Kintropy In Action

My father in-law is a reborn health nut. It’s a good thing. I just like to tease him about his zealotry. After a life-threatening incident, he was shown that eating low fat didn’t mean loosing flavor. He no longer engages in sedentary occupations but exercises from three hours to more a day. So he is pretty fluent in information on body health because that is his complete focus these days. One day I was discussing my troubles with stomach fat with him. He had just spent several days with us visiting his house in California without a nurse last December. He had visited us before but hadn’t actually experienced our day to day lives.

So his response was that " Studies have found that the chemical Cortisol our bodies produce can inhibit the reduction of tummy fat. Cortisol is produced when the body experiences stress." His gaze went directly to my eyes "I’m pretty sure you swim in it."

I was raised to downplay any discomfort I experience. Outside with a sarcastic voice I said, "What stress?" Inside I was thinking "Yeah, your probably right"

So last night was not restful I had to keep the Cortisol ocean I swim in pumping. Hannah was in pain.

Understandable, since she had just finished abdominal surgery. Besides the surgical wounds she was getting pain from gas. Hannah doesn’t have an easy time burping so most gas needs to come out the other end. Large volumes are not always easy for her to pass. So it starts a chain reactions. She starts gagging like she is going to throw up. (Nisson prevents Throwing UP) Her mouth fills up with saliva like when someone is about to vomit and she has not figured out swallowing yet. So she starts to aspirate (inhale saliva into her lungs). The machines won’t start going off for minutes yet. I know what this sounds like.

So I jump out of the cot. Stop feeding if it is going. Find a syringe while turning her on her side to encourage the saliva to fall out of her mouth. I attach the syringe to the g-tube and pull, if there is excessive air in her stomach it pops open smooth and easily. (Normally there might be 30ml of extra air around 6 teaspoons) Last night their was around 90mls (27 tsp.) of extra air every 30 to 60 minutes. After the initial pull of the syringe I pull out suction catheters and start working on suctioning out her lungs. She is on the vent right now so that involves pausing the alarms so I don’t wake the whole floor. This happening every 30 to 60 minutes last night is the meaning behind the words Hard Night I text to Robert this morning.

I’m going to bed now.

--Mom

PS---Hannah before Surgery