10/30/13, Morning

A restless night for Nicole. She slept better when she slept, but being more alert, she was pretty confused each time she woke up. She likes the nurses and does whatever they ask.  She has tried some thicker foods like applesauce and pudding. Still on TPN, though.
The treatment team will do rounds soon, I expect more info then.

Nicole is loving familiar stuff, and loves a quilt she had received from a family friend early last week.

Morning rounds continued with much the same overall plan. Doctors are speculating that the diagnosis involves an "evolving cardiac myopathy" and a conduction problem.  They are treating both now with meds.

The goal will be to transition her to oral, longer-acting medications instead of the IV meds.  Then she will move to the general floor.  The team is looking at waiting to do more studies until her heart is stronger; later in the week.

She was seen and evaluated today by Nutrition, Speech (to look at swallowing), Physical Therapy to determine her strength and need for a consult to Rehab, Occupational Therapy to look at her ability to do activities of daily living, Neurology, and somebody else that neither she nor I can remember.  Needless to say, she is wiped out.  Then she started eating today for real, which was a short-lived enjoyment.  I guess 4 days without food the stomach was feeling a bit rebellious; she now does not recommend pounding down the chocolate pudding.......  So funny, she said that anyone who doesn't like chocolate is "psycho".  LOL

Despite this, she is making great progress, and is filling in the gaps in her memory little by little.  It is so good to see the Nicole we remember coming back.  She is feeling so much better, had her hair brushed and braided, got herself a little cleaned up.  She now is mastering the wireless keyboard for the in-room computer / multimedia system and has figured out how to watch a movie on demand.

Neurology has come back and done further exams.  Thank God, they are saying Nicole is doing amazingly well given the short time since the incident.  They are not feeling she will need a head MRI!!  We're happy, and I suspect she is as well.