He is home and is doing great!!

Our dad has been home for a while now and is doing very well. He is going to therapy almost daily and is starting to gain back some of the weight that he lost while in ICU. He's walking on his own and is able to care for himself. He has discovered the internet and has been doing some online shopping. He is also working on building a swing set for his grandkids. I'm sure that he'd enjoy hearing from friends and people he used to work with.
(509)547-6402

Thanks again to all of you who supported us girls through our dad's illness and recovery. There aren't words to describe how grateful we are to you all! :)

He's in Pasco :)

Our dad was moved to Avalon (on 22nd) in Pasco. He is in room #15. He is pretty tired from the drive from Seattle.. but, is doing okay. He is happy to be closer to home. :)

He was accepted to Avalon in Pasco!!

We're waiting to hear from the discharge team as to when he will be transported to Pasco. It's possible that he'll go this afternoon.. but, it's more likely that he'll be transferred in the morning. I will update as soon as I have more information. :)

He's in a new room

He was just moved to a new room. I'm not sure what the phone number is.. but, if you call the main hospital number (206-744-3000) they will transfer you to his room.
This afternoon someone from one of our local care centers will be visiting him to evaluate his condition. Hopefully they'll decide to accept him and he'll be transferred in the morning.
Megan and I are on our way up to Seattle this afternoon. Please pray that he'll be transferred.. driving back and forth is wearing us out (and emptying our accounts). :(
Thanks!
Mary 509-551-1690

Sunday, May 6, 2008

Pat has been transferred to Harborview, room 306. His direct phone number is 1-206-744-8403. The family is hoping to get him transferred to a hospital in the Tri-Cities. Your continued prayers and concerns are so appreciated.

The Mercer Island Care facility was very nice, but Pat is back at Harborview. After falling out of bed three times, and being injured each time, the Harborview doctors decided that his level of care is much more than a rehab facility can handle. We should be talking again this morning with the social workers to map out a better plan, hopefully closer to home. He is quite cognitive, and talks on the phone very well. Visiting with Pat is wonderful. He is feeding himself and gaining strength each day. Sitting on a chair and taking wheelchair rides is fun. He is in room 306 bed #1 for the time being. We now have internet access again, so will keep you better posted.

Pat's contact information...

Letters and calls would be appreciated...

Patrick O'Lynch- Room # 1198
c/o Mercer Island Care Center
7445 Southeast 24th St.
Mercer Island, WA 98040

(206) 230-6998- his direct number

Megan, J'Ali, and I all plan to be there with him this weekend. We'll post updates when we get home (unless we can find a laptop to take with us).

He is FINALLY being transferred...

After a long wait... our dad has finally been accepted into a rehab facility. This afternoon he is being moved to the Mercer Island Care Center. It's still too far away from home in my opinion.. but, hopefully we'll be able to transfer him closer to home soon. I don't have a direct phone number or room number for him yet. I will post that info as soon as I have it. :)

Happy Birthday!!

Today is our dad's 60th birthday. If you have a moment please call him and let him know you're thinking about him. 206-744-6574 (his direct #). He's still at Harborview unfortunately.. we're still working hard to find a place that will take him. My mom and grandma contacted Avalon (in Pasco-where my Aunt Betsy lives) this morning.. and they are going to consider him again. Insurance doesn't want to pay for him to stay in the hospital any longer.. so, the insurance company is working with the social worker at Harborview to find a place for him. I will post more info as soon as I know more. :)

yes... April 23rd is his 60th birthday. He will still be at Harborview at this point by himself. Please if your that way... stop by and visit. If you have any ideas as to what we could do long distance... please let us know. My email address is jaliolynch@email.com. Thank you

Wednesday...

... is my dad's 60th birthday!! :)

Weekend update

Our dad is still in Seattle. We haven't been able to find a rehabilitation facility here locally that will take him. We should hear back from the places in Sunnyside and Grandview tomorrow morning. I added him to the waiting list at Canyon Lakes (he's #3)... so, if he gets into a facility that is not in the Tri-Cities.. hopefully we'll be able to transfer him to Canyon Lakes soon after (that's my plan for now anyway).
J'Ali and I (Mary) will not be in Seattle with him for at least the next couple days. My kids need me at home (I also have a couple medical problems of my own to take care of) and J'Ali is moving back to the Tri-Cities from Spokane so that she can be closer to our dad. Hopefully he'll be transferred very soon because he's all by himself for now. If you happen to be in the Seattle area this week please stop by.. I'm sure that he's getting lonely. :(

Thursday update

Our dad is doing a bit better today. He's now on a regular diet and is eating a wide variety of foods (low salt and sugar of course). He had a tough time holding down food yesterday... but, has done quite a bit better today. His white blood cell count is gradually coming down and the doctor's are working on locating the cause. He had a CT of his belly area and the doctor's did not find any infection. They had him scheduled for another scan for today.
He is a bit confused and unclear of why he is in the hospital (his response keeps changing when we ask him why he is in the hospital). I think once he's out of the hospital and is able to sleep better he'll improve a lot more. We're still working on finding a rehab facility here locally that will accept him. A few of the local places are full and others have turned him down (because he's too much for them in his current condition). The social worker at Harborview is working with a place in Grandview and another in Sunnyside.. if they don't work out.. I'm assuming we'll start looking in the Spokane area. Anyway, he's still got a long road of recovery ahead of him. Cards (and letters) to him would be greatly appreciated. I will post an update when we know when/where he will be transferred to (visitors would be wonderful!). Thanks for all of your continued thoughts and prayers! :)

It sounds like its going to be a few more days. His white blood cell count is on the climb again. They have not yet been able to pin point the infection. He has been awake and very alert but very lethargic. He says he is dizzy and confused and feels like he is going to puke. They tested is swollowing abilities and he is now able to eat bits of whole food and drink water.

Tuesday AM

Things are really starting to look up here. Our dad is able to communicate a lot better as of just a couple days ago. His voice isn't back to normal.. but, he's a lot easier to understand. His white blood cell count is high again.. and the doctors are trying to figure out why. Hopefully his lungs aren't infected again. We're still working on finding a place in the Tri-Cities that will take him for rehabilitation (once his white blood cell count is normal again). Hopefully in the next couple of days he will be moved closer to home.

Sunday update

I am now back in Seattle with my dad. He is showing slight improvement each day. His lungs are doing much better.. but, he is still on antibiotics. He can have some soft foods now, but hasn't had much of an appetite. He is eating vanilla icecream right now. :) Tomorrow we should know more about transferring him closer to home... I'll post another update when I know more.

Good news!

Harborview is planning to discharge my dad soon. We're in the process of finding a recovery center that will accept him. A few of our local centers have turned him down (either because they are too full or because he requires more care than they offer). Megan and I are working to get him into something close.. but, that will also take excellent care of him. If you have experience (both good and bad) with any place.. please email or call me. Thanks!! :)
Mary
mary_claybrook@yahoo.com
551-1690/585-1206

Wednesday update

My dad had an operation to have a feeding tube put into his stomach this afternoon. The surgery went well. His nurse told me that he can't be tube fed until tomorrow so he will have hunger pains. He's still confused and quite negative about being in the hospital. Sally is there with him right now.. J'Ali (Alex) went home this afternoon to catch up at work.

Tuesday PM

Sorry that I didn't post an update earlier today. My dad is doing about the same today. He has been saying random things and his memory seems to be a little off.. but, hopefully once he's out of the hospital that will change. He is not very happy that he's still in the hospital and hasn't been very nice about it (he wanted us girls and Juan to break him out last weekend). He was tested for liver failure last night and the test came back negative.. so, that's positive (his enzyme level is high). J'Ali is with him now and Sally will take over tomorrow afternoon so that J'Ali can go back to work for a few days. I (Mary) am home to finish my finals that I missed at CBC and to get caught up around the house (and to spend some much needed time with my three children). I plan to go back this weekend and stay for as long as needed. If you have any questions.. call me at home 585-1206 or on my cell 551-1690. :)

Monday update

Our dad has finally been transferred to the 3rd floor to room number 372 (for those of you who plan to visit him). He was really fighting his oxygen mask last night so his arms are now restrained so he can't pull it off (he also pulled the tube out of his nose that makes suctioning easier). He's not happy that we're keeping him in the hospital and wants to go home (of course, we all would in his condition). He's still very weak.. he's lost a lot of weight and muscle mass. Hopefully he'll relax and his body will continue to fight the pneumonia. Thank you to those who came and visited him this weekend. :)

Sunday AM

Our dad is doing about the same today. He is still fighting the pneumonia but is only having to be suctioned a couple times a day. He's exhausted and wants to go home.. but, he's still got a long way to go. Visitors are greatly appreciated.. so, if you're in Seattle please stop by. He's still in room 508.

Saturday Morning

This morning our dad is doing about the same. He keeps asking for ice cubes and fruit. His throat is very dry but there is not much we can do untill he can swallow on his own. They started him on another antibiotic for pneumonia. He seems to be clearing out his lungs pretty well. They haven't had to suction him as much. This is good. It means the fluids are decreasing and his body is starting to work things out.

Friday PM

We've been sitting with our dad throughout the day. About an hour ago he all of a sudden became really red and broke out in a sweat. The nurse checked his vitals and everything was of normal range. He has been really in and out of it all day. One second he is fully awake and alert, the next he is groggy and/or asleep. Hmmmmm?? We are not sure what to think. We will keep bugging the nurses and doctors until we have answers.

Friday AM

Not much has changed from last night. He is only having to be suctioned every 4 hours instead of every two. They stick a tube through his nose down into his lung area.. it's pretty rough on him.. but, he's able to breathe a lot better afterwards. They are still working on getting him a bed on the 3rd floor where he belongs.. but, they don't have room right now. He's alert and is able to whisper to us. He is sitting up in a special chair right now and Alex is trying to get him to hold a pen. I am on a mission to find his glasses. They were misplaced by the hospital staff when he was moved into his new room. Hopefully they show up soon.

Thursday update

We arrived safe and sound this evening. Things are going pretty good here. Daddy knows who we are and can kind of sort of talk to us. His throat is very very dry from the tube and he still has a ton of fluid in his lungs. He does not like being here one bit he keeps telling us that. He wasnt very happy that we left him here the last couple of days. We are back though and things are looking up. We will have more info tomorrow. Thank you again and Good night!

We're leaving for Seattle...

We are leaving (Mary & Alex) for Seattle this morning. We'll update you all after we talk with our dad's doctors. Thanks everyone for helping us out financially and for all of the prayers. :)

Wednesday afternoon

I just called and talked with my dad's nurse. They are working on transferring him to the neurology unit (on the 3rd floor). His nurse said that he's doing "the same".. he doesn't always respond and does not always follow commands. The doctor's are still trying to figure out why he's not very responsive. He did have several more strokes (TIA's) after the initial bleed... but, his CT scans have shown no change since. Keep praying!

Wednesday update

He's officially out of the Coronary ICU. He's now on the 5th floor. He was having another CT scan when Wayne called.. but, his nurse said that he's doing good today. I'll post another update later today. :)

He's now an "acute care" patient!! :)

I just called Harborview and talked with his nurse in the CICU. She said that they are working on transferring him to acute care on another floor. There isn't a room available.. so, he's going to stay in the ICU until one opens up. The nurse said that he told her to "take it easy" when she was cleaning out his mouth this morning. She said that sometimes he'll follow an item with his eyes and sometimes he doesn't.. but, that he's showing some improvement. I called to talk with him, but he was sleeping and the nurse was surprised that I couldn't hear him snoring.. lol. :)
I'm still fighting this yucky cold.. but, would like to get back to Seattle as soon as I can. J'Ali (Alex) & I are talking about leaving tomorrow to stay with him through Sunday. I'll update again as soon as I hear more.

GOOD NEWS!! :)

My dad had the breathing tube removed a little while ago! :) His bed is sitting up. He's got his glasses on and is listening to music and has said a few words (I'm sure that he's very sore from having the breathing tube in for so long). He's still following commands with his hands and feet and the infection in his lungs is still improving. Thanks everyone for your prayers!! :)
(Now I have to get over this yucky cold so I can go back to Seattle)

All 3 daughters (a year ago)

All 3 of us- Jennifer, Megan, & Mary

Mary & Megan- March 31st 2007

Tomorrow is Megan & Brendin's 1st wedding anniversary... I'm off to find more pictures on myspace. :)
(I was very pregnant- Addy will be one year old in a week)

Juan & Lupe with Dad & Sally (Clayton's wedding)

Happy St. Patrick's Day Grandpa!

I took this picture to email to friends and family on St. Patrick's Day.. but, plans changed and I forgot about it until today. So, happy St. Pat's to you all. :)

Halloween 2007- Dad & Sally with Landon, Adalynn, & Dawson

Sunday update

My dad is doing okay today. His shunt is functioning properly. He followed commands for his doctors this morning (squeezed hands and wiggled toes). The infection in his lungs is slowly starting to improve. Hopefully in a few days he'll be able to breathe on his own. Otherwise he will have a tracheostomy sometime this week. If the breathing tube is left down his throat for too long it may cause damage to his vocal cords.
Sally is there with him until Monday morning. I (Mary) am at home sick with something I picked up at the hospital (probably the flu). Alex is going back to work for at least a couple days but then will probably return to Seattle later in the week. Kevin and I plan to return to Seattle for the weekend (as long as I'm doing better- there's no point in driving back to Seattle if I'm too sick to visit my dad).
Anyway, I think that things are starting to look up for my dad. Your thoughts and prayers and very appreciated. I will update again tomorrow when after I talk with my Uncle Wayne. :)

Saturday update

Yesterday evening our father went in at about 8pm for a permanent shunt. He did very well during the procedure and is doing good now. He is sedated at this time and looks very comfortable. We (Mary and Jennifer/Alex) are going to head back to our homes later today. Sally, his girlfriend, is heading this way this afternoon. Hopefully she will be staying with him throughout the week. We arent quite sure at this time though. Wayne, our fathers brother, is the only one who can call the hospital for updates. We ask that it stays this way. Everytime someone calls, his nurse has to step away from him to take the call. We will be in close contact with Wayne and will be sure to visit this blog site often. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers... keep sending them this way.

Friday update

This morning our dad responded with movement when asked to (just his hands and toes). He is still overbreathing and has a high fever. He goes in to get the shunt in a couple hours. Surgery takes anywhere from an hour to two. Otherwise he's still stable.. no new updates. The surgeons have talked with us about doing a tracheostomy. It is a surgical procedure to create an opening through the neck into the trachea (windpipe). Anyway, J'Ali and I have had enough of the hospital for a night.. so, we're going to stay in a hotel. We'll update you all when we know more.

No new updates today

Our dad is taking tiny steps forward each day. He's on a new medicine to help irritation from the breathing tube.. and his doctors are weaning him from the pain meds. We have not seen much movement yet today... he's been really on and off though. There are alot of factors that can be causing his changes. The time of the day, how much meds are in his system, how is bed is sitting, etc. etc. Keep sending those prayers this way. Hope for the best!

Wednesday morning

Our dad is able to move his feet and hands on command. He's also now able to move his eyes from side to side. :)

the horse Pat fixed up and painted for Penny (shreks grandaughter)

more updates

My dad moved his left leg and coughed a few times over the last hour (a positive thing when you have a breathing tube in). His oxygen has been in the high 90's and was even at 100% for a while. Things are slowly looking up. :)

he passed the test :)

He passed the breathing test from this morning. He breathed on his own for 45 minutes before the breathing machine was turned back on (which is an improvement from yesterday's 20 minutes). His eyes are still wide open but he is not responding with hand or foot movement. Earlier I asked him to squeeze my hand if he wanted a foot massage and he squeezed very tightly. The nurse said that it was just a reflex.. but, I disagree. J'Ali and I have been holding his hands for long enough to know that he hasn't been randomly sqeezing. He also squeezed when I asked him if he wanted to wear his glasses. The neurosurgeons are talking about putting a shunt in his head later this week. He is still running a fever which could be why he isn't very responsive right now. I'll post another update when I know more.

Tuesday morning update

My dad is currently having a breathing test. He seems to be doing very well and might pass it this morning. He's still overbreathing.. but, not as much as yesterday. His blood pressure and blood sugar seem to both be controlled for now. The neuro doctors just came around and asked his nurse to hold off on the pain medicine during the day so that he can gradually become more active... this will also help his sleep cycle to become more regular. His eyes are open wider today then they were yesterday. I asked him if he wanted to wear his glasses and he squeezed my hand yes. He hasn't moved much for the doctors... but, he has responded by squeezing my hands several times this morning. The nurse thinks that it's just reflexes.. but, I don't agree. I've held his hand a lot the last couple weeks.. and he doesn't randomly squeeze his hands. He responded to the pain test (his fingers and toes are pinched) and moved his head a bit. His eyes aren't focusing yet, but he's more alert now that he's no longer sedated. His brain is still swollen which is most likely what is preventing him from more movement. I'll update again when I hear the results of the breathing test.

Monday, March 24th

Our dad is now able to open his eyes when asked to and can move his right hand and foot off and on (he followed comands slightly earlier but wasn't able to this evening at all). His blood pressure and blood sugar are still all over the place so he is being monitored very closely. He is still fighting the pneumonia and has the breathing tube. He is off of the sedation for now but is still on a lot of pain medication. Hopefully by the end of this week things will look up a bit more.
We are camping out in the waiting room outside of the Coronary Intensive Care Unit for the night. It's pretty quiet around here so far tonight.. so, hopefully we'll start the week with some good sleep. Thanks everyone for your thought and prayers.

We're on our way back to Seattle

We're heading back to Seattle this morning (Mary & Jennifer). We will update you all with his status once we arrive. Thanks for all of your support and prayers.

Sat Morning March 22, 2008

Pat is still stable and sedated. He continues to battle the lung infection. Each time they withdraw the sedation, he experiences a dangerous spike in blood pressure.

Thank you to those from Cobra and others that donated money to the daughters. It has made it possible for them to come home for a very much needed weekend break. Terry is holding down the fort today. Hopefully we will get some more updates later today. Thanks for all your support.

Shelley, Terry's wife

ps Apollo web is down for the weekend.

update

We just talked with a couple of the neuro doctors and their team. They evaluated our dad while the sedation was off. At this time he is not responding with arm or leg movements. He was able to open his eyes when asked. He also responded to pain after his fingers were pinched but did not respond when his feet were pinched. He's stable and more tests are being done to find the cause of the strokes. We just gave consent for a procedure where they insert a small camera down his throat to take pictures of his heart. Also, another scan on his head was done at 4AM this morning.. we still haven't heard the results.. but, no results usually is a good thing. We'll update when we know more.

Friday 8am

This morning our dad was taken off of sedation for a little bit. He is able to open his eyes and blink. This is an improvement from yesterday. Keeping him off of sedation tends to raise both his breathing rate and blood pressure, which isnt good. They only tend to give him a "sedation vacation" once a day. Right now his blood pressure is okay so he is still on vacation. The neurology team should be coming this way soon. They will be able to do a better evaluation on him then. Keep your fingers crossed and prayers coming this way. Thank you and have a great day!

Thursday Update

Our dad has had an MRI and a CT today. He has had a few small strokes in his cerebral hemispheres (caused by clots- not bleeds). The main focus of the doctors is treating his pneumonia right now while keeping him sedated and his blood pressure under control. Pictures were taken of his lungs and his pneumonia is very serious. They were able to take some cultures from his lungs and are now treating him with two different antibiotics. There have been no changes in his lungs since the pictures were taken yesterday.. which is good. His heart beat is strong and his blood pressure is currently stable.
J'Ali (Jennifer) and I (Mary) are both doing okay. It's been a long week, but we're glad that we're here with our father. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers.

note from family

You can also call Mary or Jennifer (Alex/J'Ali) for details. Please leave a message if we don't answer and we'll call you back. We have asked the nurses to only share information with his brother Wayne. This is to be sure that our father is getting the best care that the nurses can provide. Mary (509)551-1690Jennifer (509)628-6251Thank you!

Wed. March 19, 2008 9:30 am

Pat is stable and the scan that they did last night, seems clear -- no new strokes. An infection in the lungs is what they are concentrating on now--pneumonia. If they can get this under control, he may be able to breath on his own.

Tues March 18, 2008 9pm

Some people have asked if there is anything that they can do to help. The two daughters have been sleeping in the hospital's hallway since Friday. A donation to help with motel rooms so they could get a nights sleep would be so appreciated.
You can contact Terry at 947-2009.

Tues March 18, 2008

Good news!
Pat O'Lynch has a new lease on life. A new team of surgeons have determined that there is still hope for Pat. Information will be updated as it received. Please feel free to leave notes for his family. Terry Grimshaw is contact person.