Day 8 - Those Unexpected Events

We got some information during the night that one of the cultures came back positive for a bacterial infection.  So we now have some idea of what is causing the fever but the extent of the spread is still being investigated.  That was not good news but was somewhat expected.  

But it is the events that are impossible to see coming that really take you down.  This morning while helping the aide get his vitals we noticed that his heart rate was rapidly starting to climb and the blood pressure to drop.  Just when I started getting alarmed I noticed that his eyes were rolling back.  Somehow we were able to  get him partially on the bed and the aide immediately yelled out the hall for help.  After a frantic search by the nurse for the "Code Blue" button we had a full scale team with about 15 professionals and a crash cart in the room.  He had become unconscious and unresponsive. They worked fast and fortunately his heart never stopped.  He was quickly revived but it wasn't over so fast for me.  

As the room began to clear out, one perceptive PA noticed me in the corner still shaking and wondering what just happened.  She took some time to explain things.  The volume of his blood has been decreased due to the infection.  They are trying to offset this with IV fluids but keeping him hydrated is a challenge.  He lost consciousness due to the lowered volume of blood and it wasn't as big a deal as it seemed at first.  (Ok why am I still shaking?)

She also took some time to explain the source of the infection.  I have to admit I've been wondering if I didn't clean the bathroom enough, or fed him the wrong food, or touched something contaminated.   However, the PA explained that it was a "translocated" infection that came from his GI tract.  There is bacteria that lives in a healthy GI.  Since the chemo has caused open sores in the GI the bacteria has been able to escape into the blood stream.  

Translocation: a medical term that means the germs that are making Jay sick did not come from my dirty house.  Mountains of guilt have just been swept away!

We need a whole lot of these guys today.....

Step by step,


Lynn