Katie Update (from Carepage)

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Valve Replacement Forums

Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Here's the latest from Janet

Here's the latest from Janet

July 20, 2005 at 10:01 AM CDT
Oh, and just had to add Katie's thoughts on all this. Last night she said, "I'm sick of this hospital! This place is (searching for the worst thing she can think of) STUUUU-PID!" No, she is not happy at the moment and in some pain. Had to give her some morpine last night so she could rest a bit, and, of course, she just got that and some versed for the chest tube and art line removal. Baby steps!

Oh, and someone asked what this HIT means for future procedures. It does mean that she shouldn't do any more heparin and will have to use the argatroban for a bridge, assuming it gets FDA approval. Just something else to add to her medical bracelet.......sigh!

Many tired, but a lot more optimistic, hugs. J. And thank you as always for checking in on us and praying for our Katie.
 
This is the update Janet posted just a few minutes before the one Mary copied above. It gives a bit more info.

Keep up the good recovery Katie! Still praying hard!

July 20, 2005 at 09:52 AM CDT
Just like the Jeffersons, "we are moving on up...to the East side," which means the floor. Actually it is just down the hall from the PCTU. Dunno the room number yet. We are losing a chest tube - yes, only one for now as the other is still draining pretty significantly. And we are losing the art line. The argatroban appears to be working and there is talk of stopping it, too, as Katie's INR just came back at 2.3. Ideally, they want it between 2.5 and 3.5. She is on a 2mg tablet dose of coumadin which we are taking at 10PM. Does this sound about right? She has only had three doses so far. Still doing the oral amiodarone for that darn arrythmia.

Oh, and Mary Elizabeth, thank you so much for the tulips!!! They are beautiful! And one-third of them are purple, which, of course, is Katie's favorite color.

OK, got to get back and see if I can get in yet. AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRAYERS. THEY ARE DEFINITELY WORKING. I SEE THE BREADCRUMBS!!!!

Many hugs. Janet
 
This is my [SIZE=+2]YIPPPEEEE!!![/SIZE] post. Happy to hear such great news. Sending hugs and prayers out even more.
 
Way To Go Katie!!!!

Way To Go Katie!!!!

You Just keep plugging Little One, and soon you will be cracking us all up with laughter again!!!! Many {{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}} coming to you from ole' Harrybaby :D :D :D :D :D The prayers are still going up!! :D :D :D :D
 
Everything sounds good today. :) I'm praying it's the first of many good days to come! :) :) :) :)
 
Last night she said, "I'm sick of this hospital! This place is (searching for the worst thing she can think of) STUUUU-PID!"
Click to expand...
Love that quote. STUUUU_PID is Dick's favorite word too when he is frustrated and he's 71! His 101 year old father is always berating him for using it. It's great news and it's okay Katie, Dick thought the hospital was STUUU_PID, too. Sending all our prayers for continued baby steps for the big" girl.
 
Step by Step

Step by Step

The latest news sounds encouraging. Though I haven't posted here for a while, I have been keeping up with the news and rest assured that I have not stopped praying for Katie, and will not stop -- joining so many others here who are pulling for this brave gal.

All best,

Rob
 
Still keeping Katie in my thoughts and prayers. I'm glad to hear things are starting to improve for her. Seeing those pics that Gina posted really brought this into focus for me. Thanks, Gina. :) :)
 
Haven't posted in a long time either...

Haven't posted in a long time either...

But like everyone else on this board, I have been in constant prayer for Katie. Fortunately I had been to her Carepage some time ago and was getting email updates from it. So even though I've been a little AWOL from vr.com, I have been tuned in to the really big things -- like praying for that precious little lamb.

My business has skyrocketed since my valve replacement surgery and it keeps me busy 18 hours a day plus now includes a lot of travel. I really miss the days of spending more time here and really keeping up with what was going on and who was pre-surg and who was post, etc. Don't miss that old tight aortic valve, however! Life is so much better with blood flow!

Hope all of my vr.com buddies are doing well. I'll try to check in more often and not get so out of touch.

I know one thing for sure, I'll be checking in constantly until I see that Katie is well and healthy and back home in Texas!
 
I read every word posted about your little Katie and am so pleased with the progress she has made. Let her be crabby for a while. I'm sure kids aren't immune to the depression issues many of us adults go through post-op. Just one more thing for us to pray about.
 
Thanks for the update. Katie's kind of sounding like a kid who's sick of where she is and what she's doing...pretty reassuringly normal given the circumstances! Hang in there, sweetie.
 
Martin and I are praying for her. We will we praying and sending positive energy to Katie and her family
Dana and Martin
 
Latest update from Janet

Latest update from Janet

Katie has been moved to the floor- Yippeeeee!!


July 21, 2005 at 01:16 AM CDT
Just a quick one tonight as it has been a very long day. Believe it or not, we just got moved to the floor as of an hour ago. There was no room at the inn. An emergency transport was coming in and they needed Katie's bed in the PTCU, so somehow or other, they coughed up another bed. We are now in Room 5535, bed 2. WE have a new baby bunkmate - little bitty thing.........haven't gotten to meet him/her yet, although we do already know that he/she definitely has a set of lungs on him/her.............sigh!

But this is one step closer to that "H" word that I dare not say in case I jinx it. WE are doing so much better. Lowered the amiodarone dose - oral now, but still having some arrythmia issues. She was supposed to go on telemetry when we moved to the floor, but I suspect that they will wait and hook that up tomorrow since we moved so late..........dunno! WE lost our art line and one chest tube today - the one next to the heart; we still have the two next to her lungs. Katie is having issues with her right lung.......argh! the same one as last year, but hopefully, getting up and around tomorrow will start to help. She has not been getting up much at all tonight as she is really starting to feel some pain - guess the morphine has completely cleared her system by now. We did have to do Tylenol 3 tonight in addition to the motrin and regular Tylenol.

Our major issues right now are the arrythmia issues, the INR regulation, shedding the last two chest tubes, ditching the central line, getting up and moving, and eating and drinking more. I think Katie's role model right now has to be Karen Carpenter as she has eaten about one ounce of food today.........and that was a battle. And didn't drink much more than that either. They are stopping her lipids and TPN tonight to try and encourage her to eat and drink more.

Got a couple of laughs out of Katie today. 'Course it had to be from Rugrats (Tommy said "naked butt")and Sponge Bob (Squigward called SB and Patrick "slobbering idiots")............well, it's a start, although she is really disgusted with us and this place. Her nurse tried to get her to take her medicine this afternoon. She said, "No. I"m sleepin'." and threw her head to the side and squeezed her eyes shut tight...........sigh!

Nursing care has been outstanding, except for one slug we had last night named Abby. The rest have been phenomenal. We haven't always been able to say that in the past, so this has been icing on the cake. Remind me of that over the next few days when one poor nurse is trying to track six or seven kids.

Okay, got to go. LIfe on the floor is rough.......I have no hopes of ever finding my butt......but we will gladly take it. Hard to believe we were camped out in the PCTU this time a week ago, with our HR through the roof and our chest still open. Prayers are a powerful thing. So do please keep them up. Thank you all, as always, for your generous support and prayers.

Much love, J.
 
This is a great way to start the day! Keep it up Katie, and we'll keep our prayers up too!
Mary
 
Sounds awesome KATIE!!!!!!! I hope today you are up and watching tv!! As for taking the meds.. well at 25 (and just had open heart too) i must admit i pretended to be sleeping once or twice too!!

Hope mom, dad, and Katie have a wonderful day!! Keep on fighting Katie!!

Diesel :p
 
Its amazing what Rugrats and Spongebob can accomplish. So glad they got a chuckle out of Katie. My grandkids all love them,too. From the 3 year old to the 15 year old. I will keep my prayers going and keep watching for the good news when Katie gets to go (You know the H word)
 
Bruna Lion

Bruna Lion

From Bruna Lion to Katie Lion. Get well soon!

Bruna dressed as a Parmalat lion, September, 1998 (aged one and a half)
 
I have been

I have been

checking in every day to read the progress of Katie. I was unable to contribute to the board because of a problem with my password that Ross just got fixed for me.

Anyway, prayers are with this little girl. She sounds like she is on her way to a full recovery. The great thing about being such a little one is that her body cells are constantly renewing themselves, so her heart and body will mend very fast.

Anyway, prayers and thoughts have been with you and still are. :)

Christina L.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top