I just got home and I have to admit that I'm a bit weary. I wanted to stay longer with Hugh, but I was told that the nurses would change shifts at 7 and that I would basically have to leave from 7 until 8:30. At that point, I knew I would just be too darned tired and still have the drive home to consider. So, despite not wanting to leave him, I had to say goodbye for the day.
Hugh made slow but steady progress right up until when I left. He was definitely more alert, but only for brief periods - otherwise he was just sleeping, though somewhat fitfully. He would make gestures with his hand that I interpreted as, "get this damned breathing tube out," but I could be wrong. The pulmonary person stopped by several times to see if she could remove it, but at 7 she just wasn't satisfied that he was ready. She had him do some deep breaths and blow them out - he did great - I could see it on the pulmonary monitor. But since he still wasn't able to hold his head up very well yet, she opted to wait a bit longer. I had really hoped it would be removed before I had to go, but it was not to be. The good news is that he had nothing happen that would indicate any kind of problem. I'll definitely take the "slow but steady" route.
Before I left, I wrote Huey a long note and posted it on his bulletin board alongside the notes and pictures from Claire and Sydney. I also put a big note on the bag that has his glasses and hearing aids as I figure those will be the first personal items he requests. It's so hard not to be there to be his representative.
As I exited the hospital I was startled to realize it was raining. It was weird to arrive and depart in the dark. I made the quick dash back to the hotel to retrieve my car and from there it was an easy hop onto 95 South to good old Virginia. I was counting the minutes until I got home (literally since the GPS gives you a countdown) since I was just so darned tired. That 4:30am wakeup after a fitful night was really coming home to roost.
Before I close for the evening, I have to recount one last amusing story. Last night (was it really only 24 hours ago?) when Hugh and I were about halfway between Hagerstown and Baltimore, he turned to me and said, "do you have heated seats?" I looked down on the panel and realized that his seat was, in fact, set on low heat. I immediately apologized and said that yes, he'd been sitting on a heated seat for a good half hour. His response? "Thank GOD! I thought I was having a hot flash!" We laughed so hard for a good five minutes. He is such a kick.
I'm giving serious thought to trying to do an hour or two visit tomorrow afternoon/evening. I just really want to see him "up" if not yet "about."
Mom plans to call to check on him both tonight and tomorrow morning. She's promised to call me afterward, and I'll post any news then.
Love to all.
Kath
Monday, October 27, 2008
Almost 4:30 Update
I just got kicked out again. Huey is getting himself positively spiffed up in my absence - they're cleaning him up, changing his gown and changing all his bedding. I doubt he'll enjoy it much, though.
He continues to regain some consciousness. When he seems somewhat awake I can ask a question and he can either shake his head or squeeze my hand. I still swear he's trying to tell me something, but now I think it's "go home." I'm sure he means it in the nicest possible way.
He's still doing a bit of minor thrashing (sort of in slow motion) and keeps getting his feet out of the foot restraints. I want to say to the nurses, "did I mention he's a magician?"
He still has the breathing tube but they've switched the "mode" and now all his breathing is on his own. He's doing well with that, so I'm really hoping they'll get that damned tube out soon. I just want to be able to have some decent form of communication with him before I have to leave tonight.
Remy continues to be wonderful and even sings a little as she goes from tubes to computer to IVs and back again. Everyone here is just so amazingly nice. One of the orderlies from Hugh's room saw me in the foyer and knocked on the glass to wave to me. They're just that friendly.
Wow. According to the clock I've been in this building for about 11 hours. But at least I get to go home tonight.
He continues to do well and seems to be improving.
He continues to regain some consciousness. When he seems somewhat awake I can ask a question and he can either shake his head or squeeze my hand. I still swear he's trying to tell me something, but now I think it's "go home." I'm sure he means it in the nicest possible way.
He's still doing a bit of minor thrashing (sort of in slow motion) and keeps getting his feet out of the foot restraints. I want to say to the nurses, "did I mention he's a magician?"
He still has the breathing tube but they've switched the "mode" and now all his breathing is on his own. He's doing well with that, so I'm really hoping they'll get that damned tube out soon. I just want to be able to have some decent form of communication with him before I have to leave tonight.
Remy continues to be wonderful and even sings a little as she goes from tubes to computer to IVs and back again. Everyone here is just so amazingly nice. One of the orderlies from Hugh's room saw me in the foyer and knocked on the glass to wave to me. They're just that friendly.
Wow. According to the clock I've been in this building for about 11 hours. But at least I get to go home tonight.
He continues to do well and seems to be improving.
CICU
Just got back from an extended visit with Hugh. When I first got into his room around 1:15 he was just starting to wake up a little, but try to picture a guy who just got hit by a truck trying to wake up. He actually looks better than I thought he would - he does have the telltale swelling and the ventilator, but looks pretty much the same otherwise.
At one point his heartrate started to accelerate a bit so they asked me to "step outside." You gotta hate that. But when I came back in ten minutes, all was fine. They think he was simply in pain, which has a tendency to make the heart beat faster.
So I perch myself in the room and watch the many medical professionals do their jobs. It's remarkable how much they have to keep track of. At night they must dream of untangling yards and yards of tubes. Hugh's primary nurse is a lovely woman named Remy, who has a killer Caribbbean-sounding accent. I love the way she says, "Mr. McVEH."
When he starts to move around, I go over and hold his hand and it's like he's trying so hard to talk. All of you try to picture Huey, NOT BEING ABLE TO TALK. It's really making him agitated. I have warned all the nurses that they may actually prefer him with the breathing tube in. : )
I'll head back in now but have found out that I'm allowed to use my computer in there, so I'll try to do a few more updates today.
Love to all. Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Our boy is doing good. I swear he's trying to tell me he loves me.
At one point his heartrate started to accelerate a bit so they asked me to "step outside." You gotta hate that. But when I came back in ten minutes, all was fine. They think he was simply in pain, which has a tendency to make the heart beat faster.
So I perch myself in the room and watch the many medical professionals do their jobs. It's remarkable how much they have to keep track of. At night they must dream of untangling yards and yards of tubes. Hugh's primary nurse is a lovely woman named Remy, who has a killer Caribbbean-sounding accent. I love the way she says, "Mr. McVEH."
When he starts to move around, I go over and hold his hand and it's like he's trying so hard to talk. All of you try to picture Huey, NOT BEING ABLE TO TALK. It's really making him agitated. I have warned all the nurses that they may actually prefer him with the breathing tube in. : )
I'll head back in now but have found out that I'm allowed to use my computer in there, so I'll try to do a few more updates today.
Love to all. Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Our boy is doing good. I swear he's trying to tell me he loves me.
Update #1
I just finished speaking with Dr. Gammi, who informs me that the surgery is complete and everything went as expected. They were able to do the mitral valve repair (as opposed to replacement - yay) and the single bypass.
Soon, I'll be leaving my little home away from home, aka "The Healing Garden," where I've been posted for almost five hours. My next stop with be the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit's waiting room on the sixth floor. I'm told I should be able to see Hugh at about 12:45. Dr. Gammi did warn that I shouldn't expect him to look like the person I know and love - due to swelling (which is normal) and the ventilator, etc. It'll just be good to see him breathing. I was also told that they hope to have the breathing tube removed later this afternoon. I'm crossing my fingers for that.
Soon, I'll be leaving my little home away from home, aka "The Healing Garden," where I've been posted for almost five hours. My next stop with be the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit's waiting room on the sixth floor. I'm told I should be able to see Hugh at about 12:45. Dr. Gammi did warn that I shouldn't expect him to look like the person I know and love - due to swelling (which is normal) and the ventilator, etc. It'll just be good to see him breathing. I was also told that they hope to have the breathing tube removed later this afternoon. I'm crossing my fingers for that.
How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?
Definitely didn't get much sleep last night, despite the nice hotel room and very comfy bed. From my bed, I had a great view of the bright white sign for the UMMC - seeing it was both comforting and a little unnerving.
While I didn't get much sleep, it's probably safe to assume that Hugh got even less. I finally gave up and got out of bed shortly after 4:30. After taking my shower, I phoned Hugh's room to see if he was awake. I could tell he was WIDE awake and he told me he was ready whenever I was. So, after drying my hair, I knocked on his door at 5:15am.
After checking out of the hotel and stowing a few bags in my car, we took our cool five-minute walk to the UMMC. VERY few people wandering around at 5:30 in the morning and we arrived very quickly. Here's a photo of the entrance in the wee hours.
After arriving, we made our way to the "Same Day Surgery Waiting Area," which was an absolute zoo. Barely any room to sit. But after checking in, we found a little corner to call our own. Huey looked calm as a cucumber and immediately tore into his complimentary USA Today to find out just what happened to his beloved Steelers the day before. He was NOT pleased with their performance and was very generous in sharing all the details of the game with me while we waited.
Soon they called him back to get prepped for the surgery while I tried to figure out a way to carry all of our combined "stuff." About 20 minutes later they called me back to hang out with him until it was time for the surgery. Here's a photo of Mr. Personality as I found him:
I swear he was absolutely holding court: flirting with every nurse and picking on every R
avens fan! Needless to say, they all loved him. His nurse's name was Ilene Cavanaugh - though she was, sadly, only Irish by marriage. She told us a great story about her dad - he had been abandoned as a baby at Camden Station and later named after the police officer who found him and given the last name "Camden."
avens fan! Needless to say, they all loved him. His nurse's name was Ilene Cavanaugh - though she was, sadly, only Irish by marriage. She told us a great story about her dad - he had been abandoned as a baby at Camden Station and later named after the police officer who found him and given the last name "Camden." Dr. Gammie came by and reiterated the procedure for today: attempt to repair the mitral valve as well as a single bypass. After that, Huey had to surrender his hearing aid and glasses, so the nurses had to bend over and talk into his ear - which he loved. How that man manages to flirt without being able to see or hear is beyond me, but it's what we all love about him - his indominate spirit - which I am happy to report is in full effect today. He really did great and everyone should be proud of him.
Dr. Gammie estimates the surgery will take about 3 hours, so I don't really expect to have any updates until about noon. Later, I'll be able to go to ICU to see Hugh, but he'll still be on a ventilator and have no glasses or hearing aid, so I'll probably only be able to hold his hand and give him a big thumbs up.
I'll post later, as soon as I have anything to report. Feel free to email me - I'm delighted with the wireless connection!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
In Baltimore
The first leg of today's journey, from Herndon to Hagerstown went MOSTLY well. Except, that for reasons beyond my understanding, every time I drive to Hagerstown there is an unwritten law that major construction must occur and MUST block all but one lane of traffic. So, in a freaky repeat of my last trip to H'town, I SAT on top of a mountain and crept along. Good thing I left a little early. At least the foliage was nice!
Only stopped briefly in H'town - just 
long enough for Huey to do his final packing. Thankfully, I did remember to offload the lasagne and pie. It was a little tough to see Mom and Hugh have to say goodbye for what will most likely be five or six days apart. But they were both VERY upbeat and joking about how much trouble she would get into while Hugh is gone. Here's the happy couple just before we left.
long enough for Huey to do his final packing. Thankfully, I did remember to offload the lasagne and pie. It was a little tough to see Mom and Hugh have to say goodbye for what will most likely be five or six days apart. But they were both VERY upbeat and joking about how much trouble she would get into while Hugh is gone. Here's the happy couple just before we left. The trip from H'town to Baltimore was thankfully uneventful, other than some bad traffic on 695. We found the lovely Hampton Inn with no problem and even passed the UMMC on the way - looked like a very short walk. After checking in, Hugh and I went in search of some dinner and he suggested we try the cafeteria at the Medical Center as a chance to "try out" the walk before morning. It was an easy walk, but the cafeteria was closed. So we ended up walking around the Camden Yards area in search of food. Our hotel literally faces Camden Yards - too bad there's no game. We finally found some great crabcakes and a draft beer at the back of the Hilton Hotel. While we ate and watched the beginning of Game 4 of the World Series, Huey regaled me with lots of great stories. He seems in very good spirits.
A quick walk (and one more quick story) got us back to the hotel. It really is a prett
y part of the city - here's a photo I took on our walk. We made sure Hugh had a wake up call set up (I'm depending on my Treo to wake me up - though I did set two separate alarms. Then we said goodnight - me to blog and Hugh to go do his first of two head-to-toe pre-surgery scrubs with a special brush.
y part of the city - here's a photo I took on our walk. We made sure Hugh had a wake up call set up (I'm depending on my Treo to wake me up - though I did set two separate alarms. Then we said goodnight - me to blog and Hugh to go do his first of two head-to-toe pre-surgery scrubs with a special brush. So - goodnight all. Hopefully I'll find Internet at the Medical Center and be able to post lots of updates tomorrow. I promise to take good care of "our Huey."
Love,
Kath
T Minus One
Today is "T Minus One" for Huey's surgery and I'm hoping to use my silly blog as a way to keep people updated without having to contact everyone individually. Plus, it'll give me something to keep me busy. Now let's just hope they have wireless Internet at the Medical Center! So, to check on how things are going, just log on to the Blog tomorrow for updates.
This morning's project was to cook some goodies to drop off with Mom when I pick up Huey this evening. My goal is for her to have an easy dinner for at least a few nights while Huey is away. So I threw together a pan of lasagne and an apple pie. I know it's not comparable to food from "Freddie's" but it'll have to do.
I'll leave here around 3:30 to tackle the first leg of the trip - from Herndon to Hagerstown. I've got to find out if there's some way for Hugh to be able to listen to the Steelers game in the car - though knowing how excitable he gets, that may not be a good idea - he's likely to be screaming while I'm driving Leg #2 - to Baltimore.
Once we arrive in Baltimore, we'll be staying at the commodious Hampton Inn, about a four-minute walk from the UMMC. Here's a link to information about the hotel: http://www.hamptoninn.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=BALIHHX. Though we really won't be spending much time there.
More interesting is information about the UMMC and the surgery itself. Here's a really cool link with info about the specific surgery and it even has a profile of Hugh's doctor, Dr. Gammie. http://www.umm.edu/heart/mitral.htm
Hopefully I'll be able to post tonight from the hotel and then periodically tomorrow throughout the day, as updates are available. Feel free to email me at kbdelapaz@gmail.com.
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