A Much Needed Update

Since the day before Thanksgiving, Mom has been battling nausea and vomiting and very high blood pressure. Brady cooked a delicious Thanksgiving lunch for mom and dad, but mom couldn't eat any of it. Brady, Dad, the kids, and I ate our Thanksgiving lunch together in the cafeteria. Brady did an awesome job as usual! Mom did go the weekend without dialysis, but when Dr. Barry saw her labs on Sunday, he said she would still need dialysis on Monday. Her kidney output has increased drastically over the past several days which is AWESOME news. We are still waiting for her kidneys to filter normally---that level is still pretty high. Since mom's surgical procedure on Monday, she has been without nausea and vomiting and she got to start on a soft diet!! She has been able to keep it all down! :) Dr. Jones started her on blood pressure medicine and her blood pressure has been much better since. The high blood pressure is believed to be related to the kidney problems. Dr. Thomas gave us a great report on her feet! There is even talk of going to regular room soon!! We just have to wait on a couple more of the doctors to sign off on it. I know the level of care is significantly different in a regular room so I am a bit apprehensive about moving. Guess she can't stay in ICU forever, huh? We have gotten to know all of the nurses and staff, who give excellent care might I add, in the TSICU unit and hate to leave them. I have to keep thinking that moving to a regular room means she is getting better and it's one step closer to going home!! Unfortunately, we haven't been given a timeline as to when she might go home. We just have to take one day at a time and pray for more good days and hope the good outweighs the bad. Mom's best days yet have been yesterday and today. Do you know how wonderful it felt to leave the hospital these past two days with mom feeling so much better?? Words CAN NOT describe it!! Tonight as I drove home, I actually sang along with the radio and enjoyed the Christmas lights and decorations. I didn't realize how bad I felt until I felt good again.

Thanks, again, everyone for your prayers, calls, emails, text messages, and visits. I couldn't make it without you all. I went back to work yesterday so it might be difficult for me to return calls, emails, or messages. Please know I appreciate you so much and will do what I can to get back with you. Love to you all!!