Msg 02 - Fact Log: 2006 Sep

Summary Prior: Heart Valve infection delays Kidney transplant process
** Disclaimer: Accuracy is limited to communication received and the manner in which it is received. Some facts may vary by a day or be limited to the level of understanding at the time it is received.

09/06/2006 AM:

• Enter ER after complaints of head pain and incoherency
• Severe pain speeds up admittance after a lengthy wait
• Cat scan reveals a blood clot on the brain

09/06/2006 PM:

• Brief consciousness after brain surgery (eye's and toe)
• Enters coma for a period and then recovers

09/07/2006 AM

• Breathing stops and respirator put in place
• Condition stabilizes - No consciousness
• Outlook is positive for recovery - Remains in CCU / ICU

09/08/2006 PM:

• Stint put in place for dialysis
• Small seizures occur on a consistent basis
• Doctor's decide on initial plan for recovery
• Expected three week recover from brain sugery
• Heart surgery to follow
  

09/09/2006 PM:

• Cat scan reveals there is no bleeding
• There is swelling in the brain and could be the cause of seizures
• Dr. concludes Cam may have had a stroke prior to the surgery
• Remains unconscious

09/10/2006 12pm:

• Improvement is not enough to remove respirator
  
• Visible movement to fight pain as breathing tubes are periodically removed and cleaned
  
• Throat method should not be used more than a few days
  
• Tracheotomy reccomended until he can breathe independantly and for more comfort
  
• Dr. triples amount of antibodics administered
  
• Responds to nurses requests to move arms and move legs
• Eyes remain closed
  
• Dialysis will continue at three times a week for 4 hours each time

09/11/2006 am/pm:

• Cameron opens his eyes and is responsive, the first since his admittance
  
• Shows visible signs of pain as diprivan and other narcotics are discontinued as a sedative for pain
• Concern is voiced over the lenght of time he is using the respirator. At some point a tracheotemy would be conducted to allow comfort and more long term breathing assistance
  

09/13/2006 am/pm:

• Cameron begins breathing over the respirator, is fighting it a little bit as that period is uncomfortable but nurses are assuring him to work with it until it can be removed
  
• Later the respirator is turned off, cam begins breathing on his own.
  

09/14/2006 am/pm:

• A focal seizur occurs followed by smaller abating seizures

09/15/2006 am/pm:

• Seizures persist on a periodic basis and are less frequent
• concern is voiced over when heart surgery should occur, to early or too late are both an issue
• he needs to recover enough from the brain surgery before undergoing heart surgery
• family desires cameron to be safe and possibly more coherent before it is done
• Dr's later agree that extending time is desireed but there is concern over a weakening and infected heart valve

09/17/2006 am/pm:

• Cameron is taking a dip in recovery and may need to be placed back on a respirator
• He has been on intravenous fedding for a while and the lack of nourishment is beginning to have an affect

09/18/2006 AM

• Receiving physical therapy
• small seizures have ceased and are considered normal as elevated neuron activity from the brain sugery subsides
• left arm is swollen and it apperas he has no motor capability on the left side of the body
• dr's state that motor capability will most likely recover as it is normal with his condition
• Cameron shows strong spirit and energy in physical therapy
• Nurses are getting him out of bed and placing him in a chair as part of therapy
• Feeding tube placed in stomach to allow better delivery of nutrients and is in return the cause of cameron feeling much better and healthier

09/19/2006 am/pm:

• After some discussion and concer over the heart valves the dr's decide to begin open heart surgery on the morning of the 20th
• one valve had begun to deteriorate by a centimeter, which is more aggressive than expected, as well as the main heart dr is considered an expert in this type of surgery and would be out of town, family ok's surgery

09/20/2006 am/pm:

• Surgery is from 5:30am to 1:30pm - Surgery is successful and only one valve is replaced as the other valve was determined to be ok since the infected valve distorted its functioning capability
• he is sleeping for the day with warming blankets etc. and expected to be coherent after a day of sleeping and rest
• undergoing dialysis daily
  

09/24/2006 am/pm:

• Cameron is less confined to his bed and taking on physical therapy
• much improvement in motor skills and conversing as normal
• arm movement greatly improving on his left side and ability to move lips while speaking is close to normal

09/28/2006 AM

• Dialysis is now set at every three days verses every day
• heart is doing great and steadily improving
• Cam will be taken out of ccu after blood pressure subsides - currently the only factor that dr's are concerned about for leaving intensive care
• food intake is graduating to popsicles and mashed potatoes, although food is modified to be acid free and not all that pleasant to eat, thickening water is received intraveneously for muscle strengthening, however it does cause nausea and occasional vomiting during dialysis
• strong drive persists from cameron and he is conversing daily with family and friends
• Dr's expect at the least his heart recovery will be 8 weeks before a kidney transplant will occur
• neurologist testing results have not returned - it is expected that the stroke had a minimal impact with few long term damages
• stroke was in the temperal lobe that affects body movement and functionality - memory will not be affect and all body movement is expected to normal, with strokes in this part of the brain full recovery is expected, we will know more after hearing restults from the neurology tests
  

Summary End: Recovery from heart surgery expected for eight weeks then Cam will undergo a kidney tranplant and after recovery from that enter a conclusion of his critical condition.