Today Collin's liver enzyme level went from 12.3 to 10.4. Normal is below 1. Yesterday, it did not change at all, and the day before that it went down 0.3. The bleeding in his mouth is getting under control due to the clotting medicine that he has been given.
They backed off on the sedation today just a little, and they are hoping to continue to back off of it a little bit at a time. The goal is to try to get him back to were he is moving again. He was so sedated and exhausted yesterday that he hardly moved at all.
The ventilator was bumped up from 24 to 28, however the oxygen percentage that was being given to him was dropped from 50% to 40%. The oxygen saturation in his body is at 100%, which is perfect. This is due to the fluid being drained off of his lungs. His blood pressure has been running a little on the low side but at this moment the doctor is not concerned because it has not been running on the low side over an extended period of time.
The doctor said that he is nowhere near out of the woods yet. He could still go either direction at either moment.
The doctor also informed us that if he were to make it through this ordeal, that he will have a long road of physical therapy and occupational therapy ahead of him. The muscles in his calves and ankles are tightening up, which are causing his feet to go into a more pointed toe position. The muscles in his hands and wrists are constricting, causing his hands to stay in fist positions - with curled fingers. He will have to wear splints on his feet, legs, and hands to correct these problems. He will have to relearn how to walk for the third time in his life! He will have to relearn how to eat, use his hands, talk, and other basic daily functions.
He has been a little more responsive to our voices today by scrunching up his nose or eyes and moving his head a little. Because of the sedation, he hasn't been moving his hands and legs at all the last couple of days, so he is not restrained at this time - he isn't posing a risk to his vent and other tubes.
His kidneys are still not responding to the dialysis. This is concerning Julie because he has been on dialysis for three weeks now. The dialysis is being kept at a low level to help give the liver a chance to recover. Basically, the kidneys not responding means that if they were to take him off of dialysis, his creatine levels would go back up to near fatal levels again like they were when he was put on dialysis on February 23.
He is still using blood and blood products (platelets, etc.) because he is still losing blood and platelets through his mouth, so please keep donating!! Thank you so much!!
I would like to put out a special thanks to Collin's amazing nurses, especially Elaine, Anne, Monica, Colie, Jenn, Janet, and the hundreds of other nurses that we have had!
Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for all of the love and support you have all given us during this extraordinarily difficult time. We love all of you! Keep donating blood everyone!!!!
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