Chill Day

 Today was pretty chill here at the JH Inn. My day started at 4:30am after my nurse came in to check my vitals, times have certainly changed that used to be the time I would get home from a good night of shenanigans. This mornings excitement was that I was finally cleared to drink fluids after 9 days. After passing the swallow test I had Brian run and get me a nice cup of ice water. As most people know I only drink clear fluids with no carbonation IYKYK. More blood draws, medications and vital checks rounded out the day with 3 laps around the ward. A nap and then some dinner, the day passed quickly. Today after some reflection I thought of my Father as today would have been his 96th birthday. Throughout this journey I would pray to my Dad and ask him to make this all go away, to watch over my family and ask him and God why this happened to me. I thought to myself there has to be a reason that God paved my path in this direction. I’m still trying to figure it out as I continue to live with this disease, but I think I see a volunteer position in my future to help others with this disease or organ donation. Forever grateful for my donor hero. 

Deirdre 2.0 ❤️

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Deirdre Strong!

Image
To know Deirdre is to love Deirdre and we all know it is nearly impossible to slow her down. However in July 2022, Deirdre developed a cough that progressed and was eventually diagnosed as a symptom of Interstitial Lung Disease. Johns Hopkins became her caregivers and Deirdre’s new unexpected journey began. You all know how hard she fought (pickleball, body pump workouts, yoga, and the occasional night out) but eventually, a week ago today, Deirdre was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital-Baltimore as her condition was quickly deteriorating and she was no longer able to sustain herself on the oxygen treatment we had at our home. With Hopkins as our new home, Deirdre continued her fight and became more comfortable on the magic of high flow oxygen. And then suddenly, four days later on Tuesday at 7PM, Deirdre received the call…the family of a donor on life support was preparing to make one of life’s most difficult decisions and the donor’s lungs were a match. Emotions were high and tears o...
Read more

“The patient is doing well.” (Part 2 of 2)

As the sedation wore off and Deirdre became more alert and attentive, she became emotional as she began to realize the reality that she once again awoke to the start a new day. It was a day of tugging and pulling with cords, hoses, meds, and machine noises that fill up a room. Deirdre’s discomfort was often unsettling for us all but we were always buoyed by her pronounced progress and strength.  Later in the afternoon, Deirdre began to better understand her surroundings and overall situation and began to communicate with us by writing letters on our palms. When we would get the word wrong or ask her to start over, she would tense and give you that look that only some of us, mostly me, are used to. Deirdre was definitely back. During a rare quiet moment, Deirdre motioned me to her bed and communicated on my palm that she could hear me talk to her when I visited her ICU room immediately following surgery. I am so glad that I used that moment to say what I said. The medical team spent...
Read more

“The patient is doing well.” (Part 1 of 2)

Image
Deirdre’s surgery began April 2 at approximately 1:45 PM and ended at 11:47 PM.  I used to think that was a shitty day at work but for the men and women in OR505, it was everything.  The girls and I received occasional status updates via text but it was not until 9:05 PM that we received the first positive news: Our spirits lifted and we waited.  That same night on April 3 at 12:15 AM Dr. Errol Bush walked into the family lounge, sat down with us and with a sense of ease explained to us how pleased he was with her procedure. I attempted heaps of praise but he quickly deflected highlighting the team and anything else he could think of. Our conversation lasted 20 minutes with us discussing the upcoming NCAA Final Four weekend.  I was able to visit Deirdre in the ICU at 1:15 AM and as you could imagine, the room was buzzing with activity. I was provided an opportunity to touch her and, although I knew Deirdre to still be heavily sedated from surgery, expressed my feelin...
Read more