Victory for Vicki Cookbook

[Mr Play]

Thanks Bill for setting this up......

((((((((((Vicki)))))))))))

Just for the record, I didn't set it up. When I posted I was on my blackberry so all I could do was copy and paste the email I got. Vicki's daughters set the caring bridge site up and they are the ones running it.

[Mr Play]

For those who don't know, you can sign up to receive email updates whenever they update the journal;
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/vickibritt

The latest update is mixed, but let's focus on the positive and pray for the best...

[phjrsaunt]

For those who don't know, you can sign up to receive email updates whenever they update the journal;
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/vickibritt

The latest update is mixed, but let's focus on the positive and pray for the best...

Thanks for letting us know about that website, Bill. What a great idea!
Vicki and Vicki's family-y'all keep thinking good thoughts.

[East Texas Parrothead]

From Vicki's daugthers ... continue to pray ....

After our glowing report this afternoon, we received a call at 6:00pm that things were taking a turn in the other direction. Apparently, her oxygen levels began to drop and even with an increase in oxygen through her ventilator, her lungs simply were not doing their job. After a chest X-ray and some blood test, the doctors are thinking that she has either aspirated or fluid is getting to her lungs some other way and preventing the lungs from getting any oxygen. They said that depending on her status tonight, they would either get her to the OR tomorrow at 7am to close her up or if she was too unstable to move, they would just rinse her chest cavity out again and replace her dressings.

Around 7:30pm we received another call that they are worried about her neurological status due to the compromised lung function, so they decided to go ahead and do a procedure tonight at 8:00pm called an ECMO. Basically, an ECMO is like the heart/lung bypass they use during surgery or like a kidney dialysis machine – blood is taken from the body, pumped into a machine where the carbon dioxcide is removed and replaced with oxygen and the blood is pumped back into the body. We are unclear if this is simply just a procedure or if she stays hooked up to this machine for several days. Either way, this will give her lungs some rest and time to heal. It sounds like the doctors are concerned but are trying to stay ahead of the game to prevent any further complications.

Finally at 10:30pm we received a call to update us on the ECMO procedure. It appears that once they opened her up to see what was going on, they found some old blood in her heart. When they rinsed that out, her oxygen levels and pressures went back up again! Since she maintained her levels while being monitored for over an hour, they decided against the ECMO procedure at this point. They will continue to monitor her status very closely tonight and will decide in the morning if they will attempt to close her up or if they will wait until Monday.

We are a bit worried because the longer her chest remains open and she is on a ventilator, the greater risk of infection and pneumonia we have. Vicki remains sedated and still very critical….even with her improvements; we are not out of the woods.

Hopefully, this roller coaster will pull back into the station soon! Please continue to keep her in your thoughts as she continues to fight.

[East Texas Parrothead]

Update from Vicki's daughters:

After Vicki's procedure last night, her oxygen levels have remained stable today. She is still receiving 100% oxygen through the ventilator (she was at only 60% before yesterday's episode) and they have not been able to come down off that since her oxygen levels remain below normal - not dangerously low, but lower than they were before and where they need her to be.

They are coming back down off some of the medication and sedation again, but she still is heavily sedated to keep her comfortable. At this point, we are unclear about the status of her lungs and the right side of her heart continues to be very weak.

Tomorrow morning they plan to wash her out again and they may attempt to partially close her chest. If they do this, her surgery will be at 7am and she should be back in ICU around 11am. I will send out another update tomorrow and will try to speak to her team of doctors to find out what the plan is for this week and what goals we need to reach to be able to wake her up and get her off the ventilator.

Keep those positive vibes coming.....

[pair8head]

More prayers for Vicki.

[Carolinadreamin']

Continuing to pray for Vicki.........

[East Texas Parrothead]

Update from Vicki's daughters:

First, let me take a moment to mention that exactly 31 years ago today, Vicki was in the hospital giving birth to her youngest daughter, Janessa! I hope everyone will join me in wishing my little sister a very Happy Birthday today! I wish the circumstances were better and we felt like celebrating your special day....but we'll have a birthday "do-over" a little later on.

Now back to Vicki. We were waiting to post an update today in hopes to have some good news from the doctors -- that they were able to finally close Mom's chest! Unfortunately, the hospital had to delay her surgery twice today. They tried to take her down around 12:30pm but the OR didn't have blood ready for her, so they hooked her back up to everything in her ICU room and would wait until 5:00pm. They tried again to take her down around 5:00pm, but her surgeon was pulled into an emergency surgery for another patient where it took 9 surgeons to save that person's life. So, instead of starting Mom's procedure late tonight when everyone is running on fumes, they decided to wait until tomorrow at 6:00AM when everyone is fresh and rested. I personally REALLY like this decision!

The good news is that Mom has been stable enough to attempt to move her to the OR twice today! While her levels remain the same as yesterday, they will continue to try to come down off the oxygen and medication little by little each day as long as she is stable.

We hope tomorrow will be the day and we can finally get over one major hurdle and get her chest closed. This will be the first step in a long series of events that will have to take place before they can wake her up and get her off the ventilator. We should know more tomorrow afternoon and will post an update then.

- Jennifer and "Birthday Girl" Janessa

[Karacal]

Happy Birthday, Janessa!!!

(((((Vicki and family)))))) Continued prayers and sending major phin power!!!

[phjrsaunt]

Update from Vicki's daughters:

First, let me take a moment to mention that exactly 31 years ago today, Vicki was in the hospital giving birth to her youngest daughter, Janessa! I hope everyone will join me in wishing my little sister a very Happy Birthday today! I wish the circumstances were better and we felt like celebrating your special day....but we'll have a birthday "do-over" a little later on.

Now back to Vicki. We were waiting to post an update today in hopes to have some good news from the doctors -- that they were able to finally close Mom's chest! Unfortunately, the hospital had to delay her surgery twice today. They tried to take her down around 12:30pm but the OR didn't have blood ready for her, so they hooked her back up to everything in her ICU room and would wait until 5:00pm. They tried again to take her down around 5:00pm, but her surgeon was pulled into an emergency surgery for another patient where it took 9 surgeons to save that person's life. So, instead of starting Mom's procedure late tonight when everyone is running on fumes, they decided to wait until tomorrow at 6:00AM when everyone is fresh and rested. I personally REALLY like this decision!

The good news is that Mom has been stable enough to attempt to move her to the OR twice today! While her levels remain the same as yesterday, they will continue to try to come down off the oxygen and medication little by little each day as long as she is stable.

We hope tomorrow will be the day and we can finally get over one major hurdle and get her chest closed. This will be the first step in a long series of events that will have to take place before they can wake her up and get her off the ventilator. We should know more tomorrow afternoon and will post an update then.

- Jennifer and "Birthday Girl" Janessa

I like that decison too. Please know that we continue to be behind your phamily 130%.

[dnw]

Continued phin power for Vicki.

Happy Birthday, Janessa!

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Good news, and also something we can actually DO to help (well, at least if you live in east or north TX)!

Whoo-hoo! We just received news that the doctors were able to close Vicki's chest today in surgery! This is exciting news because it means her heart is less inflamed and could tolerate the pressure of her sternum being on it. While the right side is still very weak electrically, they will continue to keep treating it with medication at this point.

She is currently back in her room (room K) in ICU but still sedated and on the ventilator. Since she remained stable through the surgery, if she maintains her levels today they will start trying again to lower her oxygen levels down to 50-65% so they can begin to get her off the ventilator and wake her up. We are not sure when this will be since it all depends on her body and how it responds in the next couple of days.

Many of you have asked what you can do to help out, so we thought that at this stage a blood drive would be a good option that will not only help Vicki but others in need of blood! Please go to any Carter Blood Care donation site to donate blood and give them Vicki's #049157. Carter will donate 1 unit of O-negative blood to Vicki for every unit given. NOTE - You do not need to have O-negative blood to donate....any ol type will do! To find a location near you, go to the following website, enter your zip code and schedule an appointment: http://www.carterbloodcare.org/location.aspx


- Jennifer and Janessa

[nutmeg]

Wooo Hooo! Glad to hear she did well with the latest surgery.

Ton's more healing phin power on the way!

[East Texas Parrothead]

Good news ....

Though the breathing tube is still in place, Vicki is AWAKE!!! This was not expected this soon so, as soon as she got the call, Jennifer went racing to the hospital with Vicki's hearing aides. Another update later today!

[nutmeg]

Yay Vicki! More phin power on the way!

[Mr Play]

Cookbook Copy # 273 sold to Cathy H
Cookbook Copy # 274 sold to Beverly C
Cookbook Copy # 275 sold to Dan V

Blood Work Copy # 11 sold to Cathy H

Thanks!

Hang in there Vicki - plowing straight ahead, come what may...

[East Texas Parrothead]

Cookbook Copy # 273 sold to Cathy H
Cookbook Copy # 274 sold to Beverly C
Cookbook Copy # 275 sold to Dan V

Blood Work Copy # 11 sold to Cathy H

Thanks!

Hang in there Vicki - plowing straight ahead, come what may...

Wow ... only a few cookbooks left ... those who haven't ordered need to get a copy before they're GONE and you're sad.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

More prayers headed south! Go Vicki!!!

[phjrsaunt]

Good news ....

Though the breathing tube is still in place, Vicki is AWAKE!!! This was not expected this soon so, as soon as she got the call, Jennifer went racing to the hospital with Vicki's hearing aides. Another update later today!

woo hoo!!!

[East Texas Parrothead]

Update from Vicki's daughters:

Our apologies for the late update as it has been an eventful 24 hours!

Janessa and I both were able to visit with Mom yesterday and it was a very exciting...yet trying day. She is awake but still has the breathing tube in place. She is trying to talk up a storm but it is very difficult to understand her at this point. We have been able to make out some words she says and she can answer yes/no by nodding and follow some simple commands, but that is about it.

We are currently trying to work through an issue with her hearing aids. When we put them in yesterday, she claimed that she could not hear us sometimes. We don't know if the settings changed on the aids while we've had them out the past week or what. She also could have some fluid in her ears due to the fluid overload in her body or the pain medication could be playing a part in the level of communication at this stage. We think we've figured out the correct settings and will try again to put them in this weekend.

The next big hurdle will be to get her off the ventilator which we hope will happen this weekend. They have to be able to wean her from the nitric oxide completely while monitoring her blood oxygen levels. If everything holds steady over several hours they will slowly lower the oxygen being given to her. If she continues to maintain her blood oxygen saturation, they will eventually remove the breathing tube and let her breath on her own. This process could take several days and they are going slowly and taking every precaution since Vicki remains very critical.

Once we get her breathing on her own, we will then need to worry about infections. Currently her white blood cell count is high and they are already giving her lots of antibiotics to keep serious infections at bay. They will continue to monitor her very closely on this front because this could be the biggest roadblock in her recovery.

Finally, I know she would LOVE to have some visitors this weekend if you are able to see her. Please remember a couple of things:

- Do not visit her if you have a cold or are coughing.

- CV ICU visiting hours are 10:00am - 6:00pm and after 8:00pm.

- Take the blue elevators to the 6th floor and take a right through the large double doors.

- She can only have 2 visitors at a time.

- She will likely still have the breathing tube in place, so remind her NOT to talk and to just relax (we really need to keep her calm).

- Try to stand close to her and speak loudly so that she can read your lips. She may or may not have her hearing aids in.

- Ask yes/no questions and make her nod yes/no instead of answering with her mouth.

- Use the dry erase board in her room to write her simple messages or questions, but make sure she has her glasses on so she can read it. She is not able to write at this point due to the medication and excessive fluid in her body.

Please be aware that the nurses probably will not release information about her status to anyone except Janessa and me. However, some nurses are better than others about explaining or answering questions you may have.

Please continue to keep thinking of Mom this weekend and next week as she remains critical and in ICU. She's got a few more hurdles to clear but she's back on the right track!


- Jennifer and Janessa