Day 18 Friday, 2 June, 2006

Aaron begins the day paralyzed and mostly stable. The fever continues to abate; by evening it is gone.

More platelets and blood (yesterday’s post was in error. The blood transfusion was not whole blood. It was “packed cells”, a sort of high-fructose corn syrup for vamps and patients with low hemoglobin. Packed cells is blood minus white cells and other stuff, leaving only red cells) are transfused. The hemoglobin count does not increase as hoped, but its downward trend stops and it remains stable.

Early afternoon, Aaron’s blood pressure plummets. Perhaps the Urinator, which goes at the behest of its settings rather than on demand from Aaron, is going too much…perhaps Aaron is too dry. Before taking more drastic measures, Kamala throttles back on the Urinator, opens the spigots of some IV fluids, and transfuses more blood and platelets. Slowly, the pressure rises to less alarming levels and eventually returns to normal.

For the last couple days, the Urinator’s output has been tapering off as Aaron’s kidneys take on a greater share of the load…Aaron is outgoing the Urinator by about 1/3.

Between the 2 of them, they are outputting just about the same amount as is being dripped, injected, transfused and dialyzed in.

It’s a tricky balance with leaky blood vessels. The heart likes it wet; the lungs like it dry. Too dry, the heart can’t pump; too wet, the lungs can’t breathe.

At noon, the Paralyzer Vecuronium is stopped, and over the ensuing hours Aaron remains deeply sedated and stable without requiring its merciful but dangerous services.

Author: a. c. boydston

Aaron is Alive!

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