Friday, September 9th - Day 82 Update

Hello all,

Tori and Maria ended up getting only a few hours sleep Thursday night as Tori seemed to be in much more pain and discomfort than previous nights. The fact that two crying babies were in the rooms on each side of her didn't help matters much either...

Tori was much more awake today with vitals showing a heart rate of 120-130 beats per minute and a 30-40 breathes per minute respiratory rate. Her blood oxygen level still maintains 90-100% with a 40% oxygen flow going through her breathing mask. We believe Tori is feeling much more pain today because she is much more aware. We had to give her steady doses of Motrin during the day and even some Valium at times. She is really uncomfortable and sweating profusely at this immediate time. That actually might be a good sign of her breaking her fever again. She has been getting them on and off throughout the day. You could tell Tori was just hurting badly all over today because she just cringed and stiffened her entire body on even the slightest touch. You could look her in the eyes just fine but touching was out of the question today...

Much of this is caused by the newly discovered positive lung culture growths of the Ecoli and Staphylococcus aureus bacterias. Yes, the ones we had hoped she did not get... The only good news is that the bacteria has not infiltrated Tori's blood system, it is purely in her lung cultures or basically her green and thick Phlegm. Tori is battling one heck of a pneumonia right now... I requested for more hope and prayers on Wednesday night and I am requesting again tonight. We are openly and honestly petrified by the thought of Tori getting another bacterial blood invasion... Tori just cannot afford to go that direction again.

Tori is now getting three of the best antibiotics to fight the bacteria in her lungs. Clindamycin for the Pseudomonas aeruginosa family of bacteria. Zosyn and Vancomycin for the Ecoli and Staphylococcus aureus bacterias. Vancomycin is often reserved as the "drug of last resort", used only after treatment with other antibiotics had failed. We are starting directly with it and praying it does the job.

Tori is getting minimal feeds through the new NJ-Tube running from her nose to the very end of her small intestine. Since she is generating an extreme amount of Bilious in her stomach and we have now opted to continuously drain her. We were clamping her stomach drain shut after administrating all of her medications into her stomach from the G-Tube. This is not an option anymore so all of Tori's medications have now been redirected either through her NJ-Tube or the IV in her foot.

I met with a GI doctor and GI surgeon today and we discussed the possibility of Tori's Nissen Fundoplication which again is a surgical procedure that prevents acid reflux or more pointedly vomiting. They both agreed it would be advantageous for Tori to prevent any further aspirations. Tori just can't have anymore pneumonia's if at all possible... The procedure can't be scheduled until Tori beats the current pneumonia she has. Once she does, there aren't any anesthesia delays needed as previously thought. So hopefully within 10-14 days the procedure can take place.

So it is Tori and I rooming together tonight!! Our main goal and focus for the next week will be getting her through another nasty pneumonia and I just know SHE CAN DO IT!!

Thank you all once again and good night,

-Tim