JB had another roller coaster lunch time today. Yesterday I mentioned he was experiencing tingling/numbness and loss of control of his left side. This lasted only 5-10 minutes, but had the cardiac team and neuro team evaluate him. It was not clear what had happened, but perhaps the stress of the walk he recently made and the position he was laying in bed caused it. Today when I arrived JB was sitting in the chair and looking pretty good. He was responsive and had a few sips of apple juice and a few spoonfuls of yogurt.
Within a few moments, his behavior began to change. He requested to get back into bed, and upon transfer he started loosing the ability to speak. The words were not coming out and he was generally not making much sense either. This time he signalled the right side of his body was feeling tingling and loss of control. He became quiet unnerved, and thrashed a bit too. The nurse tried to calm him but probably aggrevated him more with some of that syrupy talk that nurses sometimes use to address a patiences desires.
The cardiac team again arrived and evaluated JB. The delutional state and fog started to lift a bit and JB began communicating near normally. A neurological team was to arrive soon. JB then started to doze off and it looked as if the situation had calmed down.
So it is unclear what is happening, but there are a few possibilities. Today they changed over to a new pain medicine. The goal is to wean off of morphine, but there is still pain requiring treatment. They decided to go with oxycodone (I think, but this may be wrong). I wondered why they chose this, since there is a history of JB having adverse reactions to medications. For example the antibiotic that he took in December while dealing the the lung infection caused him to have delusional dreams and really upset his sleep pattern. Additionally during his IL-2 treatments we found out that a combination of drugs they were giving him (if I remember correctly they might have been the anti-nausea and sleep inducers) caused JB delusional episodes.
We mentioned these facts to the doctors and nurse and suggested that an alternative pain med would be best. JB has been occasionally taking vicoden to help him sleep through the pain his tumor on his arm gives him. The dose he takes had no adverse symptoms, so we suggested that vicoden would be a better pain relief option.
In light of this recent episode, they will be keeping an eye on him in the ICU. However they did clear a room for his eventual transfer to the 6th floor. Perhaps this move will still take place. I am hoping he sleeps off the effects of the drug and that was the cause of todays event. I think JB will be more comfortable out of ICU, less stressful noises and surroundings. Of course optimally JB will be more comfortable when he eventually returns home. No news about that happening, but updates will keep you all informed.
The amount of visitors and their energy has been appreciated. There is always room for more to come by, even for short moments. JB remains tired a lot, so the experience would not be the most stimlulating. I think that simply loving bodies present ads a level of calmness that is palpible.
I'll be heading back to the hospital after finishing my afternoon at work. I will try to update on the situations I described above.
Within a few moments, his behavior began to change. He requested to get back into bed, and upon transfer he started loosing the ability to speak. The words were not coming out and he was generally not making much sense either. This time he signalled the right side of his body was feeling tingling and loss of control. He became quiet unnerved, and thrashed a bit too. The nurse tried to calm him but probably aggrevated him more with some of that syrupy talk that nurses sometimes use to address a patiences desires.
The cardiac team again arrived and evaluated JB. The delutional state and fog started to lift a bit and JB began communicating near normally. A neurological team was to arrive soon. JB then started to doze off and it looked as if the situation had calmed down.
So it is unclear what is happening, but there are a few possibilities. Today they changed over to a new pain medicine. The goal is to wean off of morphine, but there is still pain requiring treatment. They decided to go with oxycodone (I think, but this may be wrong). I wondered why they chose this, since there is a history of JB having adverse reactions to medications. For example the antibiotic that he took in December while dealing the the lung infection caused him to have delusional dreams and really upset his sleep pattern. Additionally during his IL-2 treatments we found out that a combination of drugs they were giving him (if I remember correctly they might have been the anti-nausea and sleep inducers) caused JB delusional episodes.
We mentioned these facts to the doctors and nurse and suggested that an alternative pain med would be best. JB has been occasionally taking vicoden to help him sleep through the pain his tumor on his arm gives him. The dose he takes had no adverse symptoms, so we suggested that vicoden would be a better pain relief option.
In light of this recent episode, they will be keeping an eye on him in the ICU. However they did clear a room for his eventual transfer to the 6th floor. Perhaps this move will still take place. I am hoping he sleeps off the effects of the drug and that was the cause of todays event. I think JB will be more comfortable out of ICU, less stressful noises and surroundings. Of course optimally JB will be more comfortable when he eventually returns home. No news about that happening, but updates will keep you all informed.
The amount of visitors and their energy has been appreciated. There is always room for more to come by, even for short moments. JB remains tired a lot, so the experience would not be the most stimlulating. I think that simply loving bodies present ads a level of calmness that is palpible.
I'll be heading back to the hospital after finishing my afternoon at work. I will try to update on the situations I described above.
