03/29/2024
After waiting all day for a doctor, again, Jacob was finally released around 5 PM. We received education on administering the antibiotics, saline, and heparin, at home. A pic-line was placed in Jacob’s arm allowing us to administer the aforementioned drugs. After the past 48 hours, we are all three exhausted, but grateful to be headed back home! It’s Good Friday! Glory be to God in the highest!
03/28/2024
The infectious disease doctor finally showed up today around 5 PM, 24 hours after being admitted. They started Jacob on an IV antibiotic and heparin to combat possible blood clots.
03/27/2024
Dr. Hollinger consulted with Dr. Al Ourani (from pulmonology) and Dr. Kolb (from OSU). The decision was made to treat Jacob‘s pseudomonas infection with hospitalization and IV antibiotics. We were admitted at Cabell Huntington Hospital at 5 PM and would spend the next 24 hours waiting for the infectious disease specialist to see Jacob.
03/20/2024
Treatment #11! We met Marco at 8 AM at the Martha Morehouse Pavilion, OSU Wexner Medical Center. Once again, everything went perfect, but Jacob's blood work is all messed up. All levels are either high or low in every test. This could be from the pseudomonas or possibly from partial dehydration. As with most other dosings, Jacob had leg pain through Sunday, 3/24.
There was some consideration of not going through with the dosing, due to the bacterial infection. Fortunately, Dr. Kolb made the decision to move forward and a culture was taken of Jacob's tracheostomy secretions to see what course of action is needed to treat the infection.
03/19/2024
We headed back to Ohio State today and took care of all Jacob's blood work at the lab with Marco. Once the blood work was completed we proceeded to the third-floor to the mobility section of the hospital. There, three technicians Tag-Teamed Jacob and helped him with comfort and convenience issues with his power chair. They set him up with Ability Drive… This is a Microsoft Surface Pro, which allows Jacob to drive his chair with his eyes. They added this to his chair, and he scooted around the entire room using his eyes. Jacob loves it! This, along with new armrests, have been submitted to our insurance for approval.
03/15/2024
I elected to replace Jacob's trache at home this time. Dr Stull had previously educated me on this procedure, and I felt relatively comfortable with it, but I asked Heather and Stacy from Apria Healthcare to be here to supervise me in the event of an issue.
This makes the third time this has been replaced since the surgery, last November. Each time it pretty much wipes Jacob out for the next two days. It results in low-grade fever, body-aches, chills, etc.
Heather noted that Jacob seems to have a bacterial infection known as Psudomonas, commonly found in respiratory cultures from patients with tracheostomy tubes. Dr Hollinger says it's nothing to worry about and does not need treatment.
03/14/2024
Jacobs feeding tube would not allow anything into his stomach. We tried Coca-Cola and other methods to dislodge the blockage, but nothing worked. Cortni, with Marshall Health, recommended we take him to the ER. We drove to Cabell Huntington Hospital and ended up spending more than six hours waiting. Finally, the doctor was able to examine Jacob and discovered the balloon on the end of the PEG tube had become deflated. He easily pulled the tube out and replaced it with a new one.
A quick x-ray showed that there were no internal issues and everything was back the way it should be. We finally arrived back home around 3 AM.
