Margery Gould Margery Updates

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On November 26, 2016, on the last day of our wonderful vacation in Cancun, Mexico, Margery fell by the pool at our hotel and broke her hip. She had hip replacement surgery in Cancun and returned to Los Angeles on December 6. She seemed to be recovering well and the orthopedist at Cedars thought they did a good job in Mexico.  She was at home with a live-in caretaker.  However, on Sunday, December 11, she developed a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and on Monday the 12th she was admitted to Cedars Critical Care Unit. Soon the UTI cleared up with IV Antibiotics, but then doctors discovered a staph infection in her blood. Since then, it has been one thing after another, including a very serious cardiac episode, which required placement of a permanent pacemaker. Also, the infection was found in her hip, so it had to be reopened and cleaned out. After that she had a major breathing problem and needed to be intubated.  She also had several serious cardiac issues along the way.

Margie was at Cedars Sinai Medical Center for 11 weeks! That is a near record. She was in Critical Care or ICU the whole time. She had a Tracheostomy and G-tube (stomach feeding tube) inserted. After all that time, she was finally deemed to be medically stable enough to transport to a Long Term Acute Care hospital--Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Elysian Park. She can only talk a little through the Trach. She is very, very weak and pretty confused. She is getting Respiratory Therapy (RT) and Physical Therapy (PT) to help her get stronger. The plan/goal is to get her weaned off the Trach and G-tube and move to a sub-acute facility. Although going home is the ultimate goal, we are a long way from that.

 At this time, she can have brief visits.  She cannot talk on the phone or read/send emails.  In fact, I have her phone.  She cannot eat or drink anything by mouth. No flowers or plants are allowed at Barlow.

NOTE: She does not have a UTI!