Story Market Day
- Thread starter ComCamGuy
- Start date
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Underway and Figuring Things Out
Silas knew the start of any convoy movement is hard. It takes time to get the rhythm and flow. How fast to go, who lags and who drives too tight, surging and extending like some mechanical inch worm. Driving these loaded vehicles was new to them. This was the first time driving them, and adding trailers was another wrinkle. Throw in darkness and slick crunchy roads and the pucker factor was real across the group.
When Silas found the first waypoint plotted months ago by Henrik, he was relieved. The old gas station had enough flat solid ground for them to pull all five vehicles up near one another. For a bigger area like this, they put Ivar and the crew cab in the middle with the others in two rows, one on each side.
Silas watched as everyone started moving to the middle. Petra looked tired but upbeat. So did Jennifer. The look on Amber’s face told him she probably had a migraine coming on. Not good. Jonas… well he looked a little stressed until he got a big hug from Jennifer. Ivar? He looked worried, but that probably wasn’t from the driving. Deloris didn’t get out of the truck. She must still be in there bundling Sofia up for the move back to the trailer.
“Well, that wasn’t too bad.” At Silas’ statement, he got a bunch of glares. “Come on, nobody ended up in a ditch or off the side of a mountain, No Mad Max marauders, nobody’s vehicle caught fire or blew up.”
“Yet” was Amber’s short reply.
“Gotcha. Why don’t everybody go make sure the sleeping arrangements are warming up while a couple of us get Sofia in the trailer and tucked in.”
Jonas, Jennifer and Petra moved off, while Amber headed to the back door of the crew cab. She had a patient to check on. She looked in the window and saw Deloris bundling Sofia up in the sleeping bag they had her laying in. When Deloris saw Amber, she held up a finger in the ‘wait a minute’ signal, followed by a burst of movement.
Amber looked over at Ivar.
“Why don’t you get the trailer ready and be ready with the door so we can move her in one fell swoop.”
“OK, I’ll be ready in a moment.”
Ivar rushed to the trailer hooked up behind the crew cab. As Ivar turned and raced off, Amber glanced over at Silas and shook her head, a small subtle gesture but one she knew Silas would understand. Ivar is not doing well and they need to keep an eye on him.
Before Silas could ask her anything, the back door of the crew cab opened and it turned into a jumble of arms, poles, wires IV tubing and such as they carried the improvised stretcher with Sofia to the trailer where Ivar had the door open just in time. Between the four of them, they had Sofia squared away on one of the bottom bunks in the trailer.
As soon as Sofia was settled in, Amber turned to Silas and Ivar.
“Guys, there is beef stroganoff in the crock pot in the sink of our camper. Why don’t you go around and make sure everyone has some and get the rest settled in while the medical staff” she pointed to Deloris “Go over stuff and update drugs and stuff.”
Ivar looked like he wanted to stay but Silas grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him no option but to come with him.
Once they were alone, Amber looked at Deloris and asked her question.
“OK, how is she doing, really?”
“Not good. Pressures are steady but weak, mentation is down and fluid ins and outs aren’t great. The pain and the bumping about isn’t helping. It’s draining her energy reserves as fast or faster than she can build them.”
Shit! Amber knew this wasn’t good. They still had a couple weeks to go. A morbid, gallows humor part of her started wondering where they could store a body. Correction, not humor, the worried doctor part of her. She didn’t want to face that possibility. She would have to find a way to turn this around. She had to do more. Sofia didn’t deserve this.
“Well, let’s try to get some food into her before bed and some more when we get up. We can take a longer break in the middle to fix something for her as well. We are on our timetable, and we will make it be whatever we need to do the best for her. If she keeps slipping, we might have to resort to the tube and the blender.”
“I’ll do what I can but tomorrow we should probably cut a flap in the cast. I’ve got the stuff handy and we can check things better.”
“Sounds like a good idea. Now, you get some rest, have some of the beef stroganoff. Ivar will want to sit up with Sofia for a while so he can keep an eye on her while you sleep. If you need anything, shout. I got to go knock out this headache before it gets too bad.”
“Don’t worry Amber, we will get her there.”
“I know, but it won’t be pretty. She’s a fighter, she wears a special type of armor. Sometimes I think she was born under a lucky star or it is true that God has a special spot for little children, idiots and Sofia. I hope her luck has not run out. Get some food and rest Delores.”
Silas knew the start of any convoy movement is hard. It takes time to get the rhythm and flow. How fast to go, who lags and who drives too tight, surging and extending like some mechanical inch worm. Driving these loaded vehicles was new to them. This was the first time driving them, and adding trailers was another wrinkle. Throw in darkness and slick crunchy roads and the pucker factor was real across the group.
When Silas found the first waypoint plotted months ago by Henrik, he was relieved. The old gas station had enough flat solid ground for them to pull all five vehicles up near one another. For a bigger area like this, they put Ivar and the crew cab in the middle with the others in two rows, one on each side.
Silas watched as everyone started moving to the middle. Petra looked tired but upbeat. So did Jennifer. The look on Amber’s face told him she probably had a migraine coming on. Not good. Jonas… well he looked a little stressed until he got a big hug from Jennifer. Ivar? He looked worried, but that probably wasn’t from the driving. Deloris didn’t get out of the truck. She must still be in there bundling Sofia up for the move back to the trailer.
“Well, that wasn’t too bad.” At Silas’ statement, he got a bunch of glares. “Come on, nobody ended up in a ditch or off the side of a mountain, No Mad Max marauders, nobody’s vehicle caught fire or blew up.”
“Yet” was Amber’s short reply.
“Gotcha. Why don’t everybody go make sure the sleeping arrangements are warming up while a couple of us get Sofia in the trailer and tucked in.”
Jonas, Jennifer and Petra moved off, while Amber headed to the back door of the crew cab. She had a patient to check on. She looked in the window and saw Deloris bundling Sofia up in the sleeping bag they had her laying in. When Deloris saw Amber, she held up a finger in the ‘wait a minute’ signal, followed by a burst of movement.
Amber looked over at Ivar.
“Why don’t you get the trailer ready and be ready with the door so we can move her in one fell swoop.”
“OK, I’ll be ready in a moment.”
Ivar rushed to the trailer hooked up behind the crew cab. As Ivar turned and raced off, Amber glanced over at Silas and shook her head, a small subtle gesture but one she knew Silas would understand. Ivar is not doing well and they need to keep an eye on him.
Before Silas could ask her anything, the back door of the crew cab opened and it turned into a jumble of arms, poles, wires IV tubing and such as they carried the improvised stretcher with Sofia to the trailer where Ivar had the door open just in time. Between the four of them, they had Sofia squared away on one of the bottom bunks in the trailer.
As soon as Sofia was settled in, Amber turned to Silas and Ivar.
“Guys, there is beef stroganoff in the crock pot in the sink of our camper. Why don’t you go around and make sure everyone has some and get the rest settled in while the medical staff” she pointed to Deloris “Go over stuff and update drugs and stuff.”
Ivar looked like he wanted to stay but Silas grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him no option but to come with him.
Once they were alone, Amber looked at Deloris and asked her question.
“OK, how is she doing, really?”
“Not good. Pressures are steady but weak, mentation is down and fluid ins and outs aren’t great. The pain and the bumping about isn’t helping. It’s draining her energy reserves as fast or faster than she can build them.”
Shit! Amber knew this wasn’t good. They still had a couple weeks to go. A morbid, gallows humor part of her started wondering where they could store a body. Correction, not humor, the worried doctor part of her. She didn’t want to face that possibility. She would have to find a way to turn this around. She had to do more. Sofia didn’t deserve this.
“Well, let’s try to get some food into her before bed and some more when we get up. We can take a longer break in the middle to fix something for her as well. We are on our timetable, and we will make it be whatever we need to do the best for her. If she keeps slipping, we might have to resort to the tube and the blender.”
“I’ll do what I can but tomorrow we should probably cut a flap in the cast. I’ve got the stuff handy and we can check things better.”
“Sounds like a good idea. Now, you get some rest, have some of the beef stroganoff. Ivar will want to sit up with Sofia for a while so he can keep an eye on her while you sleep. If you need anything, shout. I got to go knock out this headache before it gets too bad.”
“Don’t worry Amber, we will get her there.”
“I know, but it won’t be pretty. She’s a fighter, she wears a special type of armor. Sometimes I think she was born under a lucky star or it is true that God has a special spot for little children, idiots and Sofia. I hope her luck has not run out. Get some food and rest Delores.”
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sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you from me 
223shootersc
Veteran Member
Thanks, CCG!
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Any iteration of Staph is insidious and never easily dealt with.
Don't you just love PIC lines? No after effects I hope.
Fortunately no. 90.5% effective use of leg!
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
In the Trailer
Ivar sat there holding Sofia’s hand. She was napping again. He was able to get some food in her, but not a lot. At this point he was ‘cheating’ just to get something in her. The wet and gooey macaroni and cheese was an afront to the chef in Sofia, but a guilty pleasure the few times she was sick. Now he was able to get a couple bites in her at a time but even that effort seemed to wear her out.
He leaned in to whisper in her ear. He wanted to stay quiet since Deloris was sleeping.
“You rest now, Liebling. I’m here. You’re safe.”
Sofia seemed to relax a little more. Ivar leaned back in the chair, dozing. The whole time he lightly held her hand. Later he thought he heard something. It was Sofia. He leaned closer to try and hear what she was saying, but she wasn’t speaking, she was singing. He couldn’t make out the words they were so soft. It wouldn’t matter anyway. He recognized the tune. It was one of the ones she would sing while she made breakfast on Sundays. He never learned enough of her language to understand it, but he knew it made her happy.
She was warm again. She seemed to be swinging between warm and cold. Ivar wasn’t sure what it meant other than her body couldn’t seem to make up its mind what temperature it wanted to be. He pulled back the edge of the sleeping bag from around her face and neck. That was when he realized the red of the bag was giving her skin a warm pink glow. Now without it, he could see how pale she really was. God! She was sick.
It hurt him so much to have her like this. He wanted to help her, but he didn’t know how other than be here for her and pray. Unfortunately, he wasn’t good at it. That was Sofia’s domain. Beside him he heard her soft voice again.
Bewege dich in unserer Mitte, du Geist Gottes.
Geh mit uns hinab von deinem heiligen Berg.
Gehen Sie mit uns durch Sturm und Stille.
Geist Gottes, geh noch mit uns.
Berühren Sie Tausend unsere Hände, um uns richtig zu führen.
Führe uns für immer, zeige uns deinen Weg.
Verwandle unsere Dunkelheit in dein Licht.
Geist Gottes, leite uns heute.
Streiche die fesselnden Fesseln von unseren Füßen.
Nimm das Gewicht unseres Unrechts von unserem Leben.
Lehre uns, mit Herz, Seele und Verstand zu lieben.
Geist Gottes, deine Liebe macht uns stark.
Zünde unsere Herzen an, damit sie mit deiner Flamme brennen.
Erhebe deine Fahnen hoch in dieser Stunde.
Rühre uns an, neue Welten in deinem Namen zu bauen.
Geist Gottes, o sende uns deine Kraft!
Ivar tried to pick up a few words and sing along but it was no use. He never took the time to learn her language or, for that matter, about her ‘other life’. Any time he tried to go deeper than the surface, either Sofia didn’t want to talk about it. She also told him her parents made sure he was kept as an an outsider. It did bring him some comfort to hear her sing, remembering how much singing made her happy. If only he knew what she was singing…
Ivar sat there holding Sofia’s hand. She was napping again. He was able to get some food in her, but not a lot. At this point he was ‘cheating’ just to get something in her. The wet and gooey macaroni and cheese was an afront to the chef in Sofia, but a guilty pleasure the few times she was sick. Now he was able to get a couple bites in her at a time but even that effort seemed to wear her out.
He leaned in to whisper in her ear. He wanted to stay quiet since Deloris was sleeping.
“You rest now, Liebling. I’m here. You’re safe.”
Sofia seemed to relax a little more. Ivar leaned back in the chair, dozing. The whole time he lightly held her hand. Later he thought he heard something. It was Sofia. He leaned closer to try and hear what she was saying, but she wasn’t speaking, she was singing. He couldn’t make out the words they were so soft. It wouldn’t matter anyway. He recognized the tune. It was one of the ones she would sing while she made breakfast on Sundays. He never learned enough of her language to understand it, but he knew it made her happy.
She was warm again. She seemed to be swinging between warm and cold. Ivar wasn’t sure what it meant other than her body couldn’t seem to make up its mind what temperature it wanted to be. He pulled back the edge of the sleeping bag from around her face and neck. That was when he realized the red of the bag was giving her skin a warm pink glow. Now without it, he could see how pale she really was. God! She was sick.
It hurt him so much to have her like this. He wanted to help her, but he didn’t know how other than be here for her and pray. Unfortunately, he wasn’t good at it. That was Sofia’s domain. Beside him he heard her soft voice again.
Bewege dich in unserer Mitte, du Geist Gottes.
Geh mit uns hinab von deinem heiligen Berg.
Gehen Sie mit uns durch Sturm und Stille.
Geist Gottes, geh noch mit uns.
Berühren Sie Tausend unsere Hände, um uns richtig zu führen.
Führe uns für immer, zeige uns deinen Weg.
Verwandle unsere Dunkelheit in dein Licht.
Geist Gottes, leite uns heute.
Streiche die fesselnden Fesseln von unseren Füßen.
Nimm das Gewicht unseres Unrechts von unserem Leben.
Lehre uns, mit Herz, Seele und Verstand zu lieben.
Geist Gottes, deine Liebe macht uns stark.
Zünde unsere Herzen an, damit sie mit deiner Flamme brennen.
Erhebe deine Fahnen hoch in dieser Stunde.
Rühre uns an, neue Welten in deinem Namen zu bauen.
Geist Gottes, o sende uns deine Kraft!
Ivar tried to pick up a few words and sing along but it was no use. He never took the time to learn her language or, for that matter, about her ‘other life’. Any time he tried to go deeper than the surface, either Sofia didn’t want to talk about it. She also told him her parents made sure he was kept as an an outsider. It did bring him some comfort to hear her sing, remembering how much singing made her happy. If only he knew what she was singing…
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Ich spreche kein Deutsch. So, I cheated.
Move in our midst, O Spirit of God.
Go down with us from your holy mountain.
Walk with us through storm and silence.
Spirit of God, walk with us.
Touch a thousand of our hands to guide us properly.
Guide us forever, show us your way.
Transform our darkness into your light.
Spirit of God, guide us today.
Remove the captivating shackles from our feet.
Take the weight of our injustice from our lives.
Teach us to love with heart, soul and mind.
Spirit of God, your love makes us strong.
Light our hearts to burn with your flame.
Raise your flags high in this hour.
Touch us to build new worlds in your name.
Spirit of God, o send us thy power!
Move in our midst, O Spirit of God.
Go down with us from your holy mountain.
Walk with us through storm and silence.
Spirit of God, walk with us.
Touch a thousand of our hands to guide us properly.
Guide us forever, show us your way.
Transform our darkness into your light.
Spirit of God, guide us today.
Remove the captivating shackles from our feet.
Take the weight of our injustice from our lives.
Teach us to love with heart, soul and mind.
Spirit of God, your love makes us strong.
Light our hearts to burn with your flame.
Raise your flags high in this hour.
Touch us to build new worlds in your name.
Spirit of God, o send us thy power!
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Ja, das hast du, aber wir verzeihen dir – ich auch
A good prayer in any language . . . .
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223shootersc
Veteran Member
Thanks, CCG! Time for the Valkyrie to rise..., as if like the phoenix from the ashes.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Many thanks.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
On the Road
Everyone was still tired when the breakfast call came. It was time to eat and get underway.
Ivar was looking only marginally better than Sofia. Amber was sure he didn’t get hardly a wink, but they had to move forward. Jonas was decently cheery, while Silas was his normal grumpy self. Jennifer and Petra were in good spirits, all things considered, but still tired. Deloris was a mystery still. She had her nurses face on all through breakfast. Amber made a point to pull her aside after they loaded Sofia into the crew cab.
“Did you get enough sleep?”
“Define ‘enough’” was Deloris’ reply.
“Enough for today’s drive.” Amber snapped back.
“Do we have a choice? We need to get her north to help and stability and unless you are ready to sit there while I drive the other SUV…Yeah, enough”
“If you need the break, we can do exactly that.”
Deloris shook her head. “No, it’s better I be in there for continuity of care.” Deloris glanced around before she continued. “She’s not doing well. At the rate things are going, we might need a miracle. Her pressure is lower than I like and the fuel and fluids we have gotten into her aren’t enough. I put the NG tube in this morning so we can push more, but I need to keep the drugs higher to keep her comfortably sedated.”
“Shit! Are we still using the Levoquin?”
“Yeah, but I think it’s slowing the slide, not stopping it. Add Zosyn?”
“Lets go ahead, She doesn’t have any penicillin allergies I know of so it should be fine.”
“I’ll hang it and work the math. Do we have a plan ‘C’?”
Amber wasn’t sure if she did but didn’t want to tell Deloris this, especially with the implications for her friend.
“Other than Prayer? Rocephin maybe, then there is a small amount of Vancomycin in the back of the drug box, but I’ve never used it and don’t know if we have the right doses or anything.”
Deloris’s eyes got wide. “Vancomycin? Well, at least we have a full on ‘Hail Mary’ in the hip pocket. Maybe.”
“Yeah, it’s the maybe part that worries me. We need to get north. I’m a shrink, not an infectious disease doc.”
“You’re doing fine, Doc. We will get her there.”
Amber thought as they each went to their respective vehicles. Deloris would have been more convincing if Amber didn’t know better. Shit.
Everyone was still tired when the breakfast call came. It was time to eat and get underway.
Ivar was looking only marginally better than Sofia. Amber was sure he didn’t get hardly a wink, but they had to move forward. Jonas was decently cheery, while Silas was his normal grumpy self. Jennifer and Petra were in good spirits, all things considered, but still tired. Deloris was a mystery still. She had her nurses face on all through breakfast. Amber made a point to pull her aside after they loaded Sofia into the crew cab.
“Did you get enough sleep?”
“Define ‘enough’” was Deloris’ reply.
“Enough for today’s drive.” Amber snapped back.
“Do we have a choice? We need to get her north to help and stability and unless you are ready to sit there while I drive the other SUV…Yeah, enough”
“If you need the break, we can do exactly that.”
Deloris shook her head. “No, it’s better I be in there for continuity of care.” Deloris glanced around before she continued. “She’s not doing well. At the rate things are going, we might need a miracle. Her pressure is lower than I like and the fuel and fluids we have gotten into her aren’t enough. I put the NG tube in this morning so we can push more, but I need to keep the drugs higher to keep her comfortably sedated.”
“Shit! Are we still using the Levoquin?”
“Yeah, but I think it’s slowing the slide, not stopping it. Add Zosyn?”
“Lets go ahead, She doesn’t have any penicillin allergies I know of so it should be fine.”
“I’ll hang it and work the math. Do we have a plan ‘C’?”
Amber wasn’t sure if she did but didn’t want to tell Deloris this, especially with the implications for her friend.
“Other than Prayer? Rocephin maybe, then there is a small amount of Vancomycin in the back of the drug box, but I’ve never used it and don’t know if we have the right doses or anything.”
Deloris’s eyes got wide. “Vancomycin? Well, at least we have a full on ‘Hail Mary’ in the hip pocket. Maybe.”
“Yeah, it’s the maybe part that worries me. We need to get north. I’m a shrink, not an infectious disease doc.”
“You’re doing fine, Doc. We will get her there.”
Amber thought as they each went to their respective vehicles. Deloris would have been more convincing if Amber didn’t know better. Shit.
223shootersc
Veteran Member
Time to phone a friend? Thanks CCG!
larry_minn
Contributing Member
Vancomycin? I did two full cycles thru Two PICC lines of those grenades. They look like grenades, they destroy your veins. (Ok it just feels like it). Thru PICC lines you can feel it in your heart as it scorches the muscle. My heart hurts thinking about that stuff. @7 steps below “it will kill you, or cure you”
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
That's why its the Hail Mary
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Only when there is a fungus among us
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you.
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
DW has had at least two courses of that over the last few years. She's pretty sure it was going to destroy her but, she's a tough little country girl. It will apparently never be described by her as "a fun thing to do ".
I've been way more fortunate than I likely deserve; got a few scars and scrapes but never needed any meds like that. Mostly serious antibiotics for pneumoniax3 and of course as it came back, the drugs got a little uglier.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Stopped
The group was tired. The stress of the situation and the extra work of convoy driving, mostly alone, was a grind. Only Ivar and Petra had someone to talk too. They had planned to stay off the radios as much as possible to avoid attracting more attention. Amber thought this was a little overboard but, on this, Ivar, Silas and Jonas were in agreeance.
Their next campsite was one from Henrik’s plan as well. A state campground parking lot got them off the road and a little out of sight. They got everything turned around and pointed towards the exit before shutting down. Move Sofia, set up the campers and food were the next steps. Silas, Ivar, Amber and Deloris ate in the one behind the crew cab with Sofia while Jonas ate in Petra’s with Jennifer.
Petra’s Trailer
“So, what games did you two play all day while you were driving?”
“No games, daddy. We sang. I learned a bunch of new songs.”
Jonas smiled. The grin on his daughter’s face made him glad. He was worried Jennifer would drive Petra crazy and kinda felt bad with her getting stuck watching his kid, but it made the most sense. He hated to be separated from Jennifer but if he had to ‘go to work’ protecting the group, he wanted her safe. He looked over at Petra. She was smiling too, but he could see the fatigue as well.
“Petra, make sure you get enough snacks up front with you for tomorrow. I don’t want to break out my shemagh in a hurry.”
Petra turned a little red once she deciphered his meaning, and a lot more when she heard her own reply.
“No problem, don’t want you to unless you mean it”
Now it was Jonas’ turn to go a little crimson. He couldn’t help but remember the last person who made him blush with a thought, and Sheila was about the same size as Petra…He knew the answer he had to give.
“Wanting to is a lot better than having to.”
In the Crew Cab Trailer
“I know what we are eating, but what are you feeding Sofia?” Silas asked as he looked over at Ivar spooning some food into Sofia. Ivar looked up at everyone.
“Refried Cuban Black Beans and cheese to get some protein into her and washing it down with a vanilla shake with electrolytes.”
“That combo doesn’t sound that good.” Deloris shook her head.
“Well to defend Ivar’s choice, Sofia has been known to mix some funky combos in the kitchen.” Silas replied between bites of their red beans, rice, and sausage.
“And if she wasn’t up to the spoon, I could blend it together and use the syringe.”
At the thought of that glop going down the NG tube, Deloris winced and Amber flat out shuddered.
Soon, everyone was asleep. They had miles to go before they would be safe and they needed rest to make the trip possible.
The group was tired. The stress of the situation and the extra work of convoy driving, mostly alone, was a grind. Only Ivar and Petra had someone to talk too. They had planned to stay off the radios as much as possible to avoid attracting more attention. Amber thought this was a little overboard but, on this, Ivar, Silas and Jonas were in agreeance.
Their next campsite was one from Henrik’s plan as well. A state campground parking lot got them off the road and a little out of sight. They got everything turned around and pointed towards the exit before shutting down. Move Sofia, set up the campers and food were the next steps. Silas, Ivar, Amber and Deloris ate in the one behind the crew cab with Sofia while Jonas ate in Petra’s with Jennifer.
Petra’s Trailer
“So, what games did you two play all day while you were driving?”
“No games, daddy. We sang. I learned a bunch of new songs.”
Jonas smiled. The grin on his daughter’s face made him glad. He was worried Jennifer would drive Petra crazy and kinda felt bad with her getting stuck watching his kid, but it made the most sense. He hated to be separated from Jennifer but if he had to ‘go to work’ protecting the group, he wanted her safe. He looked over at Petra. She was smiling too, but he could see the fatigue as well.
“Petra, make sure you get enough snacks up front with you for tomorrow. I don’t want to break out my shemagh in a hurry.”
Petra turned a little red once she deciphered his meaning, and a lot more when she heard her own reply.
“No problem, don’t want you to unless you mean it”
Now it was Jonas’ turn to go a little crimson. He couldn’t help but remember the last person who made him blush with a thought, and Sheila was about the same size as Petra…He knew the answer he had to give.
“Wanting to is a lot better than having to.”
In the Crew Cab Trailer
“I know what we are eating, but what are you feeding Sofia?” Silas asked as he looked over at Ivar spooning some food into Sofia. Ivar looked up at everyone.
“Refried Cuban Black Beans and cheese to get some protein into her and washing it down with a vanilla shake with electrolytes.”
“That combo doesn’t sound that good.” Deloris shook her head.
“Well to defend Ivar’s choice, Sofia has been known to mix some funky combos in the kitchen.” Silas replied between bites of their red beans, rice, and sausage.
“And if she wasn’t up to the spoon, I could blend it together and use the syringe.”
At the thought of that glop going down the NG tube, Deloris winced and Amber flat out shuddered.
Soon, everyone was asleep. They had miles to go before they would be safe and they needed rest to make the trip possible.
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Ah yes G Puckett & Union Gap
They did have a thread going "Woman, Woman", "Young Girl", "Lady Willpower", "Over You", "Don't Give In to Him", and "This Girl Is a Woman Now" and IIRC, that was all one one album.
Chances of me blushing (from the written word) are quite low but I'm with you; and now, b a a a c ck to the story. . . .
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
I think we need to get set for a lesson to be delivered
We'll be OK - not so sure about the cast of characters though . . . . .
We'll see
Landcruiser
Contributing Member
CCG,
you're going to Emotionally kill the V's... and following Henrik's path, it really didn't end well the first time. Haven't they talked on the radio since then?
And I'm beginning to think that this is all just a dream of Christian in a drug induced Coma after being shot up...
but keep going, don't let my mental ramblings distract you. This journey has already taken years, I'm going to have to read it from the beginning again to remember the details.
you're going to Emotionally kill the V's... and following Henrik's path, it really didn't end well the first time. Haven't they talked on the radio since then?
And I'm beginning to think that this is all just a dream of Christian in a drug induced Coma after being shot up...
but keep going, don't let my mental ramblings distract you. This journey has already taken years, I'm going to have to read it from the beginning again to remember the details.
RememberGoliad
Veteran Member
I did that for my wife for a couple months. She was intubated then a week later trached in January, NG tube was not doing its job properly (was pressing against that one nerve--I forget what it's called--in her throat and the pain was excruciating to her) so she got a PEG tube in late Feb. Came home in March and that was the last of the gloppy swill "formula" she ingested. From then until she was back eating by mouth (sometime in June), I blended every meal in a Vitamix clone blender and she basically ate what everyone else ate without the danger of aspirating it. I think it helped her recovery tremendously, to be able to 'eat' steak and salad and tacos and burritos instead of Frankenfood. One of her favorite lines in the afternoon was "Hey, it's time for you to run home and chew up my food for me!"
When she went back into the hospital in April for a month (that was when they found the MRSA and c-diff slugging it out to see which got the privilege of killing her off--neither was successful) the nutrition folks were AMAZING and allowed me to continue with the feeding as we'd been doing at home. She got sent home that trip with a PICC line and a supply of grenades. It wasn't fun but she's now, almost six months later, feeling and looking better than she has for YEARS. Kickin' ass and takin' names, is a pretty apt description. Still got the trach, and still got the vent at night, but zero supplemental oxygen and the only use of the PEG tube any more is she gets her morning meds when I do the daily flush of it.
Upshot of my commentary is, yeah, they're doing right by Sofia with the real food down the goozle hose. And it's not a stretch of credulity to put "real" food through a blender then into a feeding tube via syringe. Just be sure to flush the thing with a drink of water (which Sofia will need anyway) right after 'eating'.
Thanks for the time you're taking to tell the story!
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
I did that for my wife for a couple months. She was intubated then a week later trached in January, NG tube was not doing its job properly (was pressing against that one nerve--I forget what it's called--in her throat and the pain was excruciating to her) so she got a PEG tube in late Feb. Came home in March and that was the last of the gloppy swill "formula" she ingested. From then until she was back eating by mouth (sometime in June), I blended every meal in a Vitamix clone blender and she basically ate what everyone else ate without the danger of aspirating it. I think it helped her recovery tremendously, to be able to 'eat' steak and salad and tacos and burritos instead of Frankenfood. One of her favorite lines in the afternoon was "Hey, it's time for you to run home and chew up my food for me!"
When she went back into the hospital in April for a month (that was when they found the MRSA and c-diff slugging it out to see which got the privilege of killing her off--neither was successful) the nutrition folks were AMAZING and allowed me to continue with the feeding as we'd been doing at home. She got sent home that trip with a PICC line and a supply of grenades. It wasn't fun but she's now, almost six months later, feeling and looking better than she has for YEARS. Kickin' ass and takin' names, is a pretty apt description. Still got the trach, and still got the vent at night, but zero supplemental oxygen and the only use of the PEG tube any more is she gets her morning meds when I do the daily flush of it.
Upshot of my commentary is, yeah, they're doing right by Sofia with the real food down the goozle hose. And it's not a stretch of credulity to put "real" food through a blender then into a feeding tube via syringe. Just be sure to flush the thing with a drink of water (which Sofia will need anyway) right after 'eating'.
Thanks for the time you're taking to tell the story!
wife had her jaw wired shut for ten weeks for titanium bilateral condaloid replacement. Vitamix to the rescue. There was a space for a flexible tube at the back by the molars to squeeze food through. my milkshakes were legendary. Half a pint of chocolate ice cream, two large scoops of egg protein powder, several tablespoons of peanut butter and for liquid, heavy whipping cream Or an ensure. Nutrition? Not so much on its surface but actually better for you than it sounds. Just not a weight loss recipe
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Morning
The group was a quiet one as they ate and got packed up. The road called and they knew the sooner they started, the more miles they could make. It was daunting and frustrating. A trip that would take a couple days this time last year was a solid week and a half’s piece of work now. Between keeping the speed at the most economical pace and the iffy road conditions, the trip would seem like forever. Pile on the worry for Sofia and it was enough to make them all scream.
Amber was looking almost as bad as Ivar and Deloris this morning. She was up late digging in her books and references, looking for anything they missed. Levoquin was taken off the market for side effects but there was a stockpile of them in the kit Sabine gave her so they were using it. It wasn’t the most powerful but it was effective on a lot of things, including skin, bone and joints and Deloris was comfortable with it, a big plus. They were thinking of adding ZOSYN which added a penicillin and Tazobactam antibiotic, useful against Staph infections, so if that’s what is fighting them, it might help.
Amber hoped these would do it because she was uncomfortable with moving up in drug firepower. They had Rocephin and worst case, vancomycin.
The Rocephin was good for bone and joint, bacterial septicemia and normally used in surgical prophylaxis, but not when they worked on Sofia. Damn it! If she would have known, she could have brought it and they might not be in the position they were in! Then again, if they would have known, they would have just killed the ****er before Sofia got shot.
There were a bunch of other antibiotics they could use, if they had them and the lab tests to point them in the right direction. Were they fighting gram-negative or gram- positive or were they…shit, she didn’t know and that’s why she was a shrink, not an internal med doc.
Then there was the vancomycin. It works against MRSA, endocarditis, Staph, and a bunch of other things, but it’s not to be used lightly for just anything. Her instructor used to say about such things ‘it’s like hunting butterflies with a sledgehammer. It’s effective when you connect but not the best tool for the job’. Well, right now she was leaning towards a sledgehammer. She was running out of options.
All of this was swirling in her head as she helped Deloris get Sofia settled in for the day’s drive.
“How is she doing this morning?”
Deloris’ look told her more than she needed. Amber’s warning lights were going off now.
“Blood pressure is creeping lower and narrowing some. We might have to add some vassopressors to tighten up the leaky vessels.”
“How is her temp?”
“Low grade fever, 99-100ish but steady.”
Amber forced herself to think and fight her rising panic. Temp up and pressure sliding. Two of the hallmarks of septic shock. Damn it!
"Well, keep the antibiotics going, add the ZOSYN, it’s only been a few days on the antibiotics. It takes time to fight the infection. Worries about protocols and doc’s orders are long out the window between us. Use your brain and treat what you know how and we will pow-wow when we can or need to. I trust you.”
“OK. I’ll start the ZOSYN and maybe some ‘pressors but keep it light for now. We need to make some ground though. All this bang and wiggle doesn’t help.”
“I’ll talk to the navigator and pace setter and see what we can do.”
Amber had to talk to Silas. He was the lead dog of this dogsled team. He also had the maps. They might need options.
The group was a quiet one as they ate and got packed up. The road called and they knew the sooner they started, the more miles they could make. It was daunting and frustrating. A trip that would take a couple days this time last year was a solid week and a half’s piece of work now. Between keeping the speed at the most economical pace and the iffy road conditions, the trip would seem like forever. Pile on the worry for Sofia and it was enough to make them all scream.
Amber was looking almost as bad as Ivar and Deloris this morning. She was up late digging in her books and references, looking for anything they missed. Levoquin was taken off the market for side effects but there was a stockpile of them in the kit Sabine gave her so they were using it. It wasn’t the most powerful but it was effective on a lot of things, including skin, bone and joints and Deloris was comfortable with it, a big plus. They were thinking of adding ZOSYN which added a penicillin and Tazobactam antibiotic, useful against Staph infections, so if that’s what is fighting them, it might help.
Amber hoped these would do it because she was uncomfortable with moving up in drug firepower. They had Rocephin and worst case, vancomycin.
The Rocephin was good for bone and joint, bacterial septicemia and normally used in surgical prophylaxis, but not when they worked on Sofia. Damn it! If she would have known, she could have brought it and they might not be in the position they were in! Then again, if they would have known, they would have just killed the ****er before Sofia got shot.
There were a bunch of other antibiotics they could use, if they had them and the lab tests to point them in the right direction. Were they fighting gram-negative or gram- positive or were they…shit, she didn’t know and that’s why she was a shrink, not an internal med doc.
Then there was the vancomycin. It works against MRSA, endocarditis, Staph, and a bunch of other things, but it’s not to be used lightly for just anything. Her instructor used to say about such things ‘it’s like hunting butterflies with a sledgehammer. It’s effective when you connect but not the best tool for the job’. Well, right now she was leaning towards a sledgehammer. She was running out of options.
All of this was swirling in her head as she helped Deloris get Sofia settled in for the day’s drive.
“How is she doing this morning?”
Deloris’ look told her more than she needed. Amber’s warning lights were going off now.
“Blood pressure is creeping lower and narrowing some. We might have to add some vassopressors to tighten up the leaky vessels.”
“How is her temp?”
“Low grade fever, 99-100ish but steady.”
Amber forced herself to think and fight her rising panic. Temp up and pressure sliding. Two of the hallmarks of septic shock. Damn it!
"Well, keep the antibiotics going, add the ZOSYN, it’s only been a few days on the antibiotics. It takes time to fight the infection. Worries about protocols and doc’s orders are long out the window between us. Use your brain and treat what you know how and we will pow-wow when we can or need to. I trust you.”
“OK. I’ll start the ZOSYN and maybe some ‘pressors but keep it light for now. We need to make some ground though. All this bang and wiggle doesn’t help.”
“I’ll talk to the navigator and pace setter and see what we can do.”
Amber had to talk to Silas. He was the lead dog of this dogsled team. He also had the maps. They might need options.
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223shootersc
Veteran Member
Thanks CCG! need to get Sabine on the horn!