Dad is doing MUCH better today! After we left yesterday (Grandma stayed the night), he did start to run a fever, but it was gone by morning which was good. His blood sugars are at a much better level now and the Respiratory Therapist is able to get more off of his chest now so his breathing is much improved which is making him much more comfortable. He looks so much better today and was even joking around. He is very tired as he hasn't been sleeping well (who does in a hospital) so he is hoping to get a better sleep tonight. Here is a run down of everything:
*Kidney function (his normal keratin level is 2.4) went down from 5.6 to 4.125 which means no dialysis! This was a huge relief, as there was talk about kidney biopsies and long term dialysis and back on the transplant list talk yesterday, if there had been serious damage to the kidney and his level went up more. We want to watch that number keep going down to that 2.4 and we are heading in the right direction.
*Dad always struggles with anemia, he gets iron shots every two weeks to combat it. With as sick as he has been, he has become very anemic which can also cause the shortness of breath. They are giving him two units of blood tonight to help with anemia.
*They are now stopping fluids, which is also contributing to the pneumonia, as he is outputting so much urine (good thing, shows kidney is working) that his potassium level (which is usually to high as a diabetic) is too low now. He is on potassium pills to combat that.
*He is receiving breathing treatments and a vest therapy (a vest that goes around his chest that vibrates quite roughly) and that is getting the junk off of his chest nicely.
*He is on contact precautions right now as well, so we have to gown and glove before going in the room, good practice for me, I am sure I will be tested on it in school :<).
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers, they are working! Thank you to all our family that has visited, it helps and keeps him going!
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