Index
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Death of an Angel
Index - 18 - |
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| May 24, Th - | Talked with Betty Fier at work, she said that her whole prayer group
was praying for Jennifer. I called the NICU from work several times. Jo and I went to see Jennifer
in the evening with both grandmas and dad. Pete and Penny met us there with the kids. Dr. Cromer
came over to talk to me in what seemed to be an overly friendly manner - she also talked to Jo. Dr. Cromer
did not say much as to Jennifer's condition - only general chit chat - quite out of character for her. Jennifer
is in 74% O2 with more tubes, but she seems pink and stable. Jennifer will be taken to Rainbow for an
Echocardiogram tomorrow by Dr. Cromer and another doctor. Dr. Cromer said that Jennifer will have to
remain in an isolette for a long time. She also said that they will try to feed Jennifer while she is
in the isolette. Dr. Cromer mentioned that they may even call a conference on Jennifer's condition in order
to try to determine just what the problem was. This seemed to be more hope for the future.
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| May 25, F - | I talked with Grace Hunter at work - she is the CDC nurse. She
is trying to get information on Jennifer's condition for me from Metro. She also gave me a typed memo on
which she spelled out the meaning of an echocardiogram. I had talked with Grace about it earlier, because
Jennifer would be undergoing that procedure. I called the NICU several times from work. Jennifer was
taken to Rainbow for the Echocardiogram - they told me that her heart seems normal.
Had problems keeping my
mind on work. I talked to Joyce Sisly about her husband's lung condition and Jennifer. She recommended
that I call a Dr. Unis at Metro - he is an expert in the respiratory field. After work Jo and I went to see
Jennifer with both grandmas. Jennifer's I/V infused, and caused considerable swelling of her right hand.
When I asked that a doctor look at Jennifer's hand,
I was told that they were all out to dinner - this was not the first time that upon inquire as to the whereabouts
of the doctors, I was told that they were all out to dinner together around the 6:00 PM time frame. The nurse
finally called for a doctor at 6:35 PM, but he did not appear until 6:45 PM. Dr. Sabin (I'm not sure of the
spelling) looked at Jennifer's hand, and said that there was nothing that he could do. He took Jennifer to
the treatment room at 7:30 PM for a new I/V. He ordered cold compresses for Jennifer's arm to be applied
after midnight. We talked with the nurse for a bit. We left the NICU at about 8:00 PM. WT -
3070 / HH - 140 / RR - 110 / Temp about 37 - she seemed to have a lot less mucus.
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| May 26, Sa - | We went to see Jennifer from 9:30 AM till 11:00 AM.
Wt - 3120/ HR - 140 / RR - 80's / O2 - 34%. She seems to have less mucus again today. There
is an area on her left arm about the size of a quarter that is deep purple from last night's I/V infusion.
The nurse said that that area will probably die and slough off. Her hand is red and swollen, but
she seems to be able to move her fingers a bit. I had the nurse check Jennifer's new I/V in her leg -
it seemed ok. We went back to see Jennifer again in the evening - she seems ok. Her arm and hand
still look bad.
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Her I/V site had been bound by tape above and below the actual insertion site; thus, when the I/V began to
infuse, the fluid had no place to go but to swell up her hand. I thought that the I/V pressure was supposed
to be monitored by an alarm, but no alarm went off. I called the nurse, and she removed the tapes, but by
that time Jennifer's arm between the tapes had swollen to almost double its normal diameter and the entire area
had turned purple with white patches in several places.