Adam Update 3-1-26

UPDATE 3-4-26

Lumbar puncture was successful although I have no info back yet on it. He’s going for an MRI at 12:30 which will be under sedation. Thanks everyone.

NEWEST UPDATE HERE 3-3-26

So they did a CT scan. One of the doctors came by in the morning from neurology and spoke to Amber (she covers mornings usually to lunch), we do afternoon and dinner schedule. She told Amber that she saw nothing on the CT scan, but thought maybe they’d do an MRI and asked Amber how she thought he would tolerate it. We said that he would probably need some sort of sedation, and yesterday went by and we heard nothing.

Today they came in and said that they would be doing the MRI and in addition a lumbar puncture but didn’t say why. And then someone came and said he would be transferred to another hospital for this procedure then brought back.

The next message was that he would be transferred to the other hospital, then left there.

We’re still unsure exactly how this is going to happen, and really wondering why (if they saw nothing on CT), why they have decided to do these tests. But we’ve prayed for God’s will in this, and just resting in that, and thanking Him for the answers and guidance. And thanking Him also for the fact that there are faithful saints praying fervently, and it’s awesome to see the body of Christ in action.

We love you all and want to also be sure you know where you would go when you died today. Even if you believe you are sure, it will not hurt to refresh yourself with the link below.

how_to_be_sure_you_are_going_to_heaven_with_cover1.pdf

PPS – They are currently going to start with the lumbar puncture.

3-1-26

They are trying to discharge Adam again. I have prayed for the right timing, so it’s not that I just am trying to keep him there indefinitely, but Adam has been in pain the last week. And yes, we’ve told every nurse and asked them to notate it in his chart. I want to find out what the source of his pain is while he is sitting up. I’d also like to have some way to manage the pain, while he is in pain, yet that has seemed difficult too.

We have asked Adam several ways (as his yes and no aren’t always correct). But upon observation of his state and also saying he has pain and pointing to the areas, we are confident something is not right and that he is in pain. 

They have been treating him for vertigo, and while that may be correct, he is definitely in pain on top of that. We’ve been asking for days for the doctor to order some sort of PRN medicine for him to manage the pain. Because three days ago when I asked again for something, she said it had been over 6 hours since he had tylenol, but she needed a doctors order to give him another tylenol. (I believe he has gotten tylenol 3 times in the last week). I asked yesterday and the day before and the answer was the same, the doctor hadn’t ordered anything. The doctor said he has heard nothing about it (when I spoke to him this morning). He said the girlfriend has said nothing (Amber is there for morning rounds usually and she has said something daily).

Here is what is happening. When we sit Adam up in the bed to feed him, he starts holding his head and sometimes pushing or slapping us away. He has held his head before at times, mainly when he is in his wheelchair for extended periods of time. He had a brain injury so that is understandable. But this is different, and everyone who knows him and has been around him during this time can see.

We ask if he has pain anywhere to point to it, and he consistently pointed to the center of his abdomen (when he was having some stomach/bowel distress), and the front and top of his head. This was when it first began and he also was having stomach issues, and wouldn’t swallow food or drink (which have now resolved). After pointing where he hurt (both head and abdomen), when laid down, he only pointed to his abdomen. Because he had been on so many antibiotics (because of the sepsis), one nurse felt probiotics might help. We asked every day for days, but they never did give him any. It is frustrating, it seems like they have a skeleton crew on most times. And the nurse or doctor after, the majority have been unaware of most of the things we’ve been asking them about. But he is still holding on to and rubbing his head every time we sit him up in the bed, even when we do it gradually, once he gets past about a 30 degree angle he is in obvious distress.

When my friend Toni came in on Friday morning earlier to see him, she told us he was grabbing his head and grabbing her hand, and she laid him down and then he relaxed and put his hand behind his head. This is what we are experiencing too. 

I told the doctor that I didn’t feel he could even sit up in a wheelchair at the skilled nursing for a meal without agony. He is super sensitive about even being rolled left or right for changing. I realize they don’t know what he is normally like, but he is not close to baseline even though his other tests may show up ok now (white blood cell count, blood pressure is normal, etc.). I told him I’d like to appeal the decision to discharge him at this time until we figure out the source of his pain. He said, “You know he has to be discharged some time.” I responded, “Yes, of course, but I’d like to find out what is going on with his head first.”

So, if the Lord wills him to go back, we trust Him in all decisions. We just want to do our part to advocate for Adam. We are all tired, it takes its toll in many ways. We feel the source of him going back to the hospital was based on too early of a discharge (by the same hospital chain). While we’ve seen continuing improvement, there has also been some of these setbacks. But God knows all these things, so we’re just asking for continued prayer for the right timing.

There is more, but God knows all the details. Thanks to you all. If something happened to you and you ended up in the hospital, are you confident you know where you’d be when you die?