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Thank you for visiting Sue’s site. We started this in hopes to get her medical journey updates out to her family and friends. Sue has been battling a cough since end of June early July. After enjoying a family camping trip to Colorado then northern Minnesota, she decided to go in to urgent care and get checked out. She was diagnosed with pneumonia and started on medication. Sue did not feel like the med was working. She returned to the clinic for a follow up/ recheck appt. She still had some pneumonia and they gave her a different round of medications. She still did not feel like they were helping and this cough just wasn’t disappearing or improving. After a few weeks, Sue returned to the clinic for another follow up appt. They sent her to the emergency room to be evaluated as she was complaining of chest pain and still having this cough. They did a Chest CT and found a mass on her right lung.
Sue was able to go home, with a list of upcoming appointments. Bob and Sue continued to enjoy camping and other family fun events as normal. Sue enjoyed her annual visit to the MN State Fair with all the goodies! As the days went on, and Bob and Sue waited for the follow up appointments to come, Sue’s health declined rapidly.
Fast forward to Sept 11th, Sue had an appointment scheduled with a pulmonologist at RMC- Waconia. She woke up feeling worse requesting to go to the local ER. Thankfully Bob said no let’s get to this appt in Waconia. Bob got her there, got up to the clinic and they sent her to the ER at RMC. The staff was great. They tried many different things…meds, oxygen therapy’s, nebulizers anything to help Sue breathe more comfortably. When Sue arrived her oxygen level was very low. She would bounce around between 68%- 80%, normal is 98%-100%. Through all this her anxiety was getting the best of her, and her vitals were not staying stable. The medical staff decided it was best to put a breathing tube in place and sedate her to help get her oxygen levels back to normal and her heart rate. While the medical staff at RMC was working with Sue, it was communicated that they felt it was best she be transferred to a different hospital for higher level medical care that what could be offered at RMC, and she was to be airlifted. Well, us…her family, knew there was no way she would like a helicopter flight. And we were correct, she missed her flight!! We joke (because we have to as much as we can!) they must have gone in the room and told her they were getting her ready for her helicopter ride, her vitals flew off the charts again and she was not stable enough to fly! The air team waited and tried to get her stable, but they had to go. The medical staff decided it was best to keep her in waconia and stabilize her over night. Get her comfortable. She was able to be transferred to Abbott, by ground ambulance, the next morning. Bob has been by her side everyday, along with Cory, Jess, Jennifer and Chad. Bob has been navigating these hospital hallways like a champ! He has learned more medical terminology than he probably cares too. We are very proud of him!
Once arrived to Abbott she was admitted to ICU. We were told Sue was very ill and we had her to the right place for her care. Once settled in the medical staff got the ball rolling fast for Sue. They immediately did a biopsy of the mass to know exactly what was being dealt with. As well as to get a plan of treatment. As we know, things in the medical world are sometimes at a very slow pace. It teaches and reminds you patience and grace! Thursday came… Bob’s update to us kids that morning. 💜 They are going to try and remove or push open the mass that is blocking her right lung. Possibly putting a stent in to keep the airway open. But this is only a short term fix ( because the lung produces moisture to keep everything moist and clean as it passes thru. The inside of the stent will not and will eventually become blocked) this will have to be monitored. No results back on the biopsy yet until that comes no treatment plan. But hopefully with treatment they can shrink or remove the mass and the airway will be open. . . . Removed some of the mass, could not get all of it due to placement. Placed a stent in her right ventricle. This will have to be removed at some point. They are starting to taper back some of the sedation meds. . . She is a little more alert this morning trying to open her eyes and is responding to my voice. 🩷 . . . I just got here. Nama has her eyes open and was responding to me. They are going to work on taking her breathing tube out! 🙌🏼🩷 . . Tube is out. . . She is pretty groggy. But doing really good. She just took two drinks of water from a cup!! She is back resting and sleeping again. They are leaving the feeding tube in for now to get her nutrition and vitamins to help her get more energy and strength. They are giving some of her meds this way too. Fentanyl and propofol meds are done! Oxygen is staying at about 95-98 Heart rate is good. She is on oxygen with humidity to help stay comfortable with breathing. . . They got grandma up and sitting in a recliner today. Talking about moving her out of ICU to the hospital bed later today. She is very weak and resisting to do some things. She is needing a lot of coaching! 😬😂🩷
What we do know… Sue has Lung Cancer. Type, stage everything is not clear…waiting for all results to come back. Once everything is back Sue and Bob will be making treatment decisions. All tests for now, have been completed.
As of now, we as her family ask, please keep Sue, Bob and our family in your thoughts and prayers.
Mom got to ring the bell after her last round of radiation on Sunday November 19! While close and difficult chapter, it’s exciting to celebrate.
Today Monday November 20 Dr Hedstrom (pulmonologist) removed the stent he placed in the ventricle. All went well and only took about an hour. He stated the ventricle was fully open now. Next follow up appointment is in 3 months with him.
Many other follow up appointments will take place in the coming weeks as we continue to navigate through this. For now rest, nutrition and getting back to a normal are planned.
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