April 28, 2014 -- Tests Begin and Possible Infection Source???

Well, it's Monday and with all the regular doctors back, both neuro-surgery and infectious disease, more things are happening. . .
Hope had a decent night, although still was stirring almost hourly.  She also continues to have mild urinary urgency, which was disrupting of her sleep.  (Usually she sleeps through the night, but was up 3 times to the bathroom during the night.)

Thankfully the nurse this am was great at getting rid of the extra stuff . . . so Hope's Morphine was turned off as it was such a low dose and not really probably doing anything.  Hope's IV fluids were lowered to just keep the vein open for her continued IV antibiotics.  She has been drinking well today.  Still only eating minimally at this point. . . well that was until she chowed down on the yummy roast beef supper that dear friends brought to the hospital for us tonight!  That was the most she ate since last Thursday!  Although not back to her usual appetite/eating, that was a huge step in the right direction!!!

She is still complaining of dizziness occasionally with turning her neck in the bed, but not when up to the bathroom.  She had two vertigo episodes again today!  No one knows why this is happening.  They sent her for an MRI of her brain because of these weird possibly neurological symptoms, but the MRI results were normal.  So now they're talking about having an ENT doctor see her tomorrow.  Her fevers are still there, but trending down over all.  She looks better this am than she has in the last 3 days. . . less puffy, more talkative, less pale, and eyes more bright.
(After I started this post, she had another spike of fever and bad headache and feeling pretty lousy.  But she did respond to treatment with Tylenol and is currently resting and has no fever.)

Neuro-surgery has asked for Hope to be off food at 6 am tomorrow morning.  Not sure what they are thinking. . . surgery of some sort. . . will find out tomorrow morning when the doctors come by again.  Infectious disease doctors came and assessed her and reviewed her symptoms and chart and will made recommendations to stay on her current IV antibiotics for now.  They are concerned about the hematoma that has returned rather quickly and the fact that the large accumulation of fluid makes it very hard to completely resolve the infection.  So it seems that the push is now to figure out how best to get rid of the drainage. They would like to do another ultrasound tomorrow to further assess the compartments of fluid and more details about the type of fluid.  However, our larger question that we'll be asking tomorrow is where is the fluid coming from. . . we are praying that there is an answer to this, or that they will figure out this answer before they take her back for more surgery!

Hope's incision site is the only area that has gotten worse.  The redness remains minimal.  However, when we removed the dressing covering the poke hole from the seroma/hematoma (they're using both names now since it was filled with blood) draining procedure on Sat am, the end of Hope's front incision was more red, had opened up (one stitch length) and as the day progressed began to drain very large amounts of  sero-sang (watery bloody) drainage.   There is no pus, but they did a swab of the wound and sent it.  However, there is a good chance that it will not show anything because of all the IV antibiotics.  So we'll wait and see.  There is some talk about what to do with the wound. . . dressing, no dressing. . . right now, neuro surgery wants it open.  But with how much it's leaking, we now have a guaze lightly covering it when in bed and a large washcloth covering it when she is up to the bathroom for the large amount of drainage from the hematoma. 

Also, Hope's seroma/hematoma is swelling back up again and is significantly worse than yesterday and close to what it was all last week (since surgery).  With that has also come back the pain/discomfort that Hope says does not hurt when lying still in bed, and is not too bad when up to the bathroom, but is very tender to being touched at all. 

Well, I'm going to end there. . . I started this earlier this afternoon and now finally got to update it and finish it.  I'm so very tired and falling asleep as I type, so I'm going to join my sleeping girlie . . . and prayerfully sleeping hubby and girlie at home, too!  So good to see Hope sleeping comfortably at present!  Praying for a great night's sleep for all!  Sleep is a blessing, isn't it!  But greater still is the blessing of resting in our Saviour!!!

Love you all, dear ones!  Will be in touch again tomorrow as we find out what the plan will be!