Catch up report

Patti was too tired yesterday to post. Johnny arrived from LA last night for some back-up. Shorty reports from the coast that Bancorp South had its official re-opening today and things went really well. He returns to atlanta this weekend.

This morning when we arrived, Lori was wide awake and talkative, sitting in a type of chair that allows her to lie flat or to sit up. AFter 2 hours, she was ready to get back in the bed. Feeling tired with a little nausea and a headache.

Pulmonologist plans to have her off the vent, and using the talking valve, during the day, then on the vent at night. Blood tests indicate she needs the ventilator a little more than she has been using it.

Strength and stamina for her lungs and body are 2 of the main issues. Lori wishes she were progressing at a faster pace, but we keep reminding her that she was sick for over 2 months before she was awake and aware of herself, and that she is doing amazingly well compared to April.


love,
the sneeds

Shepherd - Day 2

ICU at Shepherd is going in a positive way. For 7 hours, Lori was off the vent and using the talking valve.

- Great that she has a wide selection of things to drink, and a good, but narrower, selection of food to eat. She feels full fast, but eating is a good thing.

love,
the sneeds

Adjusting to Shepherd

- Off the ventilator and talked a little bit for a few hours this morning. Repiratory docs feel things are good.
- able to drink fluids she wants during the day.
- able to eat some food to supplement what she is getting from stomach tube
- monitoring 2 areas of skin breakdown (pressure sores) on her backside

more later.

love,
the sneeds

BIG DAY

Lori moved to Shepherd Center today!!! She is in the ICU portion of Shepherd, but she is there.
She is being evaluated, and is pretty tired from the move.
Not sure of the schedule just yet. Still a long way to go.

thank you.
the sneeds

UPBEAT SUNDAY

Lori feels better today which makes Mom and Dad feel better. She was very responsive and antimated in a good way. She and Mom spruced her up with plucking eyebrows, lipstick, and hair combing.

She sat up a little and had applejuice (chilled, not shakened or stirred) thru a straw where she held the cup herself, thank you very much. She also ate some homemade pudding and yogurt.

Was off the vent for 5 hours and did not even know it. Dad thinks she does better when she is not informed about the vent. When she's not on the vent, there is still an oxygen tube covering the trach for humidity purposes, but Lori thought the blue tube was from the vent, thus psychologically, she was not pressing and was breathing more easily.

We all had a good meeting with Dr Cummings about her status and the possibility of going to Shepherd on Monday. He will check her out one last time tomorrow morning before she goes.
He ordered the central line removed today, which is one less thing to worry about getting infected. He very graciously agreed to be available for consulting with Shepherd staff.
Again, he gets paid for the two surgical procedures and ONE follow up visit as per insurance guidelines, yet he himself (not partners, not anyone covering for him) has seen Lori EVERYDAY,
and sometimes more than once since April 13th. EVERYDAY, including Sundays and holidays!

Wish us prayers and good luck as we hopefully say goodbye to the Northside Hospital ICU tomorrow, our home away from home for the past 74 days.

Love,

The Sneed's

WEEKEND BLAHS

Lori was thrilled to see Shorty this morning, and vice versa, however she is just too weak and lacks the stamina to sustain herself for very long off the ventilator. Since she has had two good days on Thurs and Fri, we surmise that she needs the third day off to rest, so we are not pushing it. She was too weak to sit up and eat this morning or to stay off the vent for very long.

She is frustrated, bored and depressed about her situation and what she still has in store for herself at Shepherd where we are still planning on going on Monday. She will transfer to the Shepherd ICU, which is a step down from the higher level ICU at Northside, but she will still be in the ICU nonetheless. She is just too weak to begin rehab per se, but Shepherd will herd her off the vent and fix her pressure sores with some minor surgery (you remember that minor surgery is what they do on someone else!)

Still being suctioned a good bit today, but as Dad told her, the way he measures progress is by the number of bags and IV's hanging off all the "trees" and "poles" around the bed, and there are now only three, where at one time there were 17! She is no longer under isolation watch, so we no longer have to "suit up" to go in and see her.

Thanks to everyone for your love and support. Dad says that Mom is fabulous, and that he over married. She gets Mother of the Century now where she had previously won only Mother of the Decade.

The Sneed's

Ice Cream and Applesauce

that was breakfast this morning. Lori said she prefers the applesauce "chilled, not room temperature." Her friend, Leslie, said, "well, that's Lori."

Lori was off the Ventilator for 3 hours this morning. Back on now while she's watching a movie. Will hopefully be off the ventilator some more this afternoon.


Love,
the Sneeds

a little bit of BREAKFAST

Lori was able to eat some breakfast today. "I'm excited," she said. Grits, frosted flakes, and orange juice.
- Later this afternoon, Lori will continue to try to breathe without the ventilator and use the talking adaptor.

thank you
the Sneeds

even more news and a request

what a day!

lori passed her swallow test. . . . that means she may be able to start eating real food. it could be that she will EAT breakfast! so cool! will let you know.

she was OFF the vent for 6 hours!!! (not sure the medical team really meant for that to happen, (time gets away from you in the icu) but it did.) quite a step.

the infectious disease physician has discontinued all antibiotics and will perform a culture on friday (48 hours later.) let's hope/pray lori "passes."

lori's hair was washed today. all of us women know what that means. (ok, and maybe a few men)

one little thing - she was so busy she did not have time for a nap today.

y'all who know us henry/sneed women know how important our sleep is.

would you pls say a prayer that she is able to relax and sleep tonight?

thank you.

always and ever,
the sneed's

A Busy Morning

Lori was attempting to wash her face, put on lotion and lipstick, which was fun. The movement she had in the three fingers of her right hand is slowly coming back.

The respiratory team had her voice adaptor on, and she is sounding stronger.

They will take her to radiology for a swallow test, and if everything is ok, she can begin to ACTUALLY put some liquid in her mouth and SWALLOW it! She seems pleased with that prospect.

She is doing so well that we hope the transfer to Shepherd will occur in the near future.

Each one of you is important to us, and we do appreciate everthing that you do.

The Sneed's

Overview

We are in our 10th week and Lori has come such a long way. Today Lori was off the ventilator for 3 continuous hours and had several talk sessions that went well. The key seemed to be a good night's rest last night and a nap in the middle of the day to sustain her energy level. Tube feeding into the stomach is going well with extra calories. We are hoping that rehab at Shepherd is in our near future. Just a reminder, Lori IS in ICU, and your prayers ARE helpful, needed, and beneficial. Thank you ever so much.

Another Day

Slow going today. Lori didn't sleep well last night. Got some sleep today. Continued the process of weaning her off the ventilator.

we love all of you,
the sneeds

Fathers Day

While Lori had the voice adaptor on, the nurses allowed a "special request" to call Shorty so he could hear her voice for the first time, wishing him a happy fathers day. She was smiling. She also left a message for Johnny, so he, too, could hear her voice for the first time.

Continuing the weaning process, our goal for today is to disconnect the vent 3 times and rest in between.

Happy Fathers Day.

Love,
the sneeds
______
shorty had this to say about hearing Lori:

"Best Father's Day gift I ever received.Hearing her voice for the first time since April 12th made me feel like Watson when ole Alex Graham told him to come here. Thanks to all of you for your love and support. Lori, as your CNN friend said, 'When you're going thru Hell, keep on going.' "

Status Quo

SAT
(sorry for the late post, my fault --- johnny)

Lori felt rested this morning after being able to sleep last night but not strong enough to be off the ventilator.

She used talking adaptor brieflly and went outside once.


thank you

sneeds

stepping back a little

Lori's lost a little steam. maybe overdid it a little. Working on increasing LORI's overall strength and stamina by
1) sitting in a chair and going outside
2) alternating breathing on her own and on the ventilator

2 things on HOLD
1) smaller trach
2) using talking adaptor today

thank you
sneeds

Respirator still needed

Lori needed some help breathing today, requiring assistance by the ventilator. She was tired and needed the help. Weaning process will continue, though.

a little sleep deprived

- Restless night last night.
- BUT, she did sleep without the help of the Respirator/Ventilator which is great.
- Hopefully, tomorrow, doctors will replace current TRACH with a smaller one that has an adapter that makes it easier to talk
- Hopefully, sometime next week, she will move to SHEPHERD for rehab
- Hopefully, Lori's I.V. drips will be removed soon, and she will be receiving food primarily from the tube into her stomach.

- Still wearing masks in her ICU room. Hopefully, that restriction will soon be lifted.

thank you.
sneeds

Alot of IF's

1) IF the lung culture doesn't grown anything by tomorrow, the Quarantine could be lifted.
2) IF she sleeps again tonight without the Ventilator, then doctors will replace her trach with a smaller one.
3) IF the stomach feeding continues to go well, they can discontinue the IV Feeding.
____
Some people have asked what Lori's first words were. I'm sure her first words were "get me the hell out of here!" But, her first words to Patti over the phone were, " Do you hear? This is my voice."

thanks
Patti and the sneeds

You talk too much!!

Lori told me she was tired this morning. Well, yeah! She talked too much yesterday and wore herself out! They want her to pace herself today and rest in between speaking times. The pulmonologist is SO pleased with the amount of time she is able to be off the ventilator and the progess with the voice adapter. Today they will try letting her suck on a piece of ice to see how she is swallowing. Everything is good. Thank you to everybody!!

Patti

SHE SPEAKS!!!

Lori talked today!!!!
Breathing on her own for most of the day!!!!!

Still will have trach for a while.
Still in ICU for the time being.
but we're very happy!!!!

thankyou thankyou thankyou
sneeds

----
Thanks to those that came to the benefit last night, and thanks to the people who contributed to and bought from the silent auction.

Talk to Her

Lori's had a couple of good days. Her temperature has been good. (White Blood Cell Count down to 13.9 which is better, but still needs to go down)

With some changes in medication, Lori has been the most alert since being in the hospital. Shorty was really thrilled seeing her Saturday. She's given us some very Lori-esque eye rolls and has been very talkative. She's not able to verbalize yet, but we're getting better at lip reading. can't wait to actually hear her.

Still partially on the Ventilator, but she's been able to breathe on her own for several hours at a time!! really excited about that!! Dr. Eaton, pulmonolgist, is encouraged. there is less fluid in the lungs.

Visitation is still limited while she's in the ICU, and we must still put on masks, gloves and some paper scrubs when seeing her. The pseudomonus infection persists and will continue to be a problem for a little while.

Thank you for all of your kind words and ongoing support---------

Love,
the Sneeds

_________________
Looking forward to the show tonight. A special thanks to all of you who have helped to put it on, and thanks to all of you who made donations and offered Silent Auction items.
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/rpoynter@gmail.com/benefit

Good Day

Morning:
-practiced trying to get a sound out while the vent was off
- Temp 101.8 but has come down
- White Blood Count down to 19,000

Afternoon:
-Radiology drained R lung area using ultrasound for guidance
- went outside for a bit
- Seemed to be doing pretty well
- Was basically breathing on her own for a little while today which is really good.

thanks

_________________
Music and Comedy Benefit for Lori and Lisa is SUNDAY, June 11, at 6pm at Whole World Theatre. Click on the Link for more details.http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/rpoynter@gmail.com/benefit

Slooowwww Progress

Lungs: Doctors drained fluid from left lung, in her room, using a sonogram for guidance--- 500 cc's (half a liter).
- Rolled lori outside for a little bit today. Hoping that the movement helps to strengthen her lungs.

Trach: Process of weaning Lori off the VENTILATOR is ongoing. Respiratory team has all sorts of tricks up their sleeves.

Temp and White Blood Cell Count: Temp spiked to 101 earlier today, but has come down. WBC Count is still high.

Good News: Feeding Lori via a Tube into her stomach is going well.

Thank you.

CT Results

The CT scan was done; however not much information provided today.
The abdomen report – Dr.Cummings says it’s looking better
The Lung Report – Pulmonologist will provide results tomorrow

Lori was awake this morning but after the CT (1pm) she slept for the remainder of the afternoon…still adjusting the medicine.

Good Points:

• No fever today
• Feeding within the stomach is going well

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Quarantined

We know the reason for the high white blood cell count. Lori has developed a resistance to the antibotics treating the pseudomonus infection. Before we enter the room, we get to dress up like a doctor wearing a mask, gown, and gloves. This is too much fun!!

Today:

• Trip outside is planned
• Feeding through the stomach tube is a go

Tomorrow:

• A CT scan of the lungs and abdomen

Thanks!

a wait-and-see day

Hoping these two things change
1) Temp: 100.8
2) White Blood Cell Count: 24,000. Same as yesterday. want this to be LOWER.

If those two things don't go down, Pulmonologist says we'll do another CT Scan.

Another trip outside is scheduled for later. Hopefully she'll be more awake than this morning.

Patti says,
"I went to church yesterday to celebrate the Day of Pentecost--that day the spitit of God spoke in many languages. And it reminded me of how all of you are scattered, yet your prayers to God have all been the same -- healing for Lori. Thank you."

_________________
Music and Comedy Benefit for Lori and Lisa is SUNDAY, June 11, at 6pm at Whole World Theatre. Click on the Link for more details.
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/rpoynter@gmail.com/benefit

Good Day

Johnny, here. I felt like Lori had a good day today, and was the most responsive that i've seen. we had several smiles, and a little dance to "midnight train to Georgia." there are still some times when she gets frustrated, and seems concerned about the doctors and nurses coming in to check on her.
But overall, i felt that she was doing well today, and i really loved feeling like we were communicating with eachother.

they were not able to switch the PICC line yesterday, so Dr. Cummings put in something else in her right shoulder. not sure what that is called. (my apologies to the more medically savvy readers)

thanks

A Trip Outside

- White Blood Cell count has come down a little which is GOOD. Still seems to be a little infection somewher.
- Fever still a bit of an issue. was UP, then with medicine, came DOWN
- Awaiting results from lung culture
- Less Sedation today. We felt that this was the most alert Lori has been the entire time. Got some smiles, but Lori was a little frustrated with her inability to communicate with us.
- With a double-wide chair / small Bed with wheels, Nurses were able to wheel Lori outside for 30 minutes today to get some fresh air. Unfortunately, Lori was mostly asleep. This was a test-run for the nurses. they want to try a routine with Lori everyday, including sitting her up to help with her Respiration.
- Changing the PICC line from one arm to the other today.

Thank you

Inevitable Bump in the Road

(johnny, here, typing for Patti)
This morning, Lori's Temp spiked to 102, and the White Blood Cell count went higher to 28.9.
Dr. Cummings says the infection could be in:
1) PICC line - they are moving that to the other arm
2) Intestine - will do blood work
3) Urine - will do a culture
4) Lungs - Pulmonary Doctor performed Bronchoscopy, and will culture from that

thank you.

sneeds