6/23/2008b

Good evening all.  Well I will tell you how the night went, and answer people question from the last post. 

  Apparently, in severe sepsis, your adrenal glands can get messed up and stop working.  They regulate hormones, that regulate inflammation, a bunch of other stuff, Calcium, Potassium, and other levels.  I was racking my brain today as well as the doctors as to why her temp, heart rate etc would still all be super elevated, if there was no obvious signs of infection, and has been on both broad heavy duty, and specific antiobiotics. They also tapered each antibiotic over the last week to decide if it was one of those causing the temperatures.  

So at around 6 they decided to humor me and give her some steroids (similar to what the adrenal glands produce), and what do you know her temp and everything go down for the first time in 3 days.  Could just be coincidence.  Who knows.  Either way good to see the 105 degree temperature from today go away.  

The "sedation vacation" was a success, and they anticipate getting her off of the ventilator by weekend.  She keeps trying to breathe on her own.  She had her eyes open while I was there, I think tried to talk, grimmaced alot, moved both arms and legs (albeit very small amounts).  Her pupils are dilating normally to light stimulation.

The vascular surgeons came by again, and again don't think she is stable enough to do surgery yet.  They did another doppler of each appendage, and unlike the first ones on her legs, they could not detect a pulse near both ankles.  Which sucks, but they said def not definitive of anything.  All four appendages look pinker to Heath and I, and she has moved them, not the fingers and toes obviously.

She gave the nurse a scare today.  Her C-section incision (which is still stapled, as they hadn't wanted to take them out yet due to bleeding risk), started bleeding today.  Blamed it on the Heparin(coumadin) and stopped administering it.  Which kind of sucks for her left hand, if you have been following along. They are going to remove the staples tomorrow.  

I gotta a good look at her whole body unbandaged tonight.  Her left calf has a decent 4 by 1 area which looks pretty necrosed, and is the first area I have seen that will most likely need to be cleaned up and skin grafted.  She looks to be getting a similiar area near her bellybutton.

Safiya got her first bath tonight.  She is doing well.  I took Chloe out to dinner as well after work, so all in all a busy day.  

Hopefully that answers most of the current questions.  Here's hoping her vitals will stabilize with the hormone they are giving her.  

scott