911

We want to catch you up on the last few days. You read that Beverly hasn't been feeling well for a couple of weeks. She knew that the Home Health Nurse would be visiting on Thursday, January 29th, to take blood for the weekly testing. She asked me to call the nurse and add two more blood tests: a DIG level and a CBC. She just felt something was not right. And when the results were read by Dr. Fraley on Friday morning she called and told us that Beverly's DIG level was twice as high as the maximum recommended high (at 4.4) and we should get her to the emergency room and have her monitored for a few days. Thank GOD Beverly is a nurse and suspected this - would any of us have known??


We called 911 and the ambulance arrived within a few minutes and assessed the safest way to get Beverly out and over the ice covering both the front and back porches. She was in ER for about 3 hours before she was admitted and is in room 210 at the Tahlequah City Hospital. As you know she's worked here for over 10 years so she's had visits from several staff members who know and love her and others who's heard her "story". We were told by Debbie Graham that Beverly is part of their "hospital family" and they will take extra special care of her.

Because of the high DIG level, Beverly has a cardiologist, Dr. Mehta, looking after her. She has seen no problems with her heart but will continue to monitor her for at least another day or so. We expect her to be discharged on Monday. Apparently the digoxin she has been taking for several weeks has built up and effects many organs in addition to her heart, and causes the symptoms she has felt for several days. Her white count was also elevated because of a probable UTI which is being treated with antibiotics.

The "Cadillac of beds" was delivered to her room here and is designed to treat and prevent bedsores. It has a heater but had been in transit for a few hours and is still very cold!! We're trying to get Beverly warm and comfortable. It will feel more like her beloved old waterbed as soon as it is warmed.

The Oklahoma Disaster Relief Team (the same volunteer group Beverly worked with in Baton Rouge when she had her accident) are in the Tahlequah area cleaning up downed trees from the ice storm, and they came to Beverly's home early this morning and worked a few hours to get things cleaned up and carried away. She wants to thank them for their hard work and volunteer spirit.

Beverly just ate a sandwich and jello - the first solid food she's had in days. Being here was definitely the right thing! Happy Birthday to Pauletta today!!!