Daddy (Pa Joe) and I just got back from visiting with Kyle Cashwell, Kristy Peterson Cashwell and Mama Sara Beth Livingston Cashwell, at Duke University Medical Center at approximately 11 pm. Kyle Cashwell is still on the Vent the night nurse was going to slow the sedation down a bit and see how he did with not as much medication to sedate him. She was warned that Kyle IS VERY VERY STRONG! The nurses and doctors have been really great but, every time that they try to turn the sedative down just a little bit over the last couple of days they realize just how strong and tough he is! So I truly hope she can turn the medicine drip down and yet Kyle can still remain comfortable. His color was a good deal Pinker today than yesterday but hes running a pretty good temp, which is normal to some degree after a major trauma like this but, they want him to run a little bit of fever too they said. He did okay with his surgery today they just cleaned up his leg a little bit more. HR- is a little elevated and BP-is stable. At about 6:45 pm they started feeding him A SMALL AMOUNT OF PEPTIMEN A HIGH PROTEIN LIQUID FORMULA via a Dubhoff, (weighted) nasogastric tube which I know he is glad of! Cause hes probably about to starve (knowing him and if he was awake hed be looking something to eat!) This formula will help to enhance healing. The vent is still at 40% FIO2 with pressure support and rate set at 20. I held his left hand talked to him and called his name and kissed him on the forehead and when Id call his name hed move his head ever so slightly toward me and then I kissed him on the forehead and he did it again. So I KNOW that he HEARS everyone when they talk to him! I know that Kyle is NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET BY A LONG SHOT! And they have more surgeries planned for Friday and then again on Monday. So far the surgeons have said that they plan to TRY to wean Kyle completely off of the Ventilator AFTER the surgery Friday. They also said that it was a possibility that IF they could not get him safely weaned off the Ventilator that there MAY be a POSSIBILITY that they do a tracheotomy (Trach) so that they can go ahead and remove the cuffed Intubation tube. As most of you in the medical field know the quicker that the cuffed intubation tube is out the less chance there is of damaging the trachea and the throat. As well as the less chance of developing pneumonia or having other complications. The surgeons are doing these surgeries in steps due to the injuries that Kyle has were DIRTY, there was lots of trash, dirt and debris from the cornfield embedded in the open wounds. SO,...the surgeons keep going back in to CLEAN these wounds methodically so that they get all of this trash and dirt out of them and thus less infection risk and a quicker recovery from this particular stage of KYLES ROAD TO RECOVERY!! KYLE HAS A LONG WAY TO GO ON THIS JOURNEY AND HE IS NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET BY A LONG SHOT! I know that I will feel more at peace when he can wake up and talk to us and when he is well enough to get out of ICU which may take at least another week or maybe two. We just want him to stay as long as it takes to get him WELL with no other problems! our ENTIRE family truly appreciates ALL of your prayers, support, and many many other kindnesses! All of the calls, texts, messages, thoughts, prayers and so many other ACTS OF KINDNESS, THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY TO NAME THEM ALL AT THIS MOMENT! THIS HAS BEEN SUCH AN HUMBLING EXPERIENCE FOR OUR ENTIRE FAMILY! On behalf of the ENTIRE FAMILY, We WANT TO EXPRESS OUR SINCERE THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO EVERY INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED. TO Aunt Mary Bentha Wilson, for meeting Kyle at Duke upon his arrival and representing and advocating for Kyle and US as a family.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:30:10 +0000