B
BarbaraTherese
Guest
Reading your updates and continuing to keep your DH in daily prayer…

:harp:Many people have chronic A-fib and the goal is usually to control the ventricular rate. The Cardizem is a calcium channel blocker and is used to control the rate, and it also can convert the patient back to a normal sinus rhythm, but obviously it hasn’t done so in your husband’s case. They might eventually add a beta blocker such as Metoprolol, once his blood pressures are stable. I figure he must be on an anti-coagulant as well. One risk with A-fib is blood clots, because the blood gets churned up in the atrium, which are fibrillating instead of pumping as they normally would. I’m assuming your husband is over 60 so I suspect he will continue to remain in A-Fib, probably for the rest of his life. Please don’t assume. My husband is 54. He has no thinners, because they (pulmonary, infectious, caridology, gastro and renal) were in majority against them (gastro wants thinners because of the stress ulcers). This causes clogs with the dialysis, but otherwise has not been a problem.
The enteral feeding you mention is one designed for kidney failure patients. What is the prognosis for his kidney function? Because of the massive and strong antibiotics used to treat legionella, and the large molecular composition of the antibiotics, the renal doctor thought it would be better to save his kidneys the work of the process.
As a matter of fact, he urinated today. First time in two weeks. He was not foleyed after two days, but kept first on a 72-hour CRRT, followed by a series of two 8-hour CRRT, followed by several 4-hour CRRT sessions, followed by now 3-hour sessions. So, I don’t have a problem with the renal doctor feeding him Nepro in giant jugs. And if he has to have the almost-no-protein-but-jelly-bean diet of renal fame, so be it.
As my very best friend of 30-some-odd years who runs a blood lab explained, he’s a lucky man, as most legionella is discovered in autopsy.
…
I think God is doing just fine, and I think you are wonderful to do this for us.I can only pray that a Holy Hour last Thursday was of some influence upon the Lord’s mercy. I feel as though my prayer was of no value, but the Lord makes His own decisions on that. We praise His Name and keep praying for Mario and all of you who have borne up so amazingly well during this crisis. Faith that can move mountains, indeed!
Praise God, and Christ’s peace!
That’s great news, Burbs! Keeping you all in prayer.Update- They are weaning him off the vent! :dancing: He has a walker, and has been able to stand up using it. He is getting the talk portion of his trache tomorrow. I figured out how he can write better (sandpaper under his regular paper and a primary pencil in the shape of a triangle). He is in a better mood. He had his quentin cath replaced, and his dialysis is down to two hours because he is able to do a part of that for himself. And a rehab provider has agreed to take him once we get insurance authorization. His lungs look great.
So, God is doing good work. Thank you for your continued prayers. Rest assured of mine.

Praise God! Mario may not express it well, but he has a Saint for a wife - something not even remotely in his consciousness during courtship or on that marriage day. Since you did not remain two, but became one flesh, the Lord knew long ago the gracious and steadfast spirit that would be required to accompany Mario through this ordeal. Your calm and steady faith, accompanied by a joyous reception of the Eucharist and constant and fervent prayer, have called the Lord’s mercy down upon Mario, yourself, and all of us. We are grateful for your shining example. You and Mario are being perfected for the Kingdom, and, in some way, I know that all who are praying will be as well. The Lord, Fount of Love, works so mysteriously, that no one would have thought this result would have occurred. But, His Divine Plan will not be foiled, and during the course of this, He has graciously healed many hearts and spirits. We continue to hound Heaven with prayer, secure in the knowledge that God is in charge and will find a way to restore our hope in the face of what appeared as disaster. You and Mario are living proof of this.Yesterday was a big day for him. The first place the case manager picked is not my favorite, as is it not a Catholic place that will tend to his spiritual needs. So, that is where I am directing my prayers now, toward the best facility for him (I already told the case manager I do not mind driving), and for his continued, miraculous recovery.
Continuing my prayers for all of you as well.