Hip Hip Hooray 1/24/09

Hello all-
Keyboard fixed!

And so, an update from yesterday and today - huge progress. Yesterday we arrived in the ICU and were pleasantly surprised to find Kerry sitting up in a 'cadiac chair' - tears of joy from all of us. She was strapped into her body armour which she must wear whenever she is upright for the next several months - it is a plastic 'shell' that velcros around her entire upper chest and back (this is required for her broken back)- miserably unpleasant. She endured and the nurses were so pleased.

She remains off the vent yet has the trach - she struggles coughing and chokes on the phlegm that gets stuck in the trach tube - copious greenies. This sounds all gurgly and icky so John and I suction her regulary. The coughing makes her very upset as it hurts her throat terribly as well as her chest with all of its healing ribs. Her ICU team felt she was ready to be transferred to a rehab facility - this whole process moved incredibly fast, and within hours we had a nurse from a facility eveluating Kerry, clearing things with insurance and arranging transport ASAP - WOW!!

The facility is the only one of it's kind from Tampa to Miami - it is a critical care rehab hospital called Ridge Lake - conveniently in Sarasota (only 30 mins from K and John's home!) It is essentially a hospital that only has ICU beds and rehab facilities in it...it is not a nursing home - hip hip hooray! She was transported there this morning via ambulance.

J, mom and I met her there - the 25 minute drive there was so much nicer than the 1.25 hour drive that it was to the St. Petes hospital! It is a lovely new facility and K got a private room - huge with a bright sunny window and lots of walls to decorate with art from the kids! It took a while to settle her in - lots of anxiety from mom and John about this new move as they were worried she would not get the attention she needed being tucked away in a room and all...Not the case after all.

Quickly and efficiently doctors. nurses, respiratory therapists and X-rays techs descended on her. The primary doc and pulmonary physician were delighted to have me give them a complete review of Kerry's mechanism of injury, injuries, surgeries, treatments, meds, progress etc...this helped them get a better understanding of her whole situation. Her chart is huge and this gave them a jump start on reviewing her case and planning her care.

I was completely impressed with their immediate attention to detail, and plan of action. They both articulated what they foresee accomplishing in the next several days/weeks with Kerry and what actions will be taken to achieve her recovery. They will be bringing in an infectious disease doctor to watch her like a hawk and keep her infection free (we are all nervous about MRSA these days - "staph infections'), wound mangement specialist for the potentially dangerous wounds on her body (a large necrotic wound on left upper arm, heel, head, and incisional sites), an endocrinologist for her hypothyroid and calcium disorder, an orthopod and on and on and on! They cultured (sent a specimen to the lab to be evaluated) her lung gunk (we call that sputum), urine (she has had a tube in her 'bits below' for 5 weeks!!), and wounds - they changed and cleaned tubes (2 in her chest, one in her nose, one in her girl bits, and her trach in her neck) and the dressings on everrything. They are efficient, friendly, reassuring and organized. This made all of us very happy to say the least!

After reviewing her massive plan of care with the staff, helping them change Kerry's bed, photograph wounds, prop her on pillows, clean, powder and lotion her...she was ready to sleep. Mom and I got some flowers in town for her room and I decorated the walls with pictures and cards - with Ipod next to her bed playing quiet music, dim lighting, plan of action, resting Kerry, we all felt a wave of relief...she is on to Chapter 2!

She's on her way to recovery. This is a girl who they expected to die the night of her accident. This is the girl who fought her way back from the dark. This is the girl who said yes when given another go at breathing. This is the girl who won't let 3 of 4 broken extremities stop her from moving. This is the girl who has a will to live and live and live!

This is a girl that has a HUGE support system sending her their well wishes, good thoughts, energy, love and the fortitude she needs for all that she must and has already accomplished.

For this, we continue to thank you. Words can not not express our gratitude, our sincere love and our eternal appreciation for you!
With love, and no tears in my (our) eyes tonight - Kyla, John, Lynn, Kerry and the rest of our family too!