Last Friday our family Gen. Practitioner called me and told me to get my wife (Dorcas or Dee) to the Hospital NOW as her potassium level was higher than 7 (Normal is 3.8 to 4.6 for a female) Called 911 and the crew came out and took her to local hospital. When I got there 45 Minutes later the Chief of Internal Medicine/ICU/CCU was trying to get a central IV Line into her as all her arm veins were collapsed. He had her bed set head down so blood would drain from the high points but no cigar. She was rushed to Surgery where a cutdown (they dissect open the neck enough to get a line or 2 in.) was done. Turns out she was in acute RENAL Failure (unknown causes).
4 rounds of dialysis between Friday and Sunday, got the chemistry values down to 1/2 of what they were but still too high for normal. Still waiting on multiple biopsy results of the kidneys and a rash that developed 2 weeks ago. It's under the skin and non palpable.
Tuesday evening she complained of being short of breath, even on highflow (81% O2) Oxygen. Sedated and intubated. Dr. called me to tell me what was going on and he dropped the phone in mid sentence. about an hour later he called back and told me that her heart had gone into V-tach, then V-FIB with no pulses (hense the Code Blue). 3 rounds of cardiac meds and shocks, and External massage and they got her back. 3 minutes later she went into A-Fib which was controlled by meds. So I went down and racked out there.
She's now getting constant slow dialysis, Plasmapheresis (exchange of plasma but keeping the Red and White cells.) and she's kept sedated because of the breathing tube. Ocassionally she'll break thru the sedation and wants to take out the tube(s). Restraints help.
We've been married 35 years now, and I don't want to loose her now. So I'm asking the AK Forum members to remember Dorcas in their prayers and ask whomever you pray to for a little bit more MOJO than usual. I get the impression the Doc's are baffled by her as she's got multi-system problems that they've not seen regularly. Especially the Nephrologist.(Kidney Dr.) I don't think she holds out much hope for a recovery at this time, but who knows maybe next week will change things. But she did call the Head of Nephrology @ Univ of Md. Hospital for a consult so things might be looking up. The nurses and staff are TOP NOTCH.
I asked both my sons to be prepared to get tested for transplant compatibility. They are her two closest and statistically her best bet for transplant. The Dr's haven't approached me on it yet, but I'm just getting my duck's lined up.
I'll try and update as warranted. Thanks in advance for all prayers and good thoughts.
Larry
