- K
- C
The box this has me typing in is giving me the instructions to tell my story... I am not sure if there is enough room here for me to actually tell my whole story or if there is enough time for someone to actually read about my entire story, but I will do as this says and start with who I am.
My name is Kristen, I am Beverly's daughter and at the moment I have been spending hours on end sitting at the hospital trying to support my mom while she is in this critical state. It has been a few weeks now and in those weeks I have taken on more then I thought my body and mind could possibly physically and mentally endure. It really is true that you never know how strong you are until you are put in a certain position because if you would have asked me a month ago what I would do if I found myself here I would have most likely told you I wouldn't be able to survive it. I am already known for biting off more then I can chew and trying to/helping other people when I can't even help myself. And if you know me personally then you are well aware that I am also an extremely stubborn and prideful person and I have always been one to refuse to ask for help...until this moment. I have finally come to realize that I just can't do it all. It took a couple people to drill that into my head but I have got to the point I can finally admit it, as well as mean it.
I have reached the point of feeling like I'm suffocating most of the time and the walls around me are closing in on me. My entire world was flipped upside down within a 72 hour time period. At 11 PM on a Thursday night I got a call informing me that one of my best friends of almost 10 years had passed away, and let me just say... the way I handled being informed of that tragic event was anything but graceful. I didn't even have time to pull myself together from the news before I received a call finding out my mom was being taken in for emergency surgery. She was being taken in for a hernia repair, the hernia was not causing any health issues before this so they never wanted to risk putting her under to repair it however it had grown so much that it was incarcerating multiple parts of her bowels and intestines.
As soon as I showed up I was brought up to speed quickly and given a stack of paperwork to sign to give them consent to do this surgery even though she was a high risk for complications due to her already present health issues. Even though I was current and knowledgeable of all of her medical conditions and risks of the surgery it was the best option regardless. If the hernia was not repaired and the bowels set free part of the bowels could have lost blood supply, leading to them becoming necrotic and that would have led to her becoming septic; so it was definitely best to go through with the surgery. From the time I arrived to the moment she was about to go under for the operation she was tachycardic, and pretty incoherent.
My mom has also suffered from sleep apnea for several years now. However, what many don't know is that going through life with sleep apnea can easily turn that treatable condition into a terminal illness. My mom has never smoked a cigarette in her life, nor has she ever been a drinker and she developed COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder) and CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) all from issues with her sleep apnea. So, what could have and should have been a simple surgery (a hernia repair) has turned into my mom being in worse condition then what she was before she had the surgery. I thank God that she survived the surgery but now I sit here for hours at a time having to just watch her suffer. She had major complications when they were weaning her off of the anesthesia and had to remain in a medicinal coma on a ventilator for multiple days following the procedure. Once she finally got to attempt to be off of the vent it was and is still a constant battle of trying to get her blood level gases stable and at the right ratio. She has also developed pneumonia as well which is adding to her breathing issues as well as slowing down the healing process of her lungs. She has been placed back on the ventilator a total of three times now since she was initially placed on it. She was off for about 3 days and had to be incubated again due to signs showing she could go into heart failure at any moment because she was working so hard to breathe just being on oxygen. Her brain seems to be retaining CO2 that leaves her in a fog 98% of the time. She has had to rely on a feeding tube since the procedure due to her failing any swallow test she is given, which means her esophageal muscles are weakened from the machines to the point where she can't even swallow water or any type of food for that matter.
A few days have passed since I started this account and I keep going back and forth on posting it hoping that she would start to improve but it seems things are only continuing to go downhill. I was woken up today by being informed that she pulled out her NG tube (feeding tube), she is currently in the critical care unit and remaining on the ventilator. They are thinking by Monday they will have to perform a tracheotomy to prevent her throat from collapsing due to the balloon that is used to keep the ventilator in place...
All of this has really taken a toll on me and I hate sitting here feeling helpless and knowing I can't really do much for her or my family. I also had to go through with a petition for a non-academic withdrawal from University Texas at Dallas since this is all going on so close to finals & that was something I tried VERY hard to avoid. I have also not been working given the circumstances.
None of this is something I would ever share with the public or social media but right now I feel like I can't do anything to help other then start this campaign for them...I even had to convince my dad to go back to work after he only got to spend a few days with her in here. I made a promise to him that my mom would be in good hands and everything would be fine and I plan on doing nothing less than just that. He was out of town for work when she had the initial surgery and was only home for a few days before he returned to work. My dad wants nothing more then to sit next to her every minute of every day but that isn’t really possible because we all know in reality the world doesn't stop for you when tragedy strikes. It breaks my heart that I can't even let him stay here with her knowing that is all he wants; even though it's what I want and need more then anything because I know if he isn't working their troubles will only get worse.
While she has been in the hospital my sister and I have helped with the move that was scheduled to take place the weekend of her procedure. Shelby and I are currently taking turns on taking care of their dogs while my dad is away. I am doing my best to unpack and set up the new place for both my parents during this difficult time. Like I mentioned before I am not one to ask for help but I am doing this for my dad, who happens to be the most selfless person I know and would give me the world if he could. However life doesn't always go as planned so we are doing what we have to do right now to make things work.
I know she will be here for weeks to come and I am almost certain my dad will find a way to come home early to be with his best friend, our mom. And if I had or they had enough money to allow him to be here with us during this then I would have him here facing this with me but as of right now it is not an option so I am finally doing something I would never do and am reaching out to anyone who is willing to help my parents if they can.
It asked me to set a goal but I don't really have one, my only goal is to get my mom better, my family stable and back home. All donations will go to my parent’s bills and the medical bills that are currently stacking up against them.
I know that was a lot to read and I apologize for the novel but I tried to stick to the main points. Some of you who know my parents personally also know they did foster care throughout my entire childhood and dedicated their lives to helping children who had survived tragic events, things I would never wish upon anyone. With that being what I witnessed and grew to know it has definitely helped make me who I am today and I believe this is why I am content with dedicating my life to helping them anyway I can.
I know not everyone can donate but for those of you who pray or believe in a higher power, any and all prayers would be greatly appreciated. <3
With love,
Kristen Young
My name is Kristen, I am Beverly's daughter and at the moment I have been spending hours on end sitting at the hospital trying to support my mom while she is in this critical state. It has been a few weeks now and in those weeks I have taken on more then I thought my body and mind could possibly physically and mentally endure. It really is true that you never know how strong you are until you are put in a certain position because if you would have asked me a month ago what I would do if I found myself here I would have most likely told you I wouldn't be able to survive it. I am already known for biting off more then I can chew and trying to/helping other people when I can't even help myself. And if you know me personally then you are well aware that I am also an extremely stubborn and prideful person and I have always been one to refuse to ask for help...until this moment. I have finally come to realize that I just can't do it all. It took a couple people to drill that into my head but I have got to the point I can finally admit it, as well as mean it.
I have reached the point of feeling like I'm suffocating most of the time and the walls around me are closing in on me. My entire world was flipped upside down within a 72 hour time period. At 11 PM on a Thursday night I got a call informing me that one of my best friends of almost 10 years had passed away, and let me just say... the way I handled being informed of that tragic event was anything but graceful. I didn't even have time to pull myself together from the news before I received a call finding out my mom was being taken in for emergency surgery. She was being taken in for a hernia repair, the hernia was not causing any health issues before this so they never wanted to risk putting her under to repair it however it had grown so much that it was incarcerating multiple parts of her bowels and intestines.
As soon as I showed up I was brought up to speed quickly and given a stack of paperwork to sign to give them consent to do this surgery even though she was a high risk for complications due to her already present health issues. Even though I was current and knowledgeable of all of her medical conditions and risks of the surgery it was the best option regardless. If the hernia was not repaired and the bowels set free part of the bowels could have lost blood supply, leading to them becoming necrotic and that would have led to her becoming septic; so it was definitely best to go through with the surgery. From the time I arrived to the moment she was about to go under for the operation she was tachycardic, and pretty incoherent.
My mom has also suffered from sleep apnea for several years now. However, what many don't know is that going through life with sleep apnea can easily turn that treatable condition into a terminal illness. My mom has never smoked a cigarette in her life, nor has she ever been a drinker and she developed COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder) and CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) all from issues with her sleep apnea. So, what could have and should have been a simple surgery (a hernia repair) has turned into my mom being in worse condition then what she was before she had the surgery. I thank God that she survived the surgery but now I sit here for hours at a time having to just watch her suffer. She had major complications when they were weaning her off of the anesthesia and had to remain in a medicinal coma on a ventilator for multiple days following the procedure. Once she finally got to attempt to be off of the vent it was and is still a constant battle of trying to get her blood level gases stable and at the right ratio. She has also developed pneumonia as well which is adding to her breathing issues as well as slowing down the healing process of her lungs. She has been placed back on the ventilator a total of three times now since she was initially placed on it. She was off for about 3 days and had to be incubated again due to signs showing she could go into heart failure at any moment because she was working so hard to breathe just being on oxygen. Her brain seems to be retaining CO2 that leaves her in a fog 98% of the time. She has had to rely on a feeding tube since the procedure due to her failing any swallow test she is given, which means her esophageal muscles are weakened from the machines to the point where she can't even swallow water or any type of food for that matter.
A few days have passed since I started this account and I keep going back and forth on posting it hoping that she would start to improve but it seems things are only continuing to go downhill. I was woken up today by being informed that she pulled out her NG tube (feeding tube), she is currently in the critical care unit and remaining on the ventilator. They are thinking by Monday they will have to perform a tracheotomy to prevent her throat from collapsing due to the balloon that is used to keep the ventilator in place...
All of this has really taken a toll on me and I hate sitting here feeling helpless and knowing I can't really do much for her or my family. I also had to go through with a petition for a non-academic withdrawal from University Texas at Dallas since this is all going on so close to finals & that was something I tried VERY hard to avoid. I have also not been working given the circumstances.
None of this is something I would ever share with the public or social media but right now I feel like I can't do anything to help other then start this campaign for them...I even had to convince my dad to go back to work after he only got to spend a few days with her in here. I made a promise to him that my mom would be in good hands and everything would be fine and I plan on doing nothing less than just that. He was out of town for work when she had the initial surgery and was only home for a few days before he returned to work. My dad wants nothing more then to sit next to her every minute of every day but that isn’t really possible because we all know in reality the world doesn't stop for you when tragedy strikes. It breaks my heart that I can't even let him stay here with her knowing that is all he wants; even though it's what I want and need more then anything because I know if he isn't working their troubles will only get worse.
While she has been in the hospital my sister and I have helped with the move that was scheduled to take place the weekend of her procedure. Shelby and I are currently taking turns on taking care of their dogs while my dad is away. I am doing my best to unpack and set up the new place for both my parents during this difficult time. Like I mentioned before I am not one to ask for help but I am doing this for my dad, who happens to be the most selfless person I know and would give me the world if he could. However life doesn't always go as planned so we are doing what we have to do right now to make things work.
I know she will be here for weeks to come and I am almost certain my dad will find a way to come home early to be with his best friend, our mom. And if I had or they had enough money to allow him to be here with us during this then I would have him here facing this with me but as of right now it is not an option so I am finally doing something I would never do and am reaching out to anyone who is willing to help my parents if they can.
It asked me to set a goal but I don't really have one, my only goal is to get my mom better, my family stable and back home. All donations will go to my parent’s bills and the medical bills that are currently stacking up against them.
I know that was a lot to read and I apologize for the novel but I tried to stick to the main points. Some of you who know my parents personally also know they did foster care throughout my entire childhood and dedicated their lives to helping children who had survived tragic events, things I would never wish upon anyone. With that being what I witnessed and grew to know it has definitely helped make me who I am today and I believe this is why I am content with dedicating my life to helping them anyway I can.
I know not everyone can donate but for those of you who pray or believe in a higher power, any and all prayers would be greatly appreciated. <3
With love,
Kristen Young