Thursday, September 17, 2009
I had to ask someone what day it is to accurately put a subject to this email....days are all running together.
Kim was telling me about the great evening they had in Bethany's room last night; wish I had been there...but the laundry couldn't wait much longer. Thought I'd share part of the story.
One of the tests ordered for Bethany had to be done in a clinic across the street. Those of you who know Zac will smile when I say that he always wants to know ALL the details. He was concerned about how patients are transported across Jefferson Ave, which is a very busy street. Staff told him that the patient is wheeled across the street in a wheelchair, with a transporter, and security guard. The even told him that a few weeks ago, one of the transporters was struck by a car. WELL, Zac and Bethany took that and ran with it..joking around about what a great plan that is for heart patients---take them out in the road and play "Frogger". (For those of you who don't know what Frogger is-it's an old video game involving moving your frog across a busy road without letting him get smushed by a vehicle) I don't know if the staff member was just pulling their leg, or if that does happen--but, Bethany did not have to play Frogger this morning, she was transported to the clinic via a courtesy van, instead! Kim said it was very good to see she was transported to the clinic via a courtesy van, instead! Kim said it was very good to see them laughing and joking about that! Laughter is great medicine, and, again, those of you who have been around Zac know he is a very entertaining storyteller:-)
When the second dose of Coreg was due last night, her systolic blood pressure was 123. One hour after the Coreg, it had only dropped to 90's, so that was great! This morning, the number was back down in the 70's, so they held her morning dose. They are giving her Ambien (sleep medicine) and Xanax (anxiety med) at bedtime, so it does not really surprise me that her BP was low. Such a balance game they must play. Is it better to sleep well, and tolerate the BP
being low? Guess we need to leave all that up to the professionals.
As suspected, today has been very hard on Bethany, and it is not over yet. She could not eat after midnight, due to the procedures ordered for this morning. They put her in a wheelchair around 8 this morning. She had tests done in radiology, then went across Jefferson Ave. to the clinic. She did not get back to her room until nearly noon. That was a long time up in a chair, after spending so much time in bed, and not eating for over 12 hours. Needless to say, she was
exhausted! Once she got to rest a bit and get some lunch, she rallied some. She has to have a Pulmonary Function Test this afternoon. Zac stays with her every step of the way. He has been so supportive and loving. I am so proud of him.
Remember yesterday's Wal Mart trip? One item purchased was a baby bath tub. We tried it out this morning. Finn thought it worked much better than the bathroom sink. He even managed to pee on his Gram during the bath, which his Paw Paw found very amusing.... Finn is getting quite accustomed to his daily body massages. I LOVE baby massage. He almost purrs with contentment! I did get busted by Zac this morning, though. Finn was a little restless around 7 this morning. Too soon for a bottle, so, I put him in bed with me, and let him stretch
out on top of me...all warm and snuggley. About 15 minutes later, Zac came to our room for his shower and some breakfast, before Bethany's testing marathon got started. BUSTED spoiling! Guess now they will be able to put all the blame on me, when he is rotten. That's OK. I will happily take the blame.
Kim and I just came back to our room to get a bite of lunch. An older couple got on the elevator with us, smiled at Finn and commented on how much he resembles his parents! Took us a second or two to realize they thought WE were Finn's parents!!!!! We both got a laugh out of that one, for sure.
Today, the prayer we have for Bethany is that she does not get too worn out from the barrage of tests. She is a strong young woman, and her faith is unshakable. I thank God for that!
As always, thanks for all the love and especially for the prayers. God is a kind and loving Father. With Him, all things are possible.
God Bless!
Beth