Medical Help for Renee

An update from Renee’s Mum who is in Cleveland with Renee - March 11:

Rough day for Renee. Had endoscopy and feeding tube is in. Has IV's for potassium, sodium, dextrose, normal saline and magnesium. Can only give her one electrolyte at a time so they don't overload her system. Started feedings this evening via tube. 10ml an hour for 12 hours, then 20ml for 12 hours and so on until she reaches 60ml an hour. Plus she gets 90ml of water an hour with feeding (which looks like iced coffee). Potassium is rough because it burns as it goes in so had to slow it down and add yet another IV. Renee is hooked up to a heart monitor and has special cuffs on her legs that inflate and deflate to keep circulation going until she can get up and around. Pain is pretty bad but they are good in giving her meds for it, including paging doctor when she wasn't due for a dose but was in horrible pain. Renee also had a whole bunch of blood tests, 2 EKG's and a chest x-ray. Luckily they bring equipment to her. Tomorrow she meets with psychiatrist to assess whether she has depression or PTSD from being so sick for so long and pain management team. Social worker is arranging for Renee to continue being fed through feeding tube when she comes back to Toronto. The nurses and other staff are excellent and Renee couldn't be in better hands. I asked Renee if she was scared being in a hospital outside of Canada and she says she feels safe. Cleveland Clinic is huge. They need a shuttle service just to get from Renee's room to Starbuck's and other places to eat, and back again. How staff and visitors ever find their way around is a mystery. Everybody is super nice and helpful with directions and answering questions. Hopefully Renee will start to feel better tomorrow now she is getting some nutrition. Thank you to each and everyone that has sent good wishes and prayers to Renee. Thank you just doesn't seem adequate.

Renee and our mum are safely in Cleveland. She is settling into her hospital room. It was a tough drive, but they made it.

Quick update: they’re on their way!! It’s about a six hour drive plus needed breaks!