Home at last!

I've always hated Alpine until I pulled into town after having spent 17 days in Odessa. What a beautiful sight! Hugh is progressing every day. I'm hopeful he'll get totally back to normal, mentally and physically.

My son went to water the oasis today. I know it's a hardship for him, but we don't really have much choice. I plan to do it myself next time and get a friend to at least check in on Hugh frequently, if necessary.

Visitors are seeing wonderful things at the oasis. And I'm missing wonderful things. One such sighting was a Great Southern White butterfly seen by a butterflyer, which is a new oasis species. I know I'll have other times to enjoy the oasis, but every time is precious!

Enough is enough

My husband and I couldn't stand another minute of the hospital, so we came home. Doing fine so far. I told him I wouldn't bring him home if he couldn't use a walker. He did good on it.

Today my sister took this picture on our mountain of this Mottled Rock Rattlesnake (I think). I'm missing out on so much.

New territory for me

I feel like I'm on a roller coaster. One time Hugh will be like his old self, and then later, semi, or not, lucid. At times I vacillate between confidence he's going to be back to his old self soon, to thinking he isn't going to survive this.

Yesterday they finally moved him out of ICU into a room with a view.

Last night was the first time I could spend the night with him. I didn't get a moment's sleep, what with his delirium, and movement that pinched his IV cord setting off a loud alarm. Sometimes it got turned off promptly, but more often went on endlessly, only to start the cycle again as soon as the problem was solved.  And there was the continuous parade of staff in and out doing their thing.  So, early this afternoon, I treated myself to the rest of the day off. I realized I was no help, and was only torturing myself. Today the doctor said he needs to be transferred to a rehab facility. I'm looking into the options.

To cheer me up, or further torture me, not sure which (LOL), my sister sent me pictures taken today from our places at the oasis. First is a Blue Milkwort (Polygala barbeyana).

And next is a Tiny Checkerspot.

ICU fatigue

It's really horrible spending every day in the ICU. Soooo not me. I just about quit asking when he can get out of IC. Today I brought up the subject and was told by today's nurse that he's too fragile to consider it yet. Every day has its new crisis. However much I'm suffering, he's suffering more.

At the home I'm spending nights at in Midland I shot my first photo of a Blue Jay.  A bright spot in my day.

Finally an answer

I had just about decided we'd never know what was behind my husband's twisted colon. Then I got a great list of advice from a birder nurse that included info on twisted colons. I had already known Hugh's was in the cecum area, but didn't know the cause. It makes perfect sense now. When he fell, breaking five ribs, the cecum was torn from the abdominal wall. 

Cecal volvulus is twisting of the cecum and ascending colon. Normally, the cecum and ascending colon are fixed to the abdominal wall. If improperly attached, they can move and become twisted.

He's progressing at a snail's pace, but I'm still hoping for a full recovery. They almost promised me they'd move him out of ICU tomorrow.

Shortly after he was taken to Odessa the town had a water main break. Another pain, and some of the hospital sinks still contain yucky water. The fountains, ice machines, etc. aren't operating. 

The toilets are finally working, but for awhile we had to go outdoors to porta-potties.

Back at the oasis, a visiting birder, Lorrie Lowrie, took this super photo of some Scaled Quail today. So envious!

Wearing down

It's really an ordeal to face Odessa traffic, then sit in an icy ICU room all day, and finally the traffic again, before another day comes to an end. For now, I have no other options. It would help if I saw real progress, but I don't. I'm keeping track of how many near car wrecks I've had. Four so far.

On the bright side, he is off oxygen, and I shouldn't count the five days he was in ICU totally sedated. He's only not been sedated for three days. I just get the feeling he's not trying to get well, but maybe that incentive will come. It's new territory for me, I just don't know.

The continuing ordeal

Husband is making painfully slow progress every day. Since he refuses to let me go back to Alpine without him, I need to get him out of the hospital as soon as I can. I stay with him all day every day. He's been in ICU so long that he has "ICU delirium." He often doesn't know where he is, and says things like, "what are we doing," or "is it nice enough for me to go outside and sit," and stuff like that. He even told one nurse that he was going home tonight, but [not to worry] "we'll come back early in the morning." They tell me it'll get worse and is caused by lack of sleep. I'm not exaggerating, every five minutes someone goes into his room and does something to wake him up. 

His biopsy results were negative for cancer. They say his colon was twisted and blood supply cut off so they removed half of it, plus his appendix for good measure. 

Hopefully, he'll be out of ICU tomorrow where they'll leave him alone more. I'll sure be glad when he can stand and walk. Right now he can't even raise his hand up more than a few inches.

Bits of progress

Finally got husband off ventilator. Seems it inflamed his vocal chords and he can't speak. I know that's so frustrating for him when he's trying but no one understands him. Hopefully tomorrow he'll be able to be understood anyway.

 

My daughter's biopsy came back benign, as was expected,  but good to have it confirmed. She's healing nicely, although still has swelling that translates into headaches. 

June 16 update: Today I can understand my husband with difficulty. I was hoping he'd be ok with me going back to Alpine for one day to pay bills and get some clothes. Not at all! So I'll pay by phone with credit card, and buy a few items I need. Thanks for all the wonderful support from everyone!

Update on family

Firstly, my daughter is recovering nicely from her tumor removal. 

As for my husband, it's going to be a difficult recovery due to his age and condition, but it's going to happen. 

He is still in ICU, sedated, and on a ventilator.  We're pretty certain tomorrow they'll wake him up and remove the ventilator. Then, hopefully, no complications, and real progress. 

My son is taking care of the oasis and place in Alpine.  Local birders here are going way out of their way to help me in whatever way I need help. I always said birders are the best.

Oasis got a slow soaking rain this evening. Can't wait to be able to get back down there! 

Another family emergency

 As if my daughter's brain tumor wasn't enough to deal with, now my husband was air lifted to emergency surgery in Odessa, where I'm writing this from. I'm stuck here and not sure when I'll be able to get back to the oasis. Meanwhile, my son is planning to go water Monday.

My daughter is doing good, thank goodness, and they say my husband is. He had fallen and broken ribs on May 30, the same day my daughter was in ICU in Austin. I had wanted to take him to the ER but he insisted there's nothing to be done for broken ribs but let them heal. Finally, day before yesterday, he had pain in his stomach, besides the ribs, and decided I should take him to the ER where they might prescribe him something for pain. He could barely move. I pushed him into the ER in one of the hospital wheelchairs.

The doctor did a C-scan and without even paying any attention to the ribs, immediately noticed air accumulating in his stomach area. Bad. They decided to immediately transfer him by helicopter to Odessa and into surgery. (Later the doctor told me he had five broken ribs.)

By the time I drove to Odessa he was already in surgery. His daughter lives closer and was able to see him for a few minutes before surgery.

When he came out of surgery they told us they had removed half his colon, but couldn't close things up until Sunday (tomorrow). He had a perforated colon that they didn't think was related to the fall. Meanwhile, they had to keep him asleep. So that's where we're at tonight. Will update when able. I'm on a borrowed computer. Couldn't make this happen with my phone.

The next couple of months are going to be real challenging.

Tanks full for now

Concrete tank

After watering this morning I topped off the leaky stucco tank with water from the dirt tank. So tanks are full... for now. The stucco tank will lose 3 inches per day. Next time I'm back there it'll be down a foot. So sad, but my son is determined to coat the tank with an elastomeric sealer next time it's empty. This situation isn't acceptable. I just hope I have enough water to make it through until next rainy season. 

Stucco tank

The Big Bend region is tough when you're outside of towns. I watered in the 110° heat, got bit in the night by an Assassin Bug (aka Kissing Bug), and hurt my knee in a careless fall. All in the past 24 hours. Not for the faint-hearted. 

Hot oasis watering day!

Knowing the electricity at the oasis was scheduled to be off between 8-10 AM, I planned to arrive here at 10. By then, it was already in the upper 90°s. I persevered, taking long breaks every hour or so. With only another hour of watering left to do late this afternoon (at 110°), it cooled off rather quickly and we got a nice little shower. Less than one-tenth inch. No runoff. But lovely to have the ground wet, and the air cooler. I'll finish watering in the morning while I top off the leaky stucco tank with what water remains in the lower dirt tank.

Occasionally, while watering, in between moving the hoses, I sat by my dragonfly pond to watch for odes, but didn't see any interesting ones.

During the hottest part of the day birds were coming to the water drip. This panting Scott's Oriole was too gorgeous not to photograph. Panting helps them cool off, since they don't sweat.

Gains and setbacks

Yesterday, and the afternoon before yesterday, my son pumped the water to where it needs to be. I went down this morning to service the hummingbird feeders. They were pretty much empty so it was good that I did. 

Of course I checked the stucco tank for leakage and was shocked to see it is leaking bad. It must have sprung a new leak because I had sealed it good. Now the water needs to be removed, the tank patched, and the water put back in. But just doing the chores I did there this morning left me sickish and with a headache. My son already got way behind on his obligations in town. I'm going to monitor the level one more time to be sure, then somehow try to get some help to do it. It's a two-day (minimum) killer job. I think what happens is when a big monsoonal rain comes into the tank, it gets behind the wall of the tank first with water pressure and causes a hole in the weakest part of the wall.

On a lighter note, here's a drawing of me by John Owen, posted with his permission. I really think it captures the essence of me. It takes a true artist to do that. Thank you, John. You brightened my day!

UPDATE: My son went down this afternoon (May 6) prepared to get the pumps set up for me so I could pump out the stucco tank, patch it and refill it. But upon measuring how much water it lost since I was there yesterday morning, we decided a loss of 3" per day wasn't enough to justify the work it would take. It loses one inch per day in evaporation, and likely even after doing the 2-3 day task, it would still lose an additional inch per day (above evaporation). So not worth a potential gain of one inch per day. I know that means the tank could be empty in 3 months. Therefore we're going to have to get more rain this summer. Then next winter we're determined to coat the tank with some type of elastomeric product so this won't happen again. It was a scary decision. 

Big rain!

Got a big monsoon in the night. Everything is pretty much full. Need to do a bunch of pumping to save the water, but the oasis is assured of making it another year. I'm not there, but my sister went up and took these photos.

I want to go do the pumping but I woke up with vertigo, besides need to care for my husband. So I think my son is going to go down this afternoon sometime and do the pumping. But I really want to be there. I may run down for awhile. Don't know yet.

Daughter is having a rough recovery, but nothing that should be life-threatening. The doctors say she's lucky to be alive!

A soaking rain at CMO

When my sister called me that we got a rain in the night, I rushed down to the oasis. Had been staying in town caring for my husband. (He fell a few days ago and broke a couple of ribs.)

The oasis got nearly an inch of slow rain so not much ran, but the ground needed it desperately. Probably saved the soapberries and who knows what else. I'm pumping out the settling pond and will end up with the big tank nearly half full. I'd like to use it to top off the above-ground reserve tank, but not only does my helpless husband need me back in town, but I'd like the water to settle a bit before I do that. It's really dirty now.

From this settling pond (dam far right)

To the big tank

I'll update the situation tomorrow since we're forecast for more rain tonight. 

My daughter is recovering at home. It's a long slow process, but no glitches so far.

A huge relief!

My daughter (Isabel) has departed the hospital with a mile long list of instructions. I'm optimistic for a quick recovery with no complications. That's all I've been focused on lately, so that's all I have to blog about.

Not much going on bird-wise anyway. And triple digit heat to boot!