4th Day In Hospital: Continued Monitoring And Total Parenteral Nutrition Infusion (November 10, 2024)

First off, they adjusted Ali's pain medication today to help ease the constant discomfort she’s been feeling in her stomach. They made that change just before placing her Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) line, hoping it would make the procedure a little gentler on her.

The nurses came in around 11:30 AM to place the line in her right arm. Since it’s a sterile procedure, I had to step out of the room, so I grabbed a quick lunch at Panera on the second floor. By the time I returned, everything was done, and the nurses said it went smoothly. They’ll begin her first TPN infusion tonight at 10:00 PM, so we’re hopeful this will give her body the boost it needs.

One thing that’s been a bit weird is that Ali’s been jerking awake from naps, almost as if her whole body suddenly jolts. We mentioned it to the nurses, and they think it could be linked to her lack of nutrients, and may ease up once she’s got a consistent flow from the TPN.

Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much improvement with the blockage she’s dealing with. That might be why they’re planning another CT scan tonight, even though she just had one. We’ll talk to the nurses about it to understand why they feel it’s needed again so soon.

I stayed with her until around 7 PM, then headed home to spend some time with the kids. Her sister, as always, will be with her through the night.

They’ll also be moving her to a different floor within the Critical Care Tower at some point tonight, though we don’t know the exact timing yet. And tomorrow, the kids will be visiting her around lunchtime, which Ali’s looking forward to.