gave me little versed to help which, well, made me loopy!  The family showed up just in time for the main event and it was on!  We had to remove the wound vac over my incision (which looks muy bueno - kudos to my surgeons) in order to get to the stitching holding the tubes in place and the pacer wires!  This is where things started to get a little dicey to say the least!  After all that adhesive was torn from my flesh, it was exodus pacer wires - OUCH!  Next, the stitches securing the tubes were snipped, and I was told to take a deep breath.  Why, you ask?  Ha, it was because they yanked both drain tubes out at the same time!  YOW, those dad gum things must've been tied in a bowline knot around my heart and thoracic spine cause it took several tugs for them to get them reeled out of me!  I was for dang sure awake now, but oh my did I feel better after all the endorphins settled.  

The plan was to replace the wound vac over my incision but after re-inspecting it, they thought it looked well enough to not have to drag that dang thing around anymore!  One more tube gone.  Next, we ixnayed the final arterial line in my left wrist - bye bye!  I did have to receive just a little calcium today as I was a touch low but no biggie!  The plan is to say good bye to the PICC line tomorrow and then transition to the 4th floor.  I will have another echo tomorrow but that can be done on either 2nd floor or 4th floor unless something goes drastically south?!  I held off on OT today but did walk around the entire 2nd floor today with PT - that was a workout!  All in all, I'm feeling great, thanks to all you wonderful people and your outpouring of support!  Better hit the sack.  Night, Night - don't let the bed bugs bite!  I love you, God Bless! 

                                                 My Crew
          

Post-Op Day 3

 Monday, Monday, so good to be me - thanks to God for putting all you wonderful people in our lives!  We couldn't do it without you!  More strides today!  Meds didn't necessarily disappear today but they are changing from IV form to pill form which is a good thing!  That tower of medication and tangled lines is dwindling!  My chest drain tubes still hurt like hades when they strip them out - feels like the vacuum is trying to turn me inside out!  Good news though, the output is much less and more serous so there is talk that those things may go by the way side after rounds tomorrow morning - fingers crossed!  The PICC (Peripherally Insterted Central Catheter) line is also rumored to becoming not necessary either?!  My team thinks that by mid-week I could be moving to the floor (out of the intensive care unit) and that is one step closer to blowing this popsicle stand - kind of (I have to stay in the metro area for a couple months after leaving but more about that later)!  I hear that they are pretty full everywhere here which makes me sad so please pray for everyone here and everywhere in general - we all have our crosses to bear and we all get by with a little help from our friends!  

I'm pretty beat again tonight and my pain waxes and wanes but they're also pushing me from PT to OT to massage therapy!  I've been up and walking a little but not too far cause of the leash of lines I drag around!  Please enjoy the pics and I'll do my best to send some of the rain here back west!  Yup, don ho (Ronald McDonald House) lost power and Gem and Bubba got stuck in the elevator but don't fret Lee was there to help WAY past her bedtime!  She outta be a real treat to deal with tomorrow, LOL!  All for today, peace and love to all!  

                               Squeezin on another pooch

                                        Me and Gemma

                                          Crazy Siblings

                         Momma and Gemma clowning around

                                   Can't make this stuff up!

                                      Layla to the rescue!  

                                            

Post-Op Day 2

 Hola and Happy Sabbath!  What a great day!  I made some great strides but boy am I tired - don't know about how much rest I got but hopefully tonight?!  My docs took me off of morphine this am and put me on dilaudid for the discomfort.  This helped my pain overall and also helped my nauseousness!  The epinephrine was discontinued today because my ekg and echocardiogram looked great and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest!  My nitric oxide also came off as well but I'm still on a couple liters of oxygen while my body adjusts to this new 4 chambered pump - this baby rocks!  My innards just aren't quite adapted to these new pressures and all this blood flow!  I sat up in the recliner for about 15 minutes and made multiple trips to the bathroom which wore me out!  

My family is taking great care of me!  My momma manages to take care of me in the hospital and all my siblings like always - even out of her element!  Gemma makes sure my braids are nice and tight - just gotta teach her how to do nails!  Layla keeps the wagons rolling and can't wait for the pups to be back on duty during the week days!  Bubba is here for comedic relief and watches over my girls when were not together!  Dad, well, he's the like the custodial engineer - how my brother ever camps with him in a tent is beyond me!  I promise to get more pics soon!  As always, I am forever grateful for all the things you've all done for me and my fam!  Night, night and God Bless! 

                      Dad and Lee went fishing in the atrium
  

Post-Op Day 1

Greetings from the CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care Unit) in KCMO!  Hope you're all well and having a great weekend so far?!  Today was a wrestling match but I won!  I had a bit of trouble sleeping early this morning but about the time the rooster crowed and the docs rounded, I decided to get a little shuteye!  This could be in part to the benadryl or other drugs I was given but nonetheless, I rested comfortably until about mid-afternoon when we had to change out a couple arterial lines!  Neither were working so I got rid of them and the VAT (Vascular Access Team) ladies were supa good and smooth on the re-install but only put 1 back in (2 steps forward, 1 step back)?!  It was so smooth and I was feeling so well, that I sat up and decided clear my pipes a touch!  I accomplished this by hacking around and self administering the mucus sucker (w/ close observation).  Another score; advantage, me!  Oh, I almost forgot, this am I also got rid of my NG tube and my catheter, boy did that feel good!  I've managed to keep some water down and even a little bubbly seltzer water!  I was trying to stay awake until about 8 bells tonight so I don't get my days/nights mixed up because that can ultimately hinder my progression out of the CICU!  However, after the beverages, it was time to powder my nose!  With the help of momma and the nurses, I got out of bed and hit the commode!  I had to pee like a racehorse - filled the hat and then some!  After all this I was spent to say the least and needed to rest a little so we'll see how the night goes?!  All in all, it was a very productive day with lots of progress made!  I'm off of my sedative medication as well as a couple others!  My team has kind of warned me that post-op day 3-4 can be a little rocky with pain and nauseousness but time will tell?!  I am thankful for all of you and the Lord above!  Good Night, Go Royals!     

Heart Transplant Complete!

 

Well, here it is - my array of monitors and meds!  Just about everything you could imagine minus the kitchen sink!  I got out of surgery about 1:30 am this morning and all went well!  I'm resting / recovering comfortably for the most part!  Occasionally I wake and want to sit up / remove my breathing tube by myself but they've restrained me, ugh!  They tell me it's best I remain sedated while my body adapts to my new heart!  The team did decide to extubate me a little early because my labs looked good and if they didn't I was going to take matters into my own hands come heck or high water!  The nitric oxide remains just to make the breathing a little easier while I gain some more strength!  The meds will hopefully start to disappear after that as well or transition to pill form.  Thus far, my docs say I'm right where I should be!  They're pleased with my progress and my echo looked good earlier today!  I'm running a slight fever but they say that could just be from the procedure, we'll see?! 

I am quite the comedian from time to time when I wake and boy do I miss my family!  My team of docs, the nurses, and my family have all been quite accommodating!  I really need to get a good night's rest so everyone can recharge their batteries - the last two nights have been a little taxing to say the least!  Totally worth it though - my lips are rosy and my skin is a little darker (circulation is flowing like never before)!  All for now, gotta get some zzz's!  Thank you to everyone for all your thoughts, prayers, messages!  You have no idea how much my family and I appreciate it - they work wonders!  Good Night and God Bless!

                                        Silly Siblings

                                 Benson, Gemma, & Layla

   

Leave the Liver

Greetings my peeps!  WOW, what a day!  I'm telepathically sending this message to you because I'm still on the operating table - all I can say is good drugs, really good drugs!  

I went back an hour later than expected and was delayed a little more with my donor but all is well, really well!  The heart is a perfect match and my liver is overall, nice and soft/spongy (good thing) with only a couple areas of cirrhosing.  No varices anywhere, so I'm keeping that baby!  My donor family will bless another family as well - God Bless you all.  We are forever indebted to you!  My docs feel that replacing my heart (root cause) will not only correct my liver issues but also help out my kidneys that have started to falter somewhat also!  Speaking of the new ticker, it's supposed to arrive around 8 bells tonight.  Once here; we do the ol switcharoo (anticipating ~ 2 hrs), sew it all together, and stitch me up.  I'll be monitored for a couple hours afterwards to make sure she's purring like a kitten and then I'm headed back to room #74 CICU with the fam!  Realistically, I don't plan to be back in my room until late tonight / early tomorrow morning - my family doesn't need to sleep!  As for myself, I'm gonna have to sleep this off for a day or two while I mend and the meds start to come off - all depends on my numbers?!  Speaking of sleep, check out these pics:

                                             # BRAH

                                                                

                                       PAPER BEATS ROCK

                                               BOOGA

                                                               

                                     LAUGHS WITH LITTA

                      SAWIN LOGS WITH THE HI-PAD BLARING

                                             WET WILLIE?!

                     HEY BUBBA, I MOUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION

                                             MONACLE?!