The Kind of Family We Are

Holly said Vicki had a fairly restful night following some nausea earlier in the evening. Aaron said she was “bright-eyed” this morning. She has a beautiful view from her hospital room so I’m sure she’s enjoyed watching the snow today. Aaron was able to feed her some breakfast this morning. She doesn’t really eat very much, but every little bit helps her strengthen the muscles she needs to continue the weaning process off the vent. I haven’t seen her since last Thursday due to the sickness in my little family and I miss her so much! Hopefully I’ll be able to see her this weekend.

Our shifts at the hospital are going a little more smoothly. Sometimes there’s a bridge to gap, but it always seems to work out. Thanks to all those who have been concerned for our wellbeing through all this. The lives of each one of us in our family have changed to one degree or another since all this happened almost five weeks ago – changes that will continue to shape our lives forevermore. We are starting to better realize our limits, but are still willing to go the extra mile for Vicki. She would do it for us and...well…I guess that’s just the kind of family we are.

We truly appreciate the continued love and support from each of you. Please continue to share your thoughts and comments. Vicki’s heart will be overwhelmed when we can soon share with her and she can better comprehend what each of you has done for her and her family.

One more thing, Vicki remembered earlier this week when she was asked whose birthday was coming up...TODAY IS HOLLY'S BIRTHDAY!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Love to all…

Good Morning

Good morning everyone. I just got home from spending the night with Mom and I am glad to say she had a pretty good night. There wasn't any vomiting, so that was good. She still has a pretty severe sore throat of which yeast is the cause of. They have put her on medication for that, so hopefully in a few days time that will feel better. Nothing else really major to report. I'll try to update tonight before I head back up there to let you know how her day goes. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. Hope everyone has a good day!

Not a good day...

Well, I spent the night with Mom last night and she didn't have a very good night. She continued with the vomiting and you could tell she just felt bad. The day today didn't prove to be much better. The nausea and vomiting persisted. They did an abdominal x-ray but it showed nothing. Everyone is kind of puzzled by it. She actually looked at the nurse today and told him she felt awful. I am presuming they will continue testing tomorrow if she doesn't get any better. I am on my way up there now so I will try to update first thing in the morning when I get home.

As for Dad, he found out he has a torn ACL and meniscus in his knee. He is to see the Ortho doctor sometime soon to find out what the plan of action will be. I guess he'll hobble along till then! :) Anyways, thanks again everything.

Love always,
Holly

Another day...

Hello all! Sorry for not updating as much as we should. As Becky mentioned previously, illness has struck some of our family, so we've been scrambling the past few days. Randy (Mom's brother) who normally stays with her at night has come down with the flu, as well as Becky. So please keep them in your thoughts and prayers also so they will have a speedy recovery! I am doing much better. Still sore but trucking right along. I wanted to personally thank everyone for all of their concern and prayers for me these past couple of weeks. Thank you!!!

As for Mom, she seems to be progressing a little more each day. They have been continuing to place her on Cpap ( a weaning step from the vent) a little longer each day, and she is tolerating it really well. She has started to take SMALL amounts of pureed foods and seems to be doing well with that also. She's had a little trouble with nausea and vomiting these past couple of days, but we're hoping it is nothing major. One big thing she started doing today is using the bedpan a little. It's funny how such simple things mean so much! Who would have ever guessed that using a bedpan would be great news!!! Other than that, we just hope for small steps of improvement everyday. We know that there will be bumps in the road, but as long as there are no major detours we will be O.K. Again we thank you all for everything you have done and continue to do. Please continue to post your comments as we ALL enjoy reading them.

With Much Love,
Holly

Continuing to Progress

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a few days - sickness has struck our family so I'm a little behind. Vicki continues to progress. They are doing swallowing exercises with her now and she is doing good with that. She is sitting up in a special chair several hours a day as well. We are still very pleased with her treatment at Specialty - they have been so good to her. I visited with her last night with Holly, Teri and Ann (our aunt). It's always so nice to see her smile and communicate with us. She's still confused alot of the time though due to a condition called "hospital psychosis." When she drifts off to sleep and awakens you can tell she is confused by the look on her face. Her injuries continue to heal also.

Please continue to pray for Vicki and her family. We will soon be printing the comments and from the blog and reading them to her so feel free to share words of encouragement.

Love to all...

Happy with the Move

The move took place and Vicki is now at Bristol Regional Medical Center at Select Specialty. She handled the move okay, but is very confused which was expected. Aaron and Holly are with her and say she has been awake most of the day. They were very impressed with her care team upon arrival. Respiratory therapy and physical therapists were there first thing this morning. They will be very agressive working to get Vicki off the vent over approximately a two week period. She's got a lot of hard work ahead of her, so please continue to pray for her.

Aaron should be returning to work next week so please pray that he will be comforted while he is away from his sweetheart. I know it's going to be hard on him.

Visitors are always welcome, but please keep in mind that Vicki's purpose at this hospital is to receive the therapy she needs in order to go home. They will be working with her a lot and she will be very tired. We could never thank everyone enough for all the support we have received during this time. We are completely overwhelmed.

We'll continue to keep you posted as things move along.

Getting Ready for A Move

I just got home from the hospital. Randy is staying with Vicki again tonight.

Holly is feeling better and was at the hospital the majority of the day. She keeps Vicki's nurses in line for sure!! She made sure they got Vicki in a chair today - she sat up for three hours! She also spoke with Vicki's nurse this morning in the presence of Vicki's doctor and made sure he wrote orders for everything she wanted done. :) They march to a different beat when Holly's on the floor. She sure does love her momma.

Aaron had a little bit of a rough day yesterday and today. His knee has been bothering him an awful lot so he went to the doctor this afternoon and had an ultrasound done to rule out a blood clot. No blood clot was detected so he'll be checking with his doctor tomorrow to see if he needs an MRI. He's okay, just in a lot of pain. I'm sure standing around on the hard floor at the hospital for so long every day hasn't helped much. We're taking care of him too! :)

Vicki was on a trach collar today for about 7 hours. She breaths on her own with this weaning exercise and it really tires her out. She will be moving to a specialty hospital locating at Bristol Regional Medical Center tomorrow morning (Wednesday). They specialize in vent/trach care. They'll probably push her a lot to get her weaned off the vent. We'll be so relieved to get her off of that and I'm sure she will be too. We're a little nervous about the move due to the confusion it will probably cause Vicki, but it's a move in the right direction and we're so thankful for that! Her temp has been down today as well. She's still quite disoriented and is always concerned about her baby.

I'll keep you posted on how the move goes tomorrow.

Missing her smile today...

Vicki's night was restful for the most part. The medication causes her to sweat a lot so I was wiping her face with a cold damp cloth most of the night. The family meeting with her physicians has been rescheduled for Wednesday due to scheduling conflicts with the physicians.

Her temperature continues to fluctuate and is around 101 this evening. She has been fairly sedated today due to a slight change with her pain medication this afternoon. We have missed seeing her smile today.

Spending the night with Vicki...

I'm on my way to spend the night with Vicki tonight and wanted to give everyone a quick update before heading to the hospital. Her temp has continued to fluctuate and they are looking for sources of infection. They changed her catheter yesterday and took out her central line today and replaced it with an iv. She's had some trouble with nausia today as well. They did a CT scan of her chest and abdoman and all looks good. There will be a family meeting tomorrow with her physicians to discuss her care plan over the next several weeks. We'll let you know how that goes.

As for visitors at the hospital - some people have come by and not seen any family in the waiting room and they don't know how to find us. There is a phone on the wall outside the ICU waiting room designated for ICU Stepdown. Just pick that phone up and it will ring the nurses station. They will let us know you are there and we'll come out. For those of you who continue to bring snacks to the hospital - we are so appreciative of your thoughtfulness. As for others who continue to help with child care, meals and loving support - thank you. Your prayers continue to sustain us.

All is going well...

I was with Vicki for several hours tonight. They have changed her pain medication and she doesn't seem to be as confused anymore. She still "sees things" from time to time and has never stopped thinking she has a baby in her room that needs to be taken care of. I'm sure this will continue to subside as her pain medicine decreases.

Her injuries are continuing to heal, but her fever continues to fluctuate. They did an ultrasound on her legs yesterday to make sure there were no blood clots -luckily there were none. Her time on c-pap continues to increase (as mentioned before, this is a weaning process from the vent).

Holly was feeling better and was able to come to the hospital tonight. She, Lucas and I bathed Vicki and washed her hair (not an easy task). She gets frightened when she's turned and thinks she can't breathe. We have to calm her down by reminding her to breathe slowly and deeply. As I did this for her, a sweet memory came to my mind of how she has been with me (and several of our other sisters) through the births of my children. She is the best labor coach ever!! She has such a loving way about her and I am so grateful to be able to care for her at this time.

Thank you for your comments. Aaron checks the blog each night before going to bed. Thank you again for your concern for Vicki and the many prayers that have been spoken on her behalf. We will forever be grateful.

Confused from Medication

There hasn't been any major developments with Vicki. I saw her last night for a couple of ours. It seems that the move from ICU to ICU-Stepdown has really confused her. She was quite aggitated through the day and last night. I know it's all the medication she's on as well. She keeps "seeing things" and seems very scared. It's just such a helpless feeling. You want to comfort her so badly, but there's not much we can do but hold her hand and reassure her that we're there with her. Her fever continues to hang around 102+ which probably lends to her confusion also.

I'll update again later today - especially if there is any change in her condition. Thank you so much for continuing to pray.

Vicki and Holly

Another draining day, but the Lord continues to carry us. We are so grateful.

Vicki is still runnng a fever (102) and is still being treated for a UTI and pneumonia. She continues to be weaned off of the vent and is tolerating c-pap well. She was moved to a chair for 3 hours today and did good. She seemed to be more confused and aggitated today though. :( On a good note - she was moved to Step-down ICU tonight.

Many have already heard about Holly so I will update you on her condition as well. She went to the ER last night with severe abdominal cramps. No cause was discovered so she was sent home with pain meds and saw her doctor this morning. She was diagnosed with a tubal pregnancy and underwent surger this afternoon. She is home resting this evening and will need to take it easy for the next several days. Like mother - like daughter...Holly is a fighter and will be back in the swing of things before we know it. That's exactly why we have to keep a close eye on her! She'll try to do more than she should...sooner than she should. I know she can't wait to be by her mother's side again.

Sweet Aaron was back and forth all day checking on Holly and Vicki. Every day he gives his all until he is absolutely exhausted. What a wonderful and loving man. Please continue to pray for his health and strength through this time. He appreciates everyone so much.

I haven't updated more today because I was with Holly at the hopsital all day. I will update more tomorrow. Thanks so much for your concern, support, and love. Please know that the strength from your prayers are felt.

The Day After Surgery

Randy was with Vicki through the night. I'll bet Vicki never knew her little brother loved her so much! :) She had a restful night.

I just spoke with Holly who is at the hospital right now along with Aaron. Vicki is sleeping a lot this morning. She is running a fever and has a urinary tract infection and pneumonia. Obviously these are expected conditions considering her injuries and the fact that she has been in a laying position for so long. Holly said that they are going to try to sit Vicki in a chair today and see how she handles that. She has been on c-pap (weaning stage from the vent) since 8:00 this morning and is continuing to do good with that. She is starting to develop a few pressure sores (bed sores) which is also expected, but still disheartening.

This has truly been a trial for our family, but we have continued to find hope and comfort in our Savior Jesus Christ. I have searched the teachings of our church leaders for comfort as well regarding trial and adversity. Following is a message from President James E. Faust from the February 2006 Ensign "Refined in Our Trials."

"The Divine Shepherd has a message of hope, strength, and deliverance for all. If there were no night, we would not appreciate the day, nor could we see the stars and the vastness of the heavens. We must partake of the bitter with the sweet. There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day. They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless. When we pluck the roses, we find we often cannot avoid the thorns which spring from the same stem.

Out of the refiner’s fire can come a glorious deliverance... A comfortable cloak of righteousness will be drawn around us to protect us and to keep us warm spiritually. Self-pity will vanish as our blessings are counted.

The blessings of eternity will surely come to those who endure..."

I pray that each of us will gain strength through enduring our trials with a humble and grateful heart...especially our sweet Vicki.

Successful Surgery

Vicki is out of surgery and back in her room in ICU. The surgery went great! Screws were placed in her right hip, screws were also placed in her right ankle and plates and screws were placed in her right arm. In 6 weeks they are planning on removing 2 screws from her ankle and 2 screws from her arm. Hopefully we'll be able to move her from the bed to a chair within a couple of days. This will be a "sliding transfer" she will be unable to bear any weight on her legs for at least three months. One day at a time...

We'll continue to keep you posted on her progress. Please continue to pray...it's obvious that our Father in Heaven has a special plan for Vicki and she has not yet completed it. We are so thankful to still have her with us. I know I say this every time, but we are so thankful for all of you and your support, prayers and love.

Surgery is taking place...

Vicki went to surgery at about 8:00 this morning. The surgery should be about 2 hours. I'll keep you posted.

Love to all!

Another Surgery Date

Vicki has been doing good. She is awake most of the time but mostly in a child-like state of mind due to the pain medication. She doesn't understand why she can't leave the hospital and go home. We laugh with her a lot though and enjoy communicating with her. They are continuing to wean her off of the vent. The longests she's been able to maintain is about 5 hours which is really good! As of last night, she is on the surgery schedule for tomorrow morning (Monday) to fix her right hip, right arm and possibly put pins in her right ankle. The doctors are keeping an eye on her temperature which seems to fluctuate. We are nervous about the surgery because of what happened last time, but we know it must take place. We continue to have faith that all will go well.

I will be going to the hospital later today. If I find out anything different I will update again before tomorrow. Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts, prayers and support. We are so thankful to have such wonderful friends.

"I want a hug!"

I went to see Vicki last night for about an hour and a half. She was so alert, yet a little confused. She seems to think she has a baby and is very concerned about it. She wants to know if we're taking care of it and if it's sleeping. She's taken care of children all of her life so I guess it's a natural thing for her to always be worried about one. :)

Lucas and Holly were with her when I got there and Randy (Vicki's brother) came shortly thereafter. When I entered the room she knew who I was. After visiting for a bit she looked at me and said, "Come here." I came close and she said, "I want a hug." I put my cheek to hers and she kissed my face. When I stood back up she said, "I want more." I said, "Do you want more to drink?" She said, "No, I want another hug." I could have hugged her all night!

I just spoke with Holly - she and Randy had the night-shift. Vicki had a good night, but only slept a few hours. Her labs continue to look good. They may perform surgery next week sometime to repair more of her injuries. We'll keep you posted on that. Aaron returned early this morning and remains by Vicki's side.

A Good Day

The picture posted by Holly was taken about 7 months ago - L to R is Mom, Seth, Vicki and Chelsea.

Today has been a good day for our sweet Vicki. Her tube feedings were started again. She received radiation treatment to the hip region where surgery was performed yesterday. This will keep the muscles from calcifying where the nerves in that area were cut. She is still confused from the medication, but is very aware at times. Aaron has been with her all day and has had several good laughs with her. Lucas turned on the TV in her room and let her watch "Deal or No Deal" - one of her favorite shows! Teri was able to get another pair of glasses for Vicki since her others were destroyed in the accident. I'm sure she enjoys seeing more clearly. Holly is with Vicki right now and I just spoke with her. She said Vicki is sitting up in bed and is very alert. She told Vicki I was on my way over to see her and Vicki said, "Come on!" She is still on the vent which keeps her from vocalizing her words, but we are becoming good lip-readers! :)

Aside from pain due to her injuries, I would say her biggest aggravation is that she wants a drink so badly. We are able to give her small sips of water on a sponge, but she always wants more. Lucas opened a soft drink in her room today and she said, "I heard that!"

I haven't seen Vicki all day and am on my way to the hospital right now. I can't wait! I will try to update earlier in the day tomorrow - I know each of you are anxious to hear of the progress she makes each day.

In the words of our beloved Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, who recently passed away, "It is imperative that you not neglect your families. Nothing you have is more precious...When all is said and done, it is this famly relationship which we will take with us into the life beyond."

Continue to count your blessings. We are continuing to count ours and you are among them.

An Emotionally Draining Day

I have heard from several of you who have been anxiously awaiting an update from Vicki's surgery. The happenings of the day have been very emotionally draining and I was purposely waiting until things stabilized before updating the blog.

The doctors were able to repair Vicki's left hip, but due to swelling during surgery (nothing unusual) they were not able to repair the right hip or right arm. They also discovered that her right ankle was fractured. After returning her to her room in ICU she took a turn for the worse - she went into cardiac arrest. The physicians and nurses responded quickly and appropriately to this crisis. Vicki is now stable (given the circumstances), but in very critical condition. Her visitors have been limited now to immediate family only. We continue to remain by her side constantly. We know that Vicki and the family have been blessed and strengthened by the many prayers that have been spoken on her behalf. Though this day has been more than difficult, we have felt the encircling love of our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Aaron is truly humbled by the outpooring of support, meals and love that has been provided by so many. We could never thank you enough for all you've done. Even though this day has been so very difficult, as I sit here by Vicki's bedside watching her rest, I am overwhelmed at the thought of the many blessings I have in my life (Vicki is certainly one of them). I encourage each of you to do the same - count your blessings and express gratitude to our Father in Heaven for all he has done.

Today is the Day!

I just received a call from Holly...they just took Vicki to surgery. I'll keep you posted throughout the day. As stated before, it will be a 6-10 hour surgery, so it will be a long day for Vick. Please continue to pray for her.

If anyone happens to come by the hospital - family will be in the Surgery Waiting Room on the first floor just outside the main elevators.

Steps of Improvement

Vicki continues to make small steps towards improvement each day. Last night they started weaning her off of the ventilator. She was able to handle it on her own for about an hour, but then needed to be put back on. They did the same thing this morning and she did good for about an hour that time as well. She seems to be more alert during the day. Each time she awakens she is confused about where she is and how she got there. She is very child-like (as Holly puts it). The medication is causing the confusion; however, we’ve been told that there should be no long-term affects regarding her memory. Her labs looked good as of this morning so we are continuing to pray that her surgery will take place tomorrow.

The family continues to gain strength from your prayers. There is still such a long road ahead – thank you so very much for your love and support.

Surgery Moved to Wednesday

Surgery has been moved to Wednesday (February 6th). Vicki's potassium is too high and her other labs aren't where they need to be for such a lengthy surgery (6-10 hours). We are a little disheartened because we were looking forward to getting past this hurdle, but we have full faith in the physicians and know they are doing what's best for Vicki. Please continue to pray for her.

Thanks to all those who are rearranging your schedules to help out the family on each scheduled surgery day. Your efforts don't go unnoticed and we are very appreciative.

Surgery tomorrow (2/4/08)

We are on for surgery tomorrow! As apprehensive as we all are about it, we know that it is the best thing for Mom. Once she gets it done, we know she can really start recovering. They are planning to put her on a special rotating bed post-op. The bed will rotate her from side to side, that way she won't have to be manually turned so much. We're hoping that will make a big difference.

As for her day today, everything seemed to go O.K. She did have one episode of vomiting, which was a little unexpected, but other than that nothing major. Temperature was 101.1, but the doctor didn't seem too concerned as far as proceeding with her surgery. Pain is still an issue, but they were able to up her dosage on her pain medication, so I think that is helping her. Everyone just have her in your thoughts tomorrow.

With much gratitude,
Holly

02/03/08

I just came from the hospital after spending some time with Mom. She was pretty well sedated still, so not much interaction. She spiked another temperature last night of 101.4. Obviously, that is not good and could possibly delay her surgery (again). I guess we'll find out when Dr. Harris comes in.

She continues to have trouble with pain. Every move she makes (or move we make for her) is excruciating. By the look on her face you can tell she can hardly stand it. That is why we are anxious for the surgery. But her nurse today said she would make sure it was kept under control.

Other than that, there isn't much to tell. Just waiting. Thanks again to everyone.....just keep praying.

With love....Holly

Restful Day

Vicki has had a fairly restful day today. Everything thus far remains stable enough for surgery on Monday. Family members are still by her side around the clock. Every time she opens her eyes we want her to see one of us there. We'll continue to keep you posted.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

Successful Procedures

The chest tubes have been removed from her left side. A drain remains in her right side where the original chest tubes were, but the fluid is not coming from her lungs its coming from surrounding tissues. Hopefully they'll be able to remove the drain soon. They have also removed the oral gastric tube which romoved fluid/acids from her stomach. Now she has no tubes in her mouth! Yeah! She asked for water after removal of that tube and Aaron was able to give her a small sip from a sponge. They don't want her taking in a lot of fluids orally right now, but a sip from the sponge every now and then is okay.

Every small step is such a miracle. It's like watching your child take their first steps! We are so thankful!

Love to all!!

Meal Needs

Hello everyone! I am just giving meal updates for those who have been helping and those who who like the opportunity to help. Thanks to all of you who have been so willing to bring food in, I know it's been a comfort to the Norris' and extended family to not have to worry about where, what and when they are going to eat. We are holding off on meals for the weekend, but if you would like to bring in some bottled water or snacks, they will get eaten and would be very much appreciated.

We will be bringing in meals Monday and Tuesday to the hospital to cover for the surgery and depending on how stable Vicki is after that, we can assess the need from there. If you would like bring food on either of those two days, please comment or email me directly at melissa@toddandmelissa.net. Meals would need to be delivered between 5-6.

Also Holly will still be spending a lot of time at the hospital next week after the surgery so we would like to continue to feed her family until Vicki is more stable. Holly has become one of Vicki's nurses and really helps out through the nights. If you would like to feed Holly's family, please let me know or you can contact Jewell Boysworth. Meals would need to be delivered between 6-7, closer to 6:00 if possible.

Thank you!

Remains Stable

I went by the hospital this morning to see Vicki and get the night-shift report from family members who stayed by her side. She was responsive this morning - opening her eyes and acknowledging simple questions. She's still heavily medicated for comfort. Fortunately she had an uneventful night and remains stable. Her temperature has dropped some and they have scheduled to remove the chest tubes from her left side today. Her labs are stable considering her condition. If things continue on this course we feel sure she'll be ready for surgery on Monday.

Thanks to all those who have left comments. They are read by the family every day. We look forward to sharing them with Vicki soon. This tragic event has pulled our family so much closer as we continue to strengthen one another physically and emotionally as well as through prayer. We are also praying for the young man and young woman also involved in the accident. Just because they aren't in the hospital doesn't mean they aren't feeling heart-wrenching pain as well. We are mindful of them and keep them in our prayers.

Thanks again to all those who continue to provide support through meals, childcare, visits, cards, etc. We could never thank you enough. May the Lord continue to bless you through your compassionate service.