Good Night, Good Friends

After running errands this afternoon, Julia, Jacki, and Mom went back to the waiting room when the ICU opened at 5:00 while Jaima and Alyssa swam at the hotel pool. Dad had a really good day. Julia gave dad a swab with water on it to wet his mouth after the nurse did not come back. Jacki told Dad that Julia did the swab because the nurse never came back and Dad commented "we got stiffed on that request" which amused Julia and Jacki. He was much less sleepy and was able to carry on some short conversations.

The Munderlohs and Mauls came to visit and everyone commented how much better Dad was doing today. Dad and Denny chatted about pheasant hunting and Dad remembered Al and Sharry's daughter Alisha. Right before the ICU closed again at 7:00, the nurse told us that Dad is doing wonderfully. woohoo!

We ate dinner down on 4th Street - within walking distance of the hotel - and enjoyed some time away from the hospital. Mom especially enjoyed herself and the good day that we had. A wonderful time with family and good friends celebrating Dad's successes for the day - it will be so much sweeter when he will be abe to join us in these celebrations.

We returned to the ICU at 9:00 to check on Dad before bed. The nurse told us that earlier he had been able to identify both the year and month. These little successes are so nice to hear! We spent some time with him and he was able to identify Julia from her voice and called Jacki "Julia" accidentily and immediately corrected himself. Although disoriented at times, these steps make us smile and thankful for another day of recovery.

Dad is getting some insulin which is due to the current food (aka sugar type brownish liquid) he is receiving. So many things to monitor and watch.

We are thankful for this wonderful day. Of course, every day has its dark spot. Jacki just spotted kids going into the room next to us with beer and you can hear them partying away. Lovely. Nighty night.

Waiting, Waiting

Jaima and Alyssa are here today to hang out in the waiting room. We're pretty sure the waiting room was a pretty boring place before cell phones, computers, portable DVD players, and wifi. We're planning to take mom out to dinner tonight - she is requesting a salad. I'm pretty sure none of us have seen a vegetable since we got here. Lots of fruits, but no veggies - will be good to know they still exist. :)

Anatomically Correct

This morning, Dad had another cat scan. Jacki spent some time with him and the speech therapist came in - she had him practicing some words, sticking out his tongue, etc. He also had a couple ice chips with the speech therapist and she said he did very well. Jacki also got him to giggle a couple of times.

Mom then spent some time with the ICU doc - Dr. Bacon - and he said that things are looking good. He also talked about how the sleeping is part of the healing process and it is a good thing for him to be getting some rest (which we of course know, but we just want to make sure everything is ok).

Dr. Reeder then stopped by and told us that the cat scan looked really good and that the left ventricle is back to ordinary size. He said, anatomically the brain is moving in the right direction. Mom then said "we just want to hug you" and Dr. Reeder said he would take a hug. It is great to get good news and I'm guessing it is nice for Dr. Reeder to be able to give it as well.

Of course, we also have to worry about other things now - bed sores, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, etc. so hopefully, we can avoid these things, but they are a concern.

We're enjoying the sunny day here in Sioux City - almost 50 degrees today. We're feeling the sunshine is a good sign for the way we are feeling today.

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY DRAKE!

Ok - I'm hijacking my blog back today for a personal post. My son turns 5 years old today and I will be missing his birthday party. It was very difficult to leave under such a stressful situation - telling my 5 year old that I had to leave because Pop was sick and that I would be missing his party (actually, I told him I was leaving and he immediately mentioned that I would be missing his party and started to cry).

In any case, I wake up this morning with 4 men in my thoughts:
1) My Dad - and being thankful we have another day to help him get better.
2) My husband - and being thankful for all he has done this week and knowing what a hard week it has been for him with me gone.
3) My big boy Drake - and being so proud of the wonderful boy he has become.
4) My little guy Tanner - and missing the joy in his face.

Happy Birthday Drake Karlen Peavy - I love you very much.



Drake and Pop - May 2008

Cheer Cards

If you feel like sending Dad (or Mom) a little support and good cheer, you can send a cheer card via the hospital Web site. They will then deliver them to Dad's room.

Thanks to all the cheer you have already sent our way.

Hanging Out Pays Off

Jacki and Julia were hanging out by the elevator waiting to go out to dinner. Dr. Reeder actually was coming out of a surgery consultation right by the elevator and stopped to chat. He then he said he would go check on Dad - right place - right time! He gave us an update and said that Dad was doing everything that he asked him to do. He also told us that he would order a CT Scan tomorrow morning to make sure the sleepiness was not caused by pressure on the left ventricle (and then asked if that would make Mom feel better). They are monitoring the pressure every hour and everything has been fine with that.

Also, you can keep up-to-date on the health care policy discussion now. Enjoy!

We're headed back to the hotel to check on Dad and then get some ice cream. Of course, ice cream will NOT help Julia's New Year's resolution. Ugh!

Julia's 35 (even though she looks 25)

At 2:00, Julia went in with the nurse when they woke Dad up. He's very tired today after what the nurse technically termed "a ton of Avitan" he was given last night. He's getting Avitan to keep him calm and help him sleep.

When the nurse woke him up, Julia told Dad she was there. The nurse asked how Julia was related to him and Dad said "my daughter". He also knew Julia was 35 (although the nurse thought much younger - hehe) and he also knew he had 4 grand kids (and named Drake and Alyssa).

We've had a steady stream of visitors which is always nice. Keep the good thoughts comin'.

TGIF!

Julia has returned to Sioux City after taking care of the house - watering plants, running the dishes, packing a bag for Mom - and taking care of the dogs.

The nurses said that Dad had a really great night and got some good sleep. Jacki and Mom saw Dad this morning and everything seems to be going well today. He is complaining of eye pain so the nurses were going to contact an Opthamologist. Mom mentioned that Dad has an Opthamologist and the nurse said we should get that information. Mom got to work and got the information very quickly and took it to the nurse who proceeded to tell Mom that "she rocked". Good to keep Mom busy with some tasks here. ha!

And a correction from yesterday - apparently, Julia doesn't know who the county attorney is. Al is not - Al's daughter Tammy is. However, Dad has always called Al the county attorney. :)

I've also had a couple requests about Jacki's health care policy position (for those of you that don't know, Jacki will get her Master's Degree in Health Services Research from the Michigan School of Public Health in April). I will try to find a link to the article - stay tuned.

Also, for your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of Jacki and Julia (and a random lady) in the waiting room. Jaima is at work today (she works in Sioux City) and will be coming up after work with her husband and girls.

Night (re)cap

Jaima and Julia returned to Pender tonight so Julia can drive Mom's car to Sioux City tomorrow morning and pack some things for Mom. Julia and Jaima attended the spaghetti feed benefit for the band (Jaima did not want to cook) and watched the Pender's girl's basketball game. So many people were asking about Dad and Mom and sending good thoughts our way. It is wonderful to know that so many people are thinking and praying for all of us.

Jacki stayed in Sioux City with Mom (we have moved to a hotel room with a fridge now). Some dear friends of Dad's made the visit to Sioux City again today and did take time to pop into Dad's room. The nurse stopped them and asked who they were. Denny (Munderloh) said who he was and the nurse asked Dad if he knew Denny and Dad said "get him in here". Al (Maul) also was there and when the nurse asked if Dad knew Al he said, "he is the county attorney and also my attorney" (and for those of you that don't know Al - Dad's answer is correct!). He also told Al and Denny to take care of Jean. What a wonderful way to wrap up the tonight's blog. Thinking of dear friends that Dad is actually able to recall. One can only imagine that knowing so many friends and family are pulling so hard for him can only make him stronger.

Good night from Pender, Nebraska.

Thursday Afternoon Update

Just a quick update for all of you. We met with Dr. Reeder this afternoon. Dad had another cat scan this morning and there has been no change - a good thing. They will continue to drain the spinal fluid and monitor the pressure on the brain. We are waiting for the clot to liquify and this process will take up to two weeks. So, during this time, the key is to keep him calm and his blood pressure down so this process can happen as quickly as possible. A feeding tube has also been inserted into this stomach which I'm guessing dad thinks is a good thing - gotta have some food!

Although an extremely difficult time for all of us, we are optimistic about the direction we are headed and happy to have all of us here together. And an update on the health care policy discussion, we found it quite amusing that today's USA Today had an article to support Jacki's position - we're contemplating giving it to Dr. Reeder :)

Many thanks going out to all of you from the Karlen family.

Thursday Morning Update

Good morning everyone! It is a hazy day here in Sioux City, Iowa. Mom, Jaima, Jacki, and I all stayed in the hotel room connected to the hospital last night. Last night they put an oxygen mask on Dad to help regulate his breathing - which is better for him than the ventilator.

Jaima stopped in to see Dad before she went to work, and he was asking for Jean. His blood pressure is much lower this morning which is obviously a good thing and key to his recovery. However, Dad is still a bit agitated and his visits will be limited again today.

I'll do my best to keep you updated throughout the day. We are so thankful for all the support we have received during this difficult time.

He's a "miracle"!!

We spent 35 minutes with a neurosurgeon, Dr. Reeder (Dr. Durward's "back-up") tonight...it was wonderful! He was able to answer all of mom's questions (she had a "list"...does that surprise you?) :)

He started by stating that the CT scan showed that it was NOT an aneurysm (very good thing) but a brain stem hemorrhage. Right now, the main thing we need to focus on is making sure dad is calm and that the bleed can clot. In order for that to happen, he needs lots of rest and quiet time (so basically, we need to stay away for now!). After 7-10 days, they will see if the clot has dissolved on its own and continually check the pressure on his brain. Based on the results, we will determine if he would need a permanent shunt. We are obviously optimistic and so thankful for this wonderful news.

And it was quite amusing that we all had questions and the doctor was more than patient with us. And we even started to engage in a health care policy discussion (and Jacki even asked who makes the shunt product) - oh fun times at the Karlen household.

Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts. We don't know how long we will all be here, but we have margaritas and cosmos (thanks to Steve Munderloh) and each other. Mom of course, was trying to figure out the plan for all 3 of us (daughters) and how long we should stay up in Sioux City, but as the doctor stated, we might be here for both dad AND mom. So, for now, we are very optimistic and thankful for our miracle.

No News is Good News

Hi everyone. We are still waiting on the results of the cat scan. According to the nurse, no news is good news in their world. So, Jaima and Jacki are resting at the hotel and mom has taken a little nap.  Currently, dad is resting and we are checking on him periodically. 

Story of how dad got here...

Around 3:00 on Monday afternoon, mom & dad were heading home from Lincoln and dad started to get blurred vision and a headache. He thought he was having a migraine. When they arrived home he began to throw up, which led them to believe he had the flu. He was starting to feel better when he fell asleep for the night. He woke up around 2:30 a.m. to go to the bathroom and mom started to realize he was disoriented. She then called Jaima & Cam to help her get him to the hospital. When they arrived at the Pender Hospital he slipped into a coma and after the original cat scan, Dr. Felber discovered a brain bleed. The life flight was called and he was taken to Mercy Medical Center (Sioux City) and arrived around 5:15 a.m.

Jaima drove mom up to Sioux City and were met by Dr. Durwood (neuro surgeon). He informed us that dad had a major bleed in the center of his brain and that the most important thing for them to do was to release the pressure, which they did. Tuesday was a long day. Dad is in ICU and the next 3-4 days are going to be critical.

We were able to stay with him throughout the night and at numerous times he was responsive and trying to communicate (through nodding, mouthing words, and even spelling out words by "writing" them on the sheets of his bed!).

He is having a cat scan this morning and we'll post more when we know the results.

Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, and your support!

~ The Karlen family ~

Dad's Update - check back for more updates

Hello everyone. Dad has had a good night and is off the ventilator. He is communicating with us. We are currently waiting for the cat scan - it has been pushed back a couple of times. We intend to update this blog as we know more so please check back for more information.

Thanks to everyone for all your thoughts, prayers, food, calls, emails, etc.

The Karlen Family

Stock Show (and other January events)

It seems as if I always start my posts with a "I can't believe it is almost (fill in the blank - i.e., Thanksgiving, Christmas, and in this case Drake's 5th birthday!)". Busy times at the Peavy household just as it is as the homes of all my friends and family. I thought January was to be the month when things slow down after the holidays. Apparently, we did not get that memo.

Stock Show
Unlike previous years, we made a last minute decision to attend the Stock Show on a week night to catch a little dog agility competition. My friend Nadja and her dog Henry compete and the boys just loved cheering them on (Tanner was yelling "go Hennie" and pumping his fist). I can highly recommend a week night attendance. We practically had the petting zoo to ourselves, caught a glimpse of a few small animals (but missed the $6 pony rides which didn't hurt our feelings too badly - Drake's feelings were another story); and with so few people, the boys were able to run around much more freely which makes the event much more enjoyable for all.




MLK Day
I am fortunate to have MLK day off and enjoyed a wonderful trip to the Children's Museum with the boys. Drake has been several times - we took him for his first birthday - but Tanner has never been. And yes, I understand Tanner is over 2 years old - what do they say about the 1st child getting to do everything? ha! Drake had been telling Tanner all about the fire engine and when we got there, Tanner could hardly contain himself. It was so fun to watch. The only bummer was that it was about 70 degrees outside and we were in the museum, but what a treat to see the boys having such a great time.



California Trip
Last week, I traveled to California for 4 days. It was a pretty intense trip, but great to see co-workers from around the globe and refocus for the new year. There are so many benefits to my work from home situation, but I am always thankful to reconnect and just get some face-to-face time with those that I work with so closely on a daily basis. It's also nice to have a hotel room to myself, a few adult only dinners, and social time with friends. And fortunately, the boys were great for Marshall which makes his long week feeling just a wee bit shorter (hopefully).

1:1 time

Some times you forget the joy your children can bring you when they have you all to themselves. This morning, Tanner was under the weather and slept in late. Drake and I enjoyed a lovely morning together. He wasn't focused on how he could pick on his brother, cause trouble, and there was just a lot less (no) screaming. We chatted in bed, we had a nice breakfast, took in some Curious George, and Drake read "Sam and Al" (the book he checked out from school) to me. It was just a truly enjoyable morning and very special.

There are so many wonderful things about having two children - they play together, they look at for each other, and hopefully will be great friends in the future (and also have each other to share the never ending stories about "remember when Mom said this" or "Dad was so annoying when he did this") . But today, I was thankful to have Drake all to myself (and I think he was pretty happy to have me all to himself too). What joy he brings to my life.

When the Door Wins

This is what happens when your run face first into the corner of a door. The swelling is definitely down (but still tender) and the draining of the bruise is giving me more color underneath my eye. It is a very dramatic look. I've tried to cover it a bit with makeup and match the other eye a bit, but it still looks like I got out of control with the eye liner. I wonder what the folks at the elementary open house thought this morning?

A Week Off

The week between Christmas and New Year's was thankfully spent relaxing at home with the boys and my parents. My parents arrived on Sunday, December 28th, and left on January 2nd. We enjoyed happy hour at the local seafood place, happy hour downtown with a view of downtown and the mountains, shopping with my mom, watching football (including Nebraska's win over Clemson), and quality time with the boys. Drake had a bit of cabin fever during the week, but really enjoyed having "Nana and Pop" here to entertain and keep busy.



We enjoyed a couple days of very nice weather. It allowed us to get the ice off the back patio and also trim back the perennials in the front yard. We even enjoyed our lunch on the front porch one day. New Year's eve was pretty low key - we enjoyed a seafood dinner - lobster tails, crab legs, and shrimp. Marshall, the boys, and I headed over to friends for a couple hours, and I came back with Tanner to celebrate New Year's with my parents. We finished a puzzle and some of us even made it to midnight ;)



A picture of Tanner with Nana and Pop in the rocker from the Karlen farm.

It was so nice to have them here more than a couple days. And of course, the time always goes too quickly.

A December to Remember

January 3rd already. Wow! I didn't have any time to update my blog during the month of December - too many great things going on! Here's a list of some of the highlights - Check out the photo slide for some pictures of our highlights too.

1. Gramma and Granddad's week long visit - early Christmas dinner and Christmas presents - as Drake would say - "Christmas #2".
   
2. Celebrating Tanner's 2nd birthday with a trip to Zoo Lights and cake and presents after the festivities.
   
3. Breakfast with Santa. Tanner was not too excited about sitting on Santa's lap and Drake was a bit apprehensive at first, but warmed up to him enough to ask for the Polar Express book.
4. Time with friends - Christmas celebration at the Snow's house, our "stay-cation" downtown and drinks and dinner with Nadja and Ryan, the party we forgot with friends - but still made, New Year's Eve with NWU pals.
   
5. Starting our own Christmas traditions - fish chowder in bread bowls and sugar cookies with Grasshoppers on Christmas Eve, wrapping Christmas presents on Christmas Eve drinking Prosecco.
6. Singing Christmas carols with Drake - we've almost got the 12 days of Christmas down!
   
7. The magic in Drake's eyes when he realized that Santa did come.
   
8. Spending Christmas day in our pj's playing with our new toys.
   
9. Nana and Pop's visit - happy hour with the view of downtown, shopping with mom, seeing my dad sitting in the rocking chair (with Tanner on his lap) that his Pop sat in on the farm.
   
10. 7 days off from work and precious time with the boys.
    

Wishing everyone a happy new year and a wonderful 2009!

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