July 1,2011

Well sitting protocol is going a little bit better, depending on what time of the day they try to get Nick up and in his chair. He doesn't do real great in the mornings. Not enough solid food in his stomach. For breakfast he usually just has a protien shake, so we are going to try to have him eat some soda crackers before we sit him up. In the afternoon he does much better as long as he drinks plenty of water before hand. They have to give him medication about 30-45 minutes before sitting him up, and then really watch his blood pressure. It is really a big balancing act. We are hoping that he can get him outside to see fireworks this weekend.
Nick really wishes he was home so he could do the Menan festivities and the fireworks. I am trying to think what I could bring in for him to eat to make him feel a little bit better. Any ideas please let me know.

June 2 8, 2011

yesterday was an amazingly horrible day. Nick was to start his sitting protocol. They brought in his morning meds and he took them and ended up vomiting everything he had eaten. We were doing so well until then. They decided to take out his foley, then told him he could take a shower. Their was a big miscommunication whether to do it on a shower cart or a shower chair. They tried to take him from laying flat for the last 2 months to straight up and down, to put him in a shower chair. He got really nauseated and his b/p dropped tons, and then he tried to pass out on us several times. They were still insisting on getting him into the shower and I demanded they get him back into his bed. Once he was back into his bed he slept for most of the rest of the day. He was totally exhausted.
After this they came to tell me they were still going to come and try and get him in his chair later in the day. I told them that as long as I was there they would not be getting him into his chair today. They thought I was off my rocker. I am so glad I am here to be Nicks advocate.
Hoping today will be better with the sitting protocol.

June 24, 2011

Nick got his stitches and staples removed on Monday. His incisions look really good. He has quite the war wounds, his scars go from one side of his bottom to the other, therefor there will be no pictures, for Nicks sake. He also has a good scar on his leg.
Nick has been having a very hard time keeping anything down after eating. He has lost tons of weight, (he didn't have much to lose anyway) Since his first surgery on May 10th he has lost about 30 lbs.
On Tuesday he went to get an ultra sound of his gallbladder. We finally got the results today. Everything looks good. No infection in it, and it is not inflammed. He does have a few gall stones but nothing that warrants another surgery for the time being. THANK GOODNESS. I'm not sure he could handle another surgery right not. They think his stomach issues are triggered from his antibiotics. He is on two really strong ones. His last day on the antibiotics will be on Monday.
On Monday he also gets to start sitting up in his wheelchair for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon. We are very excited about this. Come Monday we will be able to come home in two weeks.
We have to do what they call a sitting protocol. He will work up to sitting longer periods of time. When we come home he will have to lay down in the back of the car on an air mattress. 3 hrs is to long to sit for him in one place. Baby steps, Baby steps.

June 15, 2011

I know I haven't posted in a few day. Not much to report. It has been some long days. All Nick can do is lay flat in his bed. He watches alot of TV. Not much more he can do besides that. He has a Dr's appointment on Monday with his surgeon. We will find out them how much longer he has to be down, and how much longer we will be down here. His insisions are looking really good. He has been losing lots of weight, which has not been good. Since he has been here at South Davis he has lost 10lbs. He is so skinny. He will be glad to be off the antibiotics. That will really help with his appetite.

June 9, 2011

Today has been a good day. Each day seems to be getting a little bit better. HOORAY
Today we got our new roommate. I have found myself counting my blessings over and over. Our new roommate has been in a bad car accident. He is in an acoma. He is also on a ventilator and they don't know when he will come out of it. He blinks his eyes and that is all he can do.
We are so blessed.
Nicks wounds are looking better everyday.

June 7, 2011

I have been thinking that it was the 8th all day long. It seems as if one day just runs into another. The days are long, and Nick has a real hard time sleeping at night. To many things beeping and nurses running in and out. He usually takes a nap in the afternoon for a couple of hours. I shut the door for him so the nurses aren't so apt to run in and out.
Nick has an appointment with the surgeon on the 20th. They will transport him back to University Hospital. Then we will find out how much longer he has to be flat down. He is getting really tired and bored of it. After the Dr. gives him the go ahead of being up he will have to to very slow transitions. Like 15 minutes the first day, then 1/2 hour the next day and so forth.
Nick's Occupational Therapist from the "U" came to see him the other day. That really helped perk Nick up. Thanks Lance. We love you. You are awesome.

June 5,2011

Nick had a really good day yesterday. He did a little bit of physical therapy with a therapy band and his arms. He was awake for 95percent of the day, and he did a little joking around with the nurse.
Today seems to be a little bit different. He is very tired, can't hardly keep his eyes open, he is extremely quiet and reserved more than usual. He is having a harder time eating today. He says he is just not hungry at all. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

June 3, 2011

Nick has been doing a little bit better today. He has finally been able to keep food down. They are really stressing protien. I went and got a protien shake mix and mixed it with strawberries,milk and some ice. He likes that alot better than ensure or boost. Its more like a milk shake.
We just got the news that we are getting a roommate. That is bad news. We liked being just the two of us. I was able to lay down and rest and take a nap on the extra bed.

June 2, 2011

So they have Nick transferred to a step down unit. He is in Bountiful at a place called South Davis Community Hospital. This is an acute care facility...

May 30, 2011

Last night Nick ate a plate full of potatoes and gravy and some pudding. That is the most he has eaten for a long time. The great part was that he kept it all down. He still is breaking out with a rash that is quite miserable for him. They still think it is from one of his antibiotics...

May 28, 2011

Today was a tough day for Nick. He seemed to wake up ok, but then around 10 he broke out into a bad rash. Then he had dressing change, which takes a lot out of him. Then He became very nauseated and started vomiting. He has been nauseated all day...

May 27, 2011 later in the day

Today they came in and changed Nick's bandages. They were very interesting. He is stitched together with lots of stitches and staples. They also changed one of his IV antibiotics because of an allergic reaction. Nick can only sit up to a 15 degree tilt, they do not want the flapping to get stretched. We are trying to get him to eat, but he just won't eat a whole lot.

May 27, 2011

This morning they came in and changed Nicks bandages. Looks nothing like I thought it would. He is sticked together with lots of stitches and staples. They have taken him off of one of his IV antibiotics because of an allergic reaction. They will be putting him on something else...

May 26,2011

Today Nick is feeling a little bit better. He is more awake and asking for some soft food. How life can change so quickly. He does have a little bit more color in his face today, which is really good. We do still have a long road ahead of us, but we will make it.

May 25,2011 after 3:00 p.m.

Remove PostDonna Heiner
Nick is out of surgery. It was a long surgery, but everything went ok. We are up on the 5th floor. We will be here for a week and then moved to a rehav facility for another 5 weeks.

May 25,2011

sitting here in the surgical waiting room here at University of Utah Hospital. Nick went in to surgery around 8:30. The waiting game is absolutely no fun, but I would rather they take their time and do it right that to rush thru the surgery. Nick is having skin grafting done on 3 differenct pressure sores that became infected. The infection also got into the bones. He has been really quite sick.

May 18, 2011

well we are headed back to SLC for more surgery. I have to have Nick to the hospital on Wednesday morning at 6:30 a.m. Not to excited about this. He will be getting skin flapping done on three of his wounds. He has 3 wounds that are stage 4 wounds and one that is stage 2. The first 3 wounds are were down to the bones and has infected the bones. We will be in the hospital for atleast 1 week and then sent to a rehab center for another 5 or 6 weeks.