Well, I didn’t get to go home on Friday as planned. You would think I would have learned by now that I ALWAYS get a second wind of the nausea and pain. Just when it seems to have left and I am over it, it comes back with vengeance! Round 2 started Friday morning and lasted well into Saturday night. I started feeling better during the night and was able to keep down some broth this morning. The good news is that there has NEVER been a third wind and since my labs looked good, the doctor discharged me this morning. The first thing I did, as always, is soak in a long hot bath. Oh, how I love my baths! After that, I made a huge pot of homemade potato soup…what comfort food after being sick for 5 days.
I, however, was not the only one who was able to be discharged from the hospital. On Friday, Janie called mom all excited saying they had just received word that there was a bed available for Beverly in an Oklahoma hospital and they were going to transport her that night!! I am so happy for them! I would have never expected it to happen so soon! Because I had started feeling sick again on Friday, I couldn't get out of bed to go and tell them bye, but at some point in the afternoon, I woke up from a deep sleep to find Janie standing over me saying she had come to tell me goodbye and drop off a gift for me.
Janie called mom on Sat to tell her they had a great flight and Beverly was settled in her room and loving it! Now that I know Beverly, I can bet you she's got a big ole grin in her face. Please continue to pray for her complete recovery and also pray for her sister Janie who is constantly at her bedside.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Back At My Favorite Bed & Breakfast
I woke up yesterday with a flare up of the gastro paresis. It reared its ugly head again in rare form – it was all back - the nausea, the excruciating pain and the uncontrollable vomiting. I couldnt keep down my anti rejection meds and was becoming dehydrated which can damage my transplanted kidney.
I went to the ER last night about 7:00pm and after a 4 hour wait, they finally brought me back to a gurney. I was so miserable, I just wanted to be knocked out. The wonderful doctor in the ER could see how miserable I was and gave me, what he called, the gastro paresis cocktail consisting of Morphine for the pain, Phenerghan for the nausea, Valium to relax my stomach muscles, and IV fluids for the dehydration. Mom said the nurse didn’t even finish pushing in the meds before I was out. They did an echocardiogram, x-ray, poked and prodded but I never budged.
I slept for 12 hours and woke up in a regular patient room. I didn’t know where I was at first but I quickly recognized the familiar scenery. I am, however, starting to feel like a part of the human race again. There is nothing more miserable than nausea! I am starting to get hungry now and ready to trash the chicken broth and jello and eat a serious bowl of gumbo! If all of my lab work checks out fine in the am, I should be able to be discharged by tomorrow afternoon.
Since I have been doing nothing but sleeping all day, mom has had plenty of time to visit with Beverly Kohl and her sister Janie as we are in the same hospital This afternoon, Janie told mom they were interviewed by our local TV station and Bev's story was going to be the lead story on the 6pm news. I was so excited for them and since I was feeling better today, I got dressed in my PJ's and slippers and mom and I pulled my IV poles, tubes, extension cords and all across the hospital and downstairs to visit them. (Or as I told my nurse, just a little walk to help me feel better.)
We had a great visit and I was able to hold Beverly's hand and tell her that we were all praying for her full recovery. What a beautiful person she is. Given all she is going through, she manages to keep a huge smile on her face and tells me she is praying for me as well. She is such an inspiration!
Here is the link to the Channel 2 WBRZ news
http://www.2theadvocate.com/search?searchKeywords=beverly+kohl&searchdatabase=Advocate&searchsection=
I went to the ER last night about 7:00pm and after a 4 hour wait, they finally brought me back to a gurney. I was so miserable, I just wanted to be knocked out. The wonderful doctor in the ER could see how miserable I was and gave me, what he called, the gastro paresis cocktail consisting of Morphine for the pain, Phenerghan for the nausea, Valium to relax my stomach muscles, and IV fluids for the dehydration. Mom said the nurse didn’t even finish pushing in the meds before I was out. They did an echocardiogram, x-ray, poked and prodded but I never budged.
I slept for 12 hours and woke up in a regular patient room. I didn’t know where I was at first but I quickly recognized the familiar scenery. I am, however, starting to feel like a part of the human race again. There is nothing more miserable than nausea! I am starting to get hungry now and ready to trash the chicken broth and jello and eat a serious bowl of gumbo! If all of my lab work checks out fine in the am, I should be able to be discharged by tomorrow afternoon.
Since I have been doing nothing but sleeping all day, mom has had plenty of time to visit with Beverly Kohl and her sister Janie as we are in the same hospital This afternoon, Janie told mom they were interviewed by our local TV station and Bev's story was going to be the lead story on the 6pm news. I was so excited for them and since I was feeling better today, I got dressed in my PJ's and slippers and mom and I pulled my IV poles, tubes, extension cords and all across the hospital and downstairs to visit them. (Or as I told my nurse, just a little walk to help me feel better.)
We had a great visit and I was able to hold Beverly's hand and tell her that we were all praying for her full recovery. What a beautiful person she is. Given all she is going through, she manages to keep a huge smile on her face and tells me she is praying for me as well. She is such an inspiration!
Here is the link to the Channel 2 WBRZ news
http://www.2theadvocate.com/search?searchKeywords=beverly+kohl&searchdatabase=Advocate&searchsection=
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Visiting a Fallen Hero
Today, my family and I had the privilege of visiting with Beverly Kohl, the volunteer from Oklahoma who suffered a major spinal cord injury while volunteering in Baton Rouge during the recovery of Hurricane Gustav. Beverly’s sisters, Janie and Chris were very gracious and told us all about Beverly and her background. She is a retired nurse with a tremendous heart for serving our Lord and His people. She has volunteered 6 months on a Mercy Ship in Africa, served on other mission trips to Nicaragua and was just recently trained to be on the Oklahoma Disaster Recovery Team.
She is currently on a ventilator, has a feeding tube and the only movement she has is in her arms and hands. I spoke to her briefly and was able to tell her Fellowship Church and all of the disaster relief volunteers that knew of her story were thinking of her and praying for her complete recovery. She smiled and mouthed, “thank you.” We even got a laugh from her when Janie told her she was famous because I had googled her on the internet and found an article written by a Tulsa Newspaper.
Beverly does not know this, but the private medical insurance policy that she took out for $2million, only covers $25,000 per occurrence. She needs to be moved to a Specialty Spinal Cord Rehab Center, but it will cost $20,000 to transport her with a ventilator. The hospital in Baton Rouge agreed to absorb the transportation cost, but they cannot find a rehab center that will accept her with a ventilator or accept her without insurance. She doesn’t qualify for Medicaid and is not yet old enough to receive Medicare.
They have sent multiple petitions to the state of Oklahoma in the hope that someone will hear their plea and find a rehabilitation center in Oklahoma that will accept her without insurance. She asked that I post the link to their website http://www.voilesfamily.com/ for updates on Beverly. There is a headline on the Oct 18 update listing important information they want to get out to as many people as possible stating what people can do to help.
I feel I have a special bond with this family and they have a special place in my heart as I have been hospitalized out of state several times and know what it is like to rely on the kindness of strangers for some small comforts of home. Now that we have met them and know their needs, we will try to make their stay as comfortable as possible while they are here.
Please continue to pray with me for Beverly and her family and that God will give them the physical, emotional and spiritual strength they need get through this difficult time.
She is currently on a ventilator, has a feeding tube and the only movement she has is in her arms and hands. I spoke to her briefly and was able to tell her Fellowship Church and all of the disaster relief volunteers that knew of her story were thinking of her and praying for her complete recovery. She smiled and mouthed, “thank you.” We even got a laugh from her when Janie told her she was famous because I had googled her on the internet and found an article written by a Tulsa Newspaper.
Beverly does not know this, but the private medical insurance policy that she took out for $2million, only covers $25,000 per occurrence. She needs to be moved to a Specialty Spinal Cord Rehab Center, but it will cost $20,000 to transport her with a ventilator. The hospital in Baton Rouge agreed to absorb the transportation cost, but they cannot find a rehab center that will accept her with a ventilator or accept her without insurance. She doesn’t qualify for Medicaid and is not yet old enough to receive Medicare.
They have sent multiple petitions to the state of Oklahoma in the hope that someone will hear their plea and find a rehabilitation center in Oklahoma that will accept her without insurance. She asked that I post the link to their website http://www.voilesfamily.com/ for updates on Beverly. There is a headline on the Oct 18 update listing important information they want to get out to as many people as possible stating what people can do to help.
I feel I have a special bond with this family and they have a special place in my heart as I have been hospitalized out of state several times and know what it is like to rely on the kindness of strangers for some small comforts of home. Now that we have met them and know their needs, we will try to make their stay as comfortable as possible while they are here.
Please continue to pray with me for Beverly and her family and that God will give them the physical, emotional and spiritual strength they need get through this difficult time.
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