It's Still Raining

Literally and figuratively.

Ken is in the hospital with pneumonia.

He saw the doctor on Thursday and while there his temperature was normal. The other symptoms looked like a case of the flu.

On Monday his fever was all but gone and he was up all day. He was still tired but talked about returning to work on Wednesday.

Tuesday morning at 4 a.m. his fever was 104+. It took an hour with cold compresses, meds, ice water, and a fan in the room to get it down to 102.

I called the doctor's office when it opened and left a message that I wanted to know what to do next. Late morning I talked with a nurse and a doctor, who wanted to see Ken and do blood work. By 1:30 he had been examined by two doctors and the diagnosis was pneumonia. As the results of the blood work started coming in it was obvious that Ken had a serious infection. After the chest x-ray the decision was made to admit him to the hospital. When lab results indicated stress on his kidneys and liver, he was admitted directly to the critical care unit.

As scared as I was, I was also relieved. I didn't know what I would do at home if his fever spiked again over night, and it did in the hospital. In the early morning hours his fever reached 104.8, and this was with nurses, doctors, lab technicians, and all possible technology made available. He was packed in ice, cooled with washcloths, denied covers ~ all with a fan on in the room. It dropped to 103.2. Then blood work showed improvement in kidney and liver function, so he was given a dose of Tylenol which dropped his temp even further. Phew.

We have the best doctors, nurses, and support staff anyone could ask for.

The news today is as good as it could be. Ken is slowly improving. He is able to get up and walk around the room. He sat in a recliner for an hour and ate two fruit cups. He still isn't out of the woods, but he is on the mend and looking at two to three more days in the hospital.

My daughter the doctor has been a godsend through all of this. Her mentors made it clear from the beginning that she was to wear the daughter hat, not the doctor's coat. She has been supportive and knowledgeable in just the right amounts. Thank you, K, for your presence and grace.

Our sons will be home from Boston this week-end. They were planning to come, but now I am especially looking forward to their visit.

I came home this afternoon to feed the cat, get the mail, and cut up watermelon for Ken. I fixed myself a plate of French toast and a cup of coffee, grabbed the phone, and climbed into a hot bath. Multi-tasking at its best.

I appreciate the comments on my last post. My time online is sporadic, but I will post an update tomorrow.

Yeah, it's still pouring.