Richard’s Story

Site created on August 19, 2021

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Newest Update

Journal entry by Elisabeth Chrisinger

It took until 0215 am to get Rich to PCU. The nurses on the 5th floor didn’t work hard at getting Richard’s blood cultures or other blood work completed. Nor did they quickly transfer him. Once he gets to PCU his temp is almost 105. He is chilling and warm. He is barely responsive.  The wonderful PCU nurses draw blood from different sites and start another IV. Now both antibiotics are going in different sites. He has had both antibiotics before so going simultaneously gets them both in quick to fight his infection. They put him on a cooling blanket and pack him in ice to get his temp down. Dr Schwartz keeps coming to the room to find how he is doing. The nurse tells Dr Schwartz that his heart rate is still rapid and an abnormal rate. He is going to have the nurse slow the rate down with an IV med as the metoprolol didn’t work. Alaina is here to push another med that will slow it to almost stopping so that Sr Schwartz can assess the rhythm. She does this and then he analyzes the rhythm. 

He decides he needs to try and shock Richard’s heart into rhythm. Because Rich’s BP is not that high he doesn’t want to sedate him. He shocks him the first time and Richard screams. This is awful. After a few minutes Rich’s heart returns to VTach, SVT,  and then atrial fib and atrial flutter. Dr Schwartz decides he must try again. As he shocks Rich’s heart he again screams. This seems so inhuman!  Again at first it seems like Rich’s heart slows down but then speeds back up and out of rhythm. Schwartz indicates he needs to call the EP Cardiologist to do something like ablation to get him to a slower heart rate and out of irregular rhythm. I can not believe this is happening. 

Thirty minutes have passed and his heart rate is slow and not so irregular. I am praising God! Perhaps now the antibiotics can work to address the Sepsis. I know he has Sepsis again. 

I can’t believe all that has happened. I have to go to work. I haven’t slept all night. I feel like I have been pulled like a yo-yo both directions. I pray that God watches my Richard until I can get back after clinic today. 

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