Chocolate Black Russian
1 oz. Kahlua
1/2 cup chocolate ice
cream
1/2 oz vodka
Blend ingredients and pour into
a large cocktail glass - http://www.cdkitchen.com/
Friday
May 22

Jess is spending her third night in the hospital. I'm home for just a bit. I was in and out of her room all day. When I went back about 5 p.m. she seemed better than she has in days. Although I could hear her throwing up as I came down the hall. She said she thought that she gagged on a pill she was taking. She was pretty animated after that, ate a little sherbet and was talking and watching TV.
When I left last night she seemed pretty good. I got there around 7 this morning and she looked sick. I was shocked at how bad she looked. Then 8:00 came around and she couldn't get her hydro down without vomiting. The nurse wasn't too concerned even though I'd told her why it was critical that she get the hydro. I asked if she could have an injectable. hhmm, hhmm, hhmm. She'd have to call the doctor and he'd have to okay it, etc., etc. Right, okay, call the doctor. I was starting to get upset, Jess was getting worse and while I don't think she was in a crisis, I think she would of been headed there fast.
I can't remember where I was going but I ran into my sister, Sue, who works in Human Resources at the hospital. She asked me what was wrong and I told her. By now it's a half hour to forty five minutes after she should of had her dose, and I was getting a bit panicked as I wasn't sure she was going to get anything before she had a major medical meltdown (or I did). Sue said we needed to talk to Kelly who is the social worker for the hospital. I had no idea she could help me. Kelly was right there in the hall and Sue went over and explained my concerns and Kelly went and had a talk with the nurse. I guess the nurse then went ahead and called the doctor and they got him out of an exam room to talk to her. I did understand later that there are certain times (that would be clock time) when you call the doctors unless it's serious. I hadn't yet convinced her it was serious (!).
Dr. Matchell showed up a few minutes later (his office is just across the lawn from the hospital) and one of the first thing he said was that they should give her 100 mg of solu-cortef in her IV. YEA! That's what I was hoping for. We decided that he had studied up on this as he seemed sure of himself and yesterday when I had mentioned it he heemed and hawed. So good for him, he might start to redeem himself for the way he treated Justin and I when I was first looking for a dx.
By the time he had showed up I had gone to Sue's office and found Dr. F's emergency letter in my email and printed it out. I had not brought one with me as I didn't believe she was in crisis, but by now she could of been headed there. After he had ordered the IV I handed him the letter and he glanced over it, nodding his head. Guess what he'd found agreed with Dr. F! He gave the letter to the nurse and as they were all leaving the room later I heard her telling someone to copy it and one should stay in her file at the hospital and one go to the doctor's office.
I felt much better after they got the IV started. I had been afraid that everything she had gained with potassium was going to be lost. Her labs gained the most in potassium today after she had the IV.
She also had another x-ray today and he said things were cleaning out. He also ordered an abdominal CT to make sure everything was okay there. Must be as we never heard any results.
Well, headed back to the hospital, Bill's just leaving for work. This morning as I ran this all through my head, I think I figured out how this all came about.
10:40 p.m.
Just left the hospital. Jess seems to be doing very good. She hadn't vomited again and did keep down the sherbet she ate.
So here's what I think. While in Milwaukee we used a lot of stool softeners and suppositories. They seemed to be working, not as fast as I thought they would, but working. She was keeping nothing down so when she quit having BMs, I presumed she was empty. I had originally thought that she was vomiting because she was constipated and there just wasn't room for anymore (!). But when I thought it was all out and she was still vomiting I was stumped. But from the x-rays at the hospital we know there was a lot more in there. So I think it was a vicious circle. She was constipated, nothing would stay down so she got dehydrated, because she got dehydrated nothing would move in her bowels, because nothing would move, she could keep nothing down, because she could keep nothing down, she got more dehydrated, and on and on and on.
I'm also wondering if she was absorbing her hydro okay. And of course if she wasn't feeling good she might of been using it up faster. I'm guessing her solu-cortef IV has a lot to do with how good she is feeling now. And of course all the IV laxatives. So we are definitely learning things here. Her mood was very good tonight, almost like her good days before surgery. I'm thinking she might be discharged tomorrow.
This morning really was frustrating, I just could not make the nurse understand - THE HYDRO IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HER LIVING! And I was very nice about it, maybe she would of believed me if I'd been really cranky about it all, but just didn't have that in me. I just wanted Jess to get her hydro.
I think what has thrown me all along is that she has never had any abdominal pain. I had presumed that if she was still badly constipated there would be pain.