Finding the Write Words: Hospital Update on Jim . . .

I apologize for not sending everyone a personal update, but I know you all understand. It's a challenge to try to fill my shoes and my husband's at this point in time, and between household duties, wifely and motherly duties and a number of other jobs, I'm running ragged at this point. If I haven't returned a message, submitted an edit or a paper, or if I owe you a review, please accept my apologies. I'll be running late once again, but will get the work to you as soon as I can. If you need something right away, please don't feel shy about calling. Reminders are helpful.

Jim was projected to return home on the 28th of this month. After this weekend I'm not sure when he'll be home. Many of you were aware that after Jim's admission to Saint John's Hospital for rehab, he started having bladder/urinary problems. The medical personnel ended up putting a supra-pubic catheter in him (a tube just above his pubic bone and into his bladder) so that he could urinate. His urologist was trying to help him build up pressure in the bladder in order to urinate normally, but he's been unable to. We are thinking he may need surgery on his prostate before he goes home so he can go to the bathroom without a catheter, but we'll see.

Last night his body core temperature dropped and then spiked to 103 while we were visiting. His heart rate was 120+. He was shaking very badly and complaining of being cold. They gave him Tylenol and started an I.V., drew blood cultures and started him on a course of antibiotics (Rocephin). At one point he started speaking words/sentences that made no sense. They were strings of random words, and he would look at the nurse and I like we were supposed to know what he was saying. It was the first time I'd ever seen/heard him do that. Eventually, the garbled language subsided, and he was fairly coherent after that. I stayed with him till close to midnight to make sure he was okay.

Jim has done well during his physical therapy up until now, and perhaps once they get the infection under control he'll be on the mend again, but I suspect he won't be leaving on the 28th and that he won't have physical therapy for a while. No physician has been in to see him this weekend, but they will see him on Monday. The kids went in to see him this morning/early afternoon and said he was very tired and still running a low-grade fever. We still don't know what kind of infection he has.

Meanwhile, we are running some food to him tonight (hospital food is repetitive for a vegetarian there) and taking clean clothes in/bringing dirty clothes back. We really don't need anything except your continued friendship and support.

If you've got prayers and good thoughts to send his way, please send them. I would let him rest today, and maybe call him tomorrow or the next day instead, if you'd like to talk with him. His cell number is 301-801-6661, and he can receive email (jimferg29@mac.com), texts and voice messages. He likes hearing from people when he can.

Take care everyone and be well.