post pacemaker surgery update

  A note from Eric,

    Hooray! It is 4 days post-gastric pacemaker surgery. Just before surgery, Kristen finished the IV antibiotics that she was taking for her lungs. She has been breathing a little better which is good. Kristen is still staying at the hospital-recovering from surgery and receiving nausea and pain control. I have been able to spend most nights up there as well. In the past few days, we have had little-to-no sleep and some rocky moments with various medicine issues and other general medical struggles. Also, Kristen has had much nausea and vomiting.  Post surgery, Kristen has been too sore to do some of her breathing treatments, which was to be expected.  Chest PT and treatments that induce coughing have been put on hold for now.  Coughing and vomiting is horribly painful and will delay the healing process; so, controlling those two has been our main focus. Kristen is starting to get more of her mobility back each day. The surgical incisions look good & her stomach is looking less swollen. It will take up to two months before we know whether or not the pacer is effective That is just the nature of this procedure. Fingers crossed!
     We are hoping to get out of the hospital this Monday. We are planning to be in Portland through next week. Thanks to my parents for watching our little Hattie so I can be here with Kristen. Thanks to all of my coworkers and my employer for covering shifts and rearranging schedules, for being so flexible and understanding.  Thanks to all that have helped and continue to help, donating, raising money, sharing our story, and helping in too numerous of ways to list here. It is all of those things and more that has made it possible for me to be here with my family and I cannot thank you all enough.