8-11 Nov 08 - Cady at KUMC

on Friday Nov 7th, Cady underwent brain surgery to have a shunt placed. Based on MRI's, they determined that she had either ventriculomegaly or hydrocephalus (water on the brain). She was having symptoms such as chronic headache and problems with her balance. Since she was in the pediatric ICU after surgery, George and I stayed at a hotel right across the street from the hospital.

the next morning... it took us 40 minutes to drive around the block to get from the hotel to the parking garage. it happened to be "free drive-through flu shot" day.... cars were lined up for blocks and not only did the KUMC campus police have to come direct traffic.... the regular Kansas City police showed up as well... it was pure madness.

8 Nov 08:

below is a view of the front drive of the hospital from the walkway...looking one way....


... then the other way.....imagine the cars lined up around the left side of the building... for blocks...


they had her sitting up a bit and watching TV... however, she said her headaches were worse... but that was an expected outcome for the first day or so....


the nurse in me found it interesting that they stapled the bandage directly to her head...


9 Nov 08:

she began to eat some... was more difficult to have her head up due to the increasing headache... at this point they were beginning to give her more IV pain medicine.....


her arm where she was stuck multiple times to try and get an IV... they eventually did place a PICC line.


11 Nov 08 - Her condition was not getting any better.... she had maxed out on one IV med (Fentanly) with no relief, and they had changed her to another. (Dilauded). She was semi-concious at this point... sleeping most of the time... but when you'd wake her up... she would cry that her head hurt.... when she would sleep her heart was beating really slow and her breathing was really slow and shallow. before morning, she had to have oxygen put on her.