Day 28 // One Month

Hi guys, We met a few new docs today, and there are some small plans/transitions in the works to optimize JoAnne's recovery. See below for details!

STATS- JoAnne's WBC, hematocrit, breathing, etc. have all be stable. No changes to report...

LOWER GI- apparently JoAnne has not been processing the food as well as they'd hoped since her mucus fistula surgery a week ago. This is apparently somewhat typical for someone whose undergone such extensive abdominal surgeries, is on heavy pain meds that can affect digestion, etc. They're going to continue to monitor this issue and work at ensuring that JoAnne is getting all the nutrients she needs via her stomach rather than IV nourishment. The sooner she's processing food well, the sooner she'll be improving in other areas, they keep telling us. More on that as we learn it!

HIP- The infectious disease specialist (Dr. Chang) came in to check up on JoAnne's hip today. Like the ortho surgeons, he thinks it looks great! They'll likely attempt to close up her hip wound on Wednesday, leaving just a small opening for a drainage tube. He said they'd likely keep her on antibiotics for her hip and stomach for another week or two to kill any other bacteria that may be lingering. Prior to ending the antibiotics, though, he also recommended getting a repeat cat scan (next week?) to make sure that there are no remaining fluid pockets or other suspicious signals that need attention. Dr. Chang is apparently one of the best in his field (everyone we've talked to has thrown around words like "genius" and "brilliant"), and we feel really lucky that he's been on JoAnne's case, especially considering the dangerous nature of the bacteria she had.

MEDS- Dr. Ferrigno is the attending specialist this week, and boy is she on it. She saw that JoAnne's sedation was still high, and told the team during rounds today that she thinks it's best to start weaning her off the heavy stuff as soon as possible, replacing her current medication (Versed) with lighter sedation meds that have fewer psychotic and amnesiac effects. Besides the fact that being on heavy stuff for this long isn't great for a patient, Dr. Ferrigno also likes the idea of JoAnne being awake enough to eventually tell the docs and nurses when she's in pain or uncomfortable. Her WBC hasn't been the best at alerting us that she's got an infection, so bringing her "up" a bit more will help with getting on top of another infection, should that happen. Dr. Ferrigno said that they'd also like to start her on a pain medication specifically targeting her phantom leg pain. It's somewhat common that people who have undergone amputations can feel quite a bit of nerve pain in their missing limb... The sooner they get on top of this, the better, so they'll be starting her on a medication soon (a sodium channel or beta blocker, we're guessing?). More on that as we learn it...

ONE MONTH- Today marked one month in the ICU. When we think back to the fear, uncertainty and horror of the first few days in August, we can't help but feel so grateful for all that has happened since... How strange that sounds, as yes, there have been ups and downs, but nothing has compared to those first few days. And every day since then has meant that JoAnne has still been with us! We really can't believe it. Many, many thanks again for all of your continued love and support with this ordeal... we're all in this together!

Much love to you all,

xo Team Jojo