Hospital Recovery

After a reasonably good morning on Friday, Barb's condition got very bad quickly Friday afternoon. Her potassium (needed for muscle function - including heart contractions) and hemoglobin (red blood cells that carry oxygen) dropped significantly. Her glucose (sugar) level in her blood went up (which makes red blood cells less effective), and she developed a fever due to an infection - which dropped her blood pressure to a dangerously low level.

Any one of these issues would have been serious enough for special treatment. The impact of all of them was frightening. After time in the emergency room on Friday evening to stabilize her, she spent the night in intensive care.

With infusions of fluids, blood, potassium, antibiotics and insulin, she is much better now. Hopefully, this afternoon, we can restart our regular 7th floor walks around the hallways.

Her doctors are meeting this morning to decide how best to go forward after she recovers from Friday afternoon/evening.