Friday, January 30, 2009

Normal

That's what I crave.
This past week has been insane... surreal.
Who gets so sick that they end up in ICU... for five days?!? My husband... Man... he is in some trouble with me. I have never been so worried, or ever felt so lonely. Just the mere thought, and slightest taste of actually having to live my life without him has been wretched. I love this man so much.. he is so much. Our family doesn't function without him, and I thank every last one of you for your thoughts and prayers these past few days.
I know that's why he is getting better.
Thank you,
thank you,
THANK YOU.
.
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Dustin was finally released from the hospital this afternoon.
He spent Sunday-Thursday up at LDS in their Intesive Care. Monday was the roughest day as it was probably his sickest. First thing Monday morning the pulmonologist did a bronchoscopy to try and detect exactly what was happening in Dustin's lungs. He was on heavy o2, and wasn't too coherent for the better part of the day due to the heavy sedative they gave him combined with the energy he was exerting to breath. His chest x-ray still looked terrible, and after 24 hours of waiting for the culture from his lungs to grow something, nothing ever did. Over the course of 5 days he was pumped with three different types of antibiotics, and was given alburteral breathing treatments every 4 hours on top of all the oxygen he was recieving. No answers were really ever answered, but slowly Dustin started to improve. His doctor believed that because Dustin had already been diagnosed and treated with antibitocs a week before his ICU stay, they were already doing there job of killing any bacteria or virus that might had shown up on a culture. When he did the scope, instead of seeing a lot of fluid, he saw terrible inflamation which was causing the upper lobes of his lungs to collapse. Although we haven't gotten a specific daignosis, after doing some reading and internet surfing I strongly believe he had this. I think Dr. Gregory House would agree :)... But for real, I really do think this is what he may have had.
.
This whole experience has just been so wild. Not that a crisis ever is normal, but this literally came out of left field. I am frightened to think of what could have been...last Friday when this all started getting hairy, his doctor was just going to send him home with some phenegren and codeine and have him "sleep off" his illness. Thank goodness he decided to dig just a tad deeper. If Dustin would have just gone home ans drugged himself up, he probably would have conked out and stopped breathing in his drug induced slumber.
*shiver*
All I know is that I got just enough dose of reality to count myself EXTREMLY blessed. All I want is my normal back. I want a husband around, I want to go bed with him beside me, I want to know he'll be walking through the door at 5:30.. to know that he will come home. I am so grateful he is home again.
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Everyone has been so supportive and kind during this whole ordeal. My Mom and sisters took the girls when necessary, and my Mom, being the saint she is made it possible for me to spend every day at the hospital with Dust. She does my job better than me, and Mins is still asking for her Nannie.
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I'm just so glad and so grateful this is behind us...
I hope to never see the inside of an ICU again.







14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brooke,

I am glad your husband is doing better. Vanessa told me what was happening. She was very concerned about him. Our prayers are with you and your family.

Viviane.

Anonymous said...

I am so relieved! You've all been on my mind all week and in our prayers. I know we've never met but I know I'd love you if we did...because I love the rest of your family, why leave you out :-)
Kiss those cute girls for me.
Denise

Unknown said...

yea!! I am so glad that "normal" life is just around the corner!! You and Dustin have definatly been on my mind all week so i'm GLAD to hear he is home! Get better soon Dustin!!

kennan said...

really? because i thought this was normal. i may be just a little bit happier than you that he is getting better. i need dustbin in my life. i need ya'll in my life.

farmgirl said...

I'm so glad he is on the mend. Those pictures are so sad. Get him better and post some happier ones STAT. :)

Eileen said...

So glad Dustin is home!! I haven't called you again because I know it's be crazy but I am here if you need me. Love, E

Cory Dupey said...

The Buma girls are happy to hear he is on the mend we thought about you guys all week.
My uncle had that disease a couple of years ago. It sounded like the same thing to me we will have to ask my mom about it.
good luck,
Cory, Shannon, Jamie and Teri

Laura Muir said...

Brooke, I am so so so glad that Dustin is getting better!!! What a relief! You have been in our prayers! We love you guys! If you need any help at all or just want to have the girls come over to play anytime I am happy to help! I hope that you get your normal back stat!
Love, Laura

Leslie said...

We're glad Dustin's home and getting better. Who expects a cold to turn into a stay at the ICU? Crazy. Hope you all start feeling "normal" again soon.

Leslie said...

Just had to let you know I'm laughing about your link to
Legionnaires' Disease. Could be though. Definitely not cushings, right?

georgeandmarie said...

Glad everything is ok... its hard to get a dose that strong of how precious life is!!

Cameron said...

Or... it was sarkoidosis, explains the fluid in the lungs and lethargy.
"Better do a tox screen and MRI to rule out any chance of a pulmonary embolism."

Debbie said...

Brooke..we are glad Dustin is home and getting better. We kept reading the family blog for updates and keeping him in our prayers. Love you guys....the Arizona gang

Pam said...

WPHEWW!!!! That was a close one. Let's never do that again, ok? XOXOX