Mr. V's Journey To Recovery

Today at 4:33 pm, Mr. V passed away. He had fought so hard and long for 39 days and it was long enough to spend time with him and to make sure that my mom and I will be okay and can take care of each other. We were able to be in the room when he passed; it was painful and beautiful to see. He was finally able to be in peace. He is no longer in pain. He can now finally go home to Riviera,TX. We are going to Kingsville, TX and as soon as we know more details I will publish on my blog about funeral arrangements. My mom and I are coping the best we can right now and are so thankful for all the moments we had with this wonderful man. Thank you all so much for your love prayers and support.

My father has had a very long journey of ups and downs through out his life. Today his strong spirit could only do so much to help his body. He has been at Memorial Hermann since November 12th at 10:30 am. He fought so hard and today he is ready for a new journey.

Dr. Kreiger called my mom at 8:15 am this morning to tell us he is in the beginning stages of multi-organ failure. She wanted us to come to the hospital. We were already on our way and we decided to call everyone. My dad is one of eight siblings. All seven of his siblings are here and cousins and his aunt, Tia Tita. When we arrived the head of the Trauma Team told us he was already starting to go down hill. They had him on the maximum amount of medication and nothing is working. He has reached that point where medication is hurting him and not helping him. He developed a new infection on his leg which is a flesh bacterial infection. Normally they would do surgery to remove the dead tissure but he is so critical that it would just be detrimental to him. Right now their decision is to sustain him so that everyone can see him, then after that stop the medicine and they will give him pain medication and make him comfortable. The doctor said that he may not make it through the day. She said they did the best they could. I truly do believe that. This hospital is a good hospital. They tried and never gave up on my dad. They only are stopping because now its getting to a point where they are hurting him more then helping him and we do not want that. I am so thankful I had this time with him. He really was strong through. He still is.

My mom and I told him we love him. She said that her, me, Jonathan and Pollie will be okay and that we will take care of each other. We are trying to find strength to let him know that we will be okay and that he will be with us forever. He is still here and we are all doing the best we can to spend time with him before he goes forward into another journey. Thank you so much for your love, prayers, support and thoughts. We love you all.

We went to see my dad this morning and the doctors were in front of his room. They were discussing my dad's status and as soon as they were done Dr. McNutt spoke to us. She said that his infection has not gone down, he has had it for 8 days. She said that they looked at his rectum to see if that was source of infection it was not. She said that my dad could have a dead bowel. She suspects that because his acid levels are very high which should not be the case since he is on dialysis and also because he's on the medicine again to keep his heart pumping with oxygen and his lungs that oxygen is not reaching the rest of his body as it should and that sometimes causes a dead bowel. Normally she said they would operate on my dad to remove the dead bowel but he is so critical and his bowel are pretty much rock hard from them operating on his stomach so much that is out of the question. She said its getting to that point where the medicines are doing more harm then good for his body and this infection is in his blood and its making it more difficult for his blood pressure to stabilize. They are going to try more stuff today and consult with the renal doctors to see a different way they can remove toxins from his blood through dialysis but they have nothing else. No other options they are running out of options. They are going to sustain him for 24 hours and see what happens but after that, thats it. This is it, if my dad doesn't turn around somehow in these 24 hours they have nothing left for him. As I said before the medicine is starting to do more harm then good. If he does have a dead bowel it will just cause more of an infection and they cannot do anything about it because of his critical situation. They are going to pull more cultures and see if they can do a broad spectrum of antibiotics to see if that helps but they are going to see what they can do today. Dr. McNutt pretty much told us to let people know and whoever wants to see my dad this is it. We are working on contacting our family soon to tell them. I know he has been here before and all I can do is hope he pulls out of this. This time though he has an infection that will not stop. He has high ammonia levels and his Ph balance is too acidic and they tried to neutralize it but it didn't work. We told dad we loved him and they are trying every thing they can to keep him alive but that he needed to help too. He needs to show them his strength once again that he is a fighter. Prove those doctors wrong again dad because all I can do is hope for the best. I don't know what will happen today or tomorrow but I know I will be here for my dad as much as I can and let him know that I love him. I love him and that he was the best father ever. He spoils me, loves me, lectures me and is proud of me. I am too. I am so proud of him he has shown so much strength during this time. He has the spirit of a young healthy man and all he needs is to show those doctors that. I will update you more today as we hear more news. Thanks so much for your prayers and thoughts.

My dad's procedure went well. They found a blood clot in his colon and a tear in his rectum. They removed the blood clot but I missed the doctors (due to a work emergency) to explain what they are going to do about the tear. Nurse John said that everything went well and the doctors had already rounded on him and are basically going to monitor him today and give him more steriods and see if that will help with his blood pressure. I was in his room for a while and talked to him. I gave him a pep talk and said dad they are going to write you off like they did UT when they played Nebraska. You know what they won in the last second. I felt like a football coach telling his team we can do this. My dad has been here before and its just been a roller coaster ride. My mom had a doctor's appointment today with her hepatologist (liver doctor). He told her he has been there before, years ago he was in a bad car accident. He said yes that he has had bleeding, organs failing, everything like my dad but he came back. So it made my mom feel better and me too when she told me. He said its just what happens when you have injuries this extensive. Your body is in such shock it takes a while for it to get back on track. So I wanted to tell you he is still here and hopefully fighting all the time. Thanks again for your prayers and thoughts.

Today my dog pounced on me to wake me up and then I heard Lionel Richie sing "Hello is it me your looking for." It wasn't a dream it was my mom's cell phone ringing, her ring tone is "Hello" by Lionel Richie. It was 4:00 am and Dr. Krieger called my mom. The day before my dad had stabilized and they had gone down on his blood pressure medicine (pressers) so we decided to stay home last night. Well early this morning he started bleeding from his rectum again and his blood pressure was dropping significantly. We gathered our overnight bags and blankets and headed out to Memorial Herman by 4:30 am. When we arrived the front desk receptionist waived us through and we rushed over to STICU bed 20. Dr. Kreiger was there and explained to us that around 1 am he started having bloody stool and then his blood pressure kept dropping and they increased his dosage on his pressers to the max and he was struggling. They ordered blood and blood products. When we got there she said he was doing a little bit better but not much. Nurse Carmen explained that they were getting another type of presser but it too will probably have the maximum dosage he needs but they are hoping it works better. They are also hoping the blood and blood products will help his blood pressure too.

While we waited in his room, Dr. Kreiger was kind enough to get us another chair. Let me explain in STICU this is not like a normal hospital room they want the family members to visit but not to stay because they have to tend to the patient a lot. So normally there are no chairs or one chair in the room for a visitor. Two chairs is a special deal here. My dad was sedated but on his own the doctor explained that when your blood pressure drops significantly your body tends to sedate itself. His eyes were barely open. Dr. Kreiger explained to us that she called us because right now he could go either way, he could turn for the better or turn for the worse. She said she hates making these calls but that it is important for family to be here during this time. I agree. She let us stay for a bit to visit with dad this morning.

Around 5:30 am the Gastrologist or GI resident came in to examine dad. Dr. well I dont remember his name I dont think he said a name. Okay so Dr. Who told us that yesterday the GI team looked at my dad and had decided because of his blood thinner medicine and the tube for his bowel movements had caused the trauma to the rectum which caused the bleeding. At the time they didn't want to explore further because my dad had stopped bleeding. So they were just going to monitor him and since he started bleeding again now they are going to take action. Dr. Who and Nurse Carmen Christmas (she was wearing festive accessories) turned my dad a little so he could take a look if he was still bleeding and he was. Dr. Who said that he had blood coming out but it was weird clotting due to the blood thinners and the low low platelete count. He explained that he was going to call his attendee Dr. Wolf (seriously a real name or is it?) and see what they are going to do. He said they may do a semi-colonoscopy procedure meaning its not going to be a full colonoscopy all the way through the intestines but one that goes part of the way just to see what is causing the bleeding. He said it maybe something as simple as a rectal tear or a bleeding ulcer. He said because its during a time of shift change they probably will not do it until later this morning. At this time Nurse Carmen Christmas told us to step out for a bit since my dad was a little bit more stable she wanted to clean him up.

Around 6:30 am they called us back there again. Dr. Who wanted my mom to sign a consent form to perform the semi-colonoscopy. He explained the risks. He also said they may not see anything because of the bleeding and since it wasn't a full colonoscopy. They didn't want to risk putting my dad on anesthesia because of his already low low blood pressure which is what is required for a full colonoscopy. He said once they look and see what they find they will consult the Trauma team and see what course of action is next. So I guess now all my mom and I can do is wait and wait.

So this is what happened so far today and it is barely 8 am. My dad is very very very sick still and for a week and a half he was doing a tiny bit better but now we are back on that roller coaster ride. I told him he has been here before and he pulled through this. We went to the chapel this morning and prayed because all we can do is hope for the best. Please keep this going. Thank you so much for your love, support, prayers and positive thoughts.

My dad was stable this morning and the nurse said he has stopped bleeding. He was unsure about his condition because the doctors had not rounded yet. Finally around 11:30 am they rounded and my mom caught them in time. I was outside on visitor duty in case people stop by. Todd, the best volunteer in Memorial Hermann, came up to me and asked if I could go back there to STICU my heart was heavy. Well it turns out my mom wanted me in there to hear Dr. McNutt talk about my dad. She told us he is still very very sick, his liver, kidney and heart are still weak. They pinpointed what type of infection he has so they are going to treat it with specific antibiotics now. She also said probably because of the catheter he had for his bowel movements was irritating his anus and the fact he was on blood thinners caused his bleeding. They came to this conclusion after they removed the catheter and took him off the blood thinners and he stopped bleeding. He was on blood thinners to prevent blood clots and the catheter because of his messy bowl movements. The Trauma team still wants to consult with the Gastologists in regards of whether they should do a colonoscopy or not. They also want to put more a stint in his leg to prevent blood clots since they took him of blood thinners. They also put him on vallium because he was breathing too hard and he needed to relax. Nothing says reellllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaax like the rich lady's sleep aid. So he has been out of it today. Dr. McNutt reiterated that he made it through the night and thats a good sign. I took it as he is not a lost cause and there is hope. I know he is still very sick but he is fighting fighting fighting with all his might!

Well today he will be going to Intraventional Radiology (IR)to get a stint through one of his veins. Well since we cannot remember the Dr's name, my mom heard Vasquez I heard Galindo, Dr. Galindo Vasquez will be his name. Dr. Galindo Vasquez from IR explained that they will do a sonogram and find a good vein to put the stint in. They will take him to IR and inject him with iodine to see everything and place the stint through the vein in his leg and try to place it under the kidneys. He explained that the reason they want it under the kidneys is because if you place it too high it may cause less blood flow to the kidneys and you definately do not want that. Since my dad has been so sedentary they need ways to prevent clots from traveling and since the heparin (blood thinner) caused him to bleed they needed another method, hello Mr. Stint. I hope tonight he has a boring night, no need for excitement. No one needs another exciting night like last night. His body is still responding to the medicines and we want him to get better. Thanks for reading this long post and thanks for your prayers and thoughts.

Event: Blood Drive for Mr. V aka Roel M. Villarreal

Where: Cypress Falls High School
9811 Huffmeister Road Houston, TX 77095.

Phone: (281) 856-1025, ask for Christy Taylor

Date: Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Time: 8:00am-3:00pm

Please take time to donate it is very important because my dad is still very sick and he still needs blood and because of people who donate he is able to get better. Please let other people know about this if you can!

When we went to see my dad tonight we thought we would find him snoozing but we didn't. Nurse Janette told us he was bleeding in his stool and a significant amount came out. They think either his intestine is bleeding or an ulcer. They do not want to move him to get a CAT SCAN since he has been very unstable in the past couple of hours. His blood pressure dropped significantly and he can barely breath; his lungs are not functioning well. Dr. Bellester said "This guy has been giving me trouble tonight, I don't like that. He is losing blood and his lungs and blood pressure are dropping. We are going to give him blood tonight hoping that will restore it back to normal." My dad started bleeding in his stool around 5:00 pm and it has not really subsided. Its a slow bleed not like last time so they do not think an artery busted but they think it was a vein in the intestine. Nurse Janette said someone as sick as my dad, his intestines and stomach lining can weaken and can easily bleed. She said they hope to give him blood to stabilize him and that his body can stop the bleeding on its own. However there is another problem. My dad's infection is causing the complication. Dr Bellester thinks because of his eratic blood pressure and lungs barely able to function that sepsis may have set in but they are not sure. He said they are going to give him antibiotics, steriods and if need be more blood. He wants to make it through the night and stabilize him so they can send him to CAT SCAN tomorrow to see where exactly the bleeding is. He hopes it does not require surgery because my dad is too critical to be able to handle that. I know with my dad and his recovery it will be full of ups and downs, now is a down. I lectured him and said,"Dad the doctors, nurses, mom and I like it when you are boring and stable. We don't like the excitement believe me. You need to be stable you can do this, you have come this far." Dr. Bellester said he will be monitoring my dad for most of the night because he wants him to make it through the night and we do too. We were positive and upbeat with dad trying to get him to laugh. He did a little but bless his heart it wore him out. So once again my mom and I are spending the night at Hotel Hermann. We want my dad to pull out of this one like he did before. He has a strong spirit. I know its in there. We told him we will be in the waiting room nearby. Yes its a set back again but I hope he moves forward after this again. Mr. V is ready to get better he tells us every day he wants to go home. We tell him he needs to get better in order for that to happen. Please send over your prayers and positive thoughts and love and support to Mr. V. He needs all he can get tonight. Tell him stabilize be BORING, BORING, BORING. Tell him we love him and only want him to get better. Thanks again for your prayers and thoughts.

Update: They finally stabilized him at 3:30 am but he is still very sick, they are giving him tons of medicines but his body needs to fight of this infection. They are going to see how he does today and find out what is going on with his body.

Mr. V is resting which is good because he does have pneumonia and he is on some different antibiotics. Other then his blood pressure being low Nurse Robert said he was okay. We have not talked to a doctor yet. We know he is still here fighting every day. I really do cherish every moment I have with my dad. If have any updates on Mr. V, you will definitely read it here first! Thanks again for your prayers and thoughts.

I spent the whole afternoon with my dad. Well most of the time in the waiting area since he had to go to CAT SCAN and take a bath. Nurse Ashley told my mom and I that he has an infection somewhere because his white blood cell count was high. They think its pneumonia but not sure, so they took him to CAT SCAN to see where the infection is. His blood pressure is still up and down and up and down and they are working on why his body has not stabilized it. They are giving him antibiotics for the infection. Nurse Ashley said "After all he has been through he still smiles at us, he is a good life lesson. If I hear any of my friends complain about having a bad day, I am going to say you think you had a bad day, let me tell you about Mr. V. They better not complain anymore because I wouldn't." The Nurses love my dad because despite everything he has enough energy to smile to them and "laugh." He really is my hero, he has so much in him to fight and he is doing it. He is already ready to leave but we tell him no you have to heal first and then we will take you home. I told him all I want for Christmas is him to keep getting better and I said "Hey dad that's a cheap deal you don't have to buy me anything for once, its priceless." We did not watch Tiger Woods Scandal today, just his favorite shows, Law & Order, NCIS, Bones. He is definitely a fighter. Thanks again for your prayers and thoughts.

Mr. V is still here and alert. His swelling has gone down. His left hand has gone back to normal size and doesn't look like a baseball mitt anymore. His right hand is still a little swollen. They took out the last chest tube for draining fluid today, no more big tubes, only two little tubes but they are for his legs. He and I were catching up on celebrity gossip on Inside Edition. Can you believe Tiger Woods?! I know right my dad couldn't either. I told him he cheated on his wife with 7 ladies and now Jonathan just told me it is now 8, give me a break. Then we watched the news and of course his soap operas! Erica Kane will never die! Then I had to go to the dentist and that is why this post is late. He is still stable but very very critical, as Nurse Jennifer IV said he is progressing slowly. Hey I will take that any day! I hope he keeps going this way. Thanks again for your prayers and thoughts.

We got here bright and early by nine to see Mr. V. Of course he was asleep but hey he deserves it. He had a busy day with family coming over to see him. We got to talk to him for a second before he dozed off again. His Nurse Mary was kind enough to update us on dad. He is still full of fluid in his body, its so bad when they stick an IV in there it just oozes liquid but she said overtime the swelling will reduce. He is back on his pressers but they are monitoring it and they want to once again do a line directly to his belly to feed him. He also has a low hemoglobin count but not too low but they are monitoring it. If his dosage on the pressers go up and his hemoglobin count goes down they may need to give him more blood. So far that has not been the case. They have been giving him medicine for his liver to help it heal. They have to restore his electrolytes which are his potassium, sodium, and phosphates so he can heal faster. Can you believe that, I just thought electrolytes were just a marketing ploy to drink fancy water but we do need it but we make it on our own naturally. Of course my dad needs help in that area since he is still very very sick. Nurse Mary of Hope (interesting story on that should I be A.D.D. and tell you that okay I will)

Nurse Mary of Hope was the nurse that was in there when my dad was bleeding so much there was no hope. However when he started to get better she was still his nurse and my mom saw it as a sign that his nurse was named Mary and I think there was a halo over her head. Okay as I was saying she remembers my dad at his worst and even commented on how much better he looks. He is still very critical but is progressing well. She remembered when he was so swollen his eyelids were super puffy he could barely open his eyes. She was amazed how far he has come.

We are glad that he has progressed little by little, we will take baby steps to getting better any day over big slides backwards to getting worse. Well I just wanted to update everyone on this little bit of news on his status today. I am off to get some coffee from Cafe Herman (pronounced like a fancy French Restaurant). Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.

It is a slow news day today which is good. We went to see my dad this morning and he was sleeping of course. We tried to wake him and he woke up a little then went back to sleep. He has been doing okay so far. They are lowering his dosage on the pressers everyday so far but they have some new medicines too which I am not sure what they are for but whatever it is, its working. Also everyone's prayers and positive energy is working too. He is still alert but very tired.

My mom's friend and husband took us out to eat for lunch, we escaped eating at Cafe Herman for once! Believe me you can only take so much of Cafe Herman. We ate at Fadi's oooooh its so good I ate my weight in falafels and hummus. If you ever want to try Mediterranean food go to this place. Oooh I am turning into that blogger the ones that tell you what they eat sorry folks back to business, like you care I would but that's because I love food. Well we came back to the hospital and my dad's family was there, my aunts, uncles, cousins. They are so glad he is doing better for a while everyone was concerned since he had so much happening to him. Now they are much happier just like us. We went back to see my dad and the nurses were watching the Army vs Navy. Nurse Scott was a former Marine and Nurse Laurie's husband was in the Army so awkward kidding they were just teasing one another. I respect both since my dad and his brothers were in the army and my mom's brothers and nephews were in the marines. I know Uncle Danny Semper Fi but hey my dad was in the Army too! They told us that they wanted to change out his catheter for his dialysis machine, still have not changed it yet. He has been doing okay so far. Though since he has not been on the dialysis his blood pressure has gone up so yeah the doctors were correct in their analysis that it did cause his blood pressure to lower. I told him dad just control your blood pressure and get it better for Christmas. That is all I want for Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, we had a choir that were Mennonites and they sang christmas songs. They sang "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", "Drummer Boy" and "Oh Holy Night." It was beautiful singing, it filled the waiting room with joy. We all appreciated it so much especially being in this part of the hospital. It is normally not a happy place to be. Today is a happy day because Mr. V is still here and still kicking butt and taking names.

I am glad when my family and friends come by even if its just to visit with us. It lifts our spirits. Even when we get cards in the mail it brightens our days during this difficult time. We do appreciate it. Lets keeping praying and thinking positive thoughts so Mr. V can make a full recovery. We love you all.

Well yesterday it was a month ago that my dad was admitted to Memorial Hermann. He has fought the odds and so far so good. I worked this morning again and rushed over to the hospital to visit him. First thing of course was lunch, Chinese food in honor of my dad, he loves Chicken and Broccoli. While my mom and I ate lunch in the lovely waiting area, the ambiance is just exquisite, the receptionist called out Villarreal. Nurse Jen III wanted my mom back there to consent to them changing out his lines and adding new ones. He was going to get a new line to measure his blood pressure more accurately. Also they wanted to put in a new catheter for his dialysis.

Dr. Krugar (Its really Kreiger but to me it sounded like Krugar as in Freddy Krugar) told my mom that my dad is back on his pressers (blood pressure medicine) but they think its because of his dialysis and the infection he got which was not that bad. She explained that when people do dialysis this long sometimes you develop an infection. They are giving him antibiotics for that. I swear I know being in a hospital is supposed to make you better but my dad has had more infections then I could care to count. Oh well they have been able to combat them well with antibiotics so far. They are not too concerned about his blood pressure because his heart has been beating on its own and has been strong. They had to give him blood but only because of the dialysis, Dr. Krugar explained that happens when you are on dialysis for so long. His platelets are doing much better, though. So some good news there. My mom asked her about his bones and what they are going to do about them. She said they are healing on their own just fine actually and they are going to put a brace around his back and torse for his spine. They want him to move around more as in sit up in bed. He is not ready yet but when he is they will put the brace on him. She said his ribs actually found each other and they are healing well. Weird how are bodies can do that. Same with his pelvis but she didn't really elaborate. I was kind of confused by the pelvis comment because he basically has no pelvis it was shattered. My mom said she wasn't sure either so we will probably get clarification later. I have to remind myself they are not really concerned about his bones, its organs then bones. They are not focusing on his liver so she didn't say much about that. We were lucky we got these answers which I understand they are in Trauma and have to move to patient to patient to patient. Like I said I would rather flag them down any day rather then them coming straight to us, normally its bad news when the doctors look for you.

We went to see him later this afternoon and they still had not finished putting in new lines. He was awake but not as responsive he was just doing facial expressions, not much "talking." His blood pressure was low and they took him off the feeding tube again. He is going back to the nutrition through his stomach instead of through his nasal passage and down the esophagus. He was looking around a bunch though looking at all the machines and wires. I told him again believe it or not he was doing much better. I told him he was doing well because he is prevailing against the odds. I told him to keep it up. We watched some law and order in his room. With all the machines, tv and his heating blanket its a sauna in there. I am not menopausal but man it feels like I am having my personal summers (hot flashes) there. Of course my poor dad is freezing because again of the dialysis, when the blood hits the room temperature it cools it and then cools your body when it goes back in. But hey he is urinating more and more and its getting to be a normal color, they want it really really light yellow or clear. We tell him to be patient and that he has a long recovery but he can do it, he has come this far. I always go in seeing my dad happy and positive. I have to be this way for him and show him my strength. Not to say I do not break down and boy did I last week and the week before but now I am good. My mom and I are holding up well. We have to. Mr. V is a tiny bit stronger everyday but he is not out of the woods yet. For now he is on fire! I should put my finger on Mr. V and say *sizzle* "Man dad you are smoking" Thanks so much for your prayers and thoughts.

I went to work this morning so of course I always miss my dad when he is the most alert. My mom and Uncle Joe saw him and he was alert and "talking" a little and blinking his eyes. Nurse Jen III said they had to put him back on the pressers because his blood pressure went a little low last night but its on a low low dosage. They still have not put in an arterial line which measure blood pressure more accurately then a regular cuff like we are used to. I am not sure if I told you what an arterial line is but its an IV to a vein that measures blood pressure. Nurse Jen III said they probably will try again today to look for another vein to put in an arterial line. My dad will not like that!

He is still alert and doing better a little tiny bit. He is very tired though, I went in this afternoon and he was sleepy. He even mouthed to me "I am very tired." Yeah of all the people in the world he deserves naps during the day. My mom is going to try to flag down a doctor to ask some questions on how my dad's organs are doing. Believe me its a good thing when you have to flag them down because if they come to you its usually bad news. He had trouble breathing yesterday but today it was better, he is back to breathing more on his own and the machine is helping less. I forgot to tell you! He was getting measured for a back brace so he can sit up. They want him to sit up. What that means for his ribs and pelvis, we do not know? Again we have to run and tackle a doctor now to get some answers. He moved to a different bed in the STICU this one has a tv! So watch out we are going to stay a lot longer with my dad.

I have nothing else to report but when I do you will read it first on this blog. Thanks again for you prayers and thoughts.

Update: My dad was sleeping when Jonathan and I got to the room tonight and his blood pressure was really really low. I am just sending my strength waves to him tonight so he can build up his strength and have his body take control of the blood pressure on its own. I know he is getting better but its still a touch and go situation. He will have awesome days and bad days, so far he has had more awesome days! I told him to keep that up. I told him all I want for Christmas is him to be totally off his blood pressure medicines that would be a big stride towards getting better. I know he can do it he just needs that extra energy. I know I am babbling but since I cannot afford therapy, this blog has become my therapist. It is very therapeutic sharing my feelings about this. Well Mr. V just rest tonight and get your strength back up for another day. Thank you for reading my deep thoughts by Delena Martello. Again many many thanks for your prayers and thoughts.

If you are in the Houston Gulf Coast area go to www.giveblood.org which is the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and you can search where you can donate blood in my dad's name. Do not forget to say:

Roel Villarreal
Memorial Hermann at the Medical Center

Thanks guys!

Sorry for the late post folks but I worked and I am not going to lie I took a nap in the hospital, this can tire a lady out. My mom called me this morning to say my dad is non stop "talking" and my mom is officially an expert lip reader. He asked so many questions and they talked, she was there for a while. She said he has been off his blood pressure medicine for 24 hours straight. That is really good since he has not had that ever since he has been in the hospital so it means his body is maintaining the blood pressure on its own. That is there goal folks to get his damaged organs to repair themselves and work on their own without medicine. Way to go Mr. V!

My mom met me for lunch today at Los Cucos which was great, my mom felt good enough to leave the hospital for a little break since my dad is progressing so well. He is still very very sick but man his will is stronger then ever! Well I think my mom tired out my dad this morning that when we got to see him after lunch he was out like a light. We just stayed for a little bit and Nurse Denise said he looked so peaceful she didn't want to wake him for his bath. He hates those! My mom went later this afternoon again and she said he was still sleeping. That's good he needs his rest to get better. I didn't get to tell my dad tonight to be boring but I hope he is boring tonight, no excitement just rest through out the night. I have nothing else new to report but like they say sometimes no news is good news. Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts.

I worked this morning and my mom called to say he is still very very sick but getting better. She said he smiled and tried to mouth many words to him. She said it took her a while but finally realized he was asking her "Why am I here?" and she said to not worry about it now and that you are in good hands here at the hospital. I saw him today and he was "talking" up a storm (whoa whoa slow down buddy)but I am a terrible lip reader and had no idea what he was saying. Jonathan and I went in there and Jonathan said that he thinks my dad had no idea who he was at first but then he recognized him. Oh but maaaaaaaaaaaaaan does he not like the nurse. Nurse Jennifer III is a super nice nurse who is happy go lucky. But to my dad she was Nurse Ratched she was poking my dad with needles and moving him around. She asked him "Do you hate me" and he nodded his head like a two year old throwing a tantrum. She said, "Good hate me and shake your head it tells me you are more alert that's what we want." His arterial line that was an IV to measure his blood pressure was not working anymore so they had to work all afternoon to find another vein to put it in. NO LUCK! They decided to wait and try again tomorrow since my dad had enough. We asked my dad if he was ready to get out of here and boy did he shake that head fast up and down. I told him "Well dad unfortunately your house in Cypress is not a state of the art hospital facility with a world renowned trauma unit equipped with stellar nurses and doctors so you are stuck" Or is it? No its not, seriously. They are talking about moving him to another bed with a TV in the room, we are hoping so, since he is more alert now he can watch and enjoy TV. Man they will have to pry mom off the chair in his room if that becomes true. So in other words Mr. V is getting a little bit better each day. I told him to keep it up and that he probably doesn't believe that he is actually better then he was before. I said "Dad there is plenty of time to tell you what happened." They took out one of his chest tubes that drained fluids on his right side since he was not draining anymore fluid. He is recovering well from his urinary tract infection, he is producing more urine and its getting lighter. So yay some little victories. He is still very very very very very sick but slowly he is getting better. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts for Mr. V and his recovery.

Saw him this afternoon his eyes were open and alert. I forgot to say he does have a urinary tract infection which he has antibiotics for. He also is off the feeding tube for now but I think they are weening him off the feeding directly to his stomach and slowly replace with the feeding tube through his nose. He was off the blood pressure medicine for now. I am hoping his body will slowly begin to control his blood pressure on its own and he will totally be off the pressers (doctor talk for his medicine for blood pressure which is Norepinephrine). I am learning a lot about the human body maybe not as much as my cousin Robert who is in medical school now but enough for my pea brain to be in awe of all of it.

I also wanted to make it clear because I know some people who have not seen my dad don't truly understand how critical he is. He is immobile because of all the fluid in his body and can only really move his head a little. He is so stiff and swollen it hurts him if a nurse even picks up his arm to change his dressings. He cannot talk at all because of the tracheostomy which causes you to lose your voice because it goes directly in your trachea. So he was badly injured and its a miracle that he is still here. He is fighting his way back to normalcy. It will take a long long long long long long long time before he gets there but if he keeps this up he will get there. Now on to more lighthearted fair, please enjoy this picture of my dad's favorite grandpuppy, the infamous Pollie Oprah Martello: ( I tell dad every day she misses him feeding her his dinner scraps)

I went to work this morning and my mom called me and sounded serious, I almost had a code brown (ask my Aunt Gloria and cousin Joey about that). However she quickly sounded chipper when she said," I have the quote of the day from Dr. [Positive McHappypants]" My mom has the habit of writing down what doctors say in her notes as quotes of the day and I in turn tell it to you my lovely audience. Here is how the exchange went down with her and McHappy:
"[Your husband] is very very very sick but getting better; you must have a lot of people praying for him"
"Why yes we do, a lot of people are praying for him."
"Well keep it up it's working"
Dr. McHappy (nickname) is the new head trauma surgeon for the team and Dr. McNutt (not nickname) is still on the team. Dr. McHappy was grilling her, Dr. McNutt, about what they are doing to my dad and he was joking with her. He said that my dad looks good from what he can tell why is he still in ICU? (Of course Mr. V always looks good) Dr. McNutt was getting defensive and upset and Dr. McHappy was just being lighthearted and jovial. He quickly told my mom that not to take offense because when they start joking about patients it means they are getting better because if my dad was not he said he would not be joking at all. So I took that as a really good sign. Last couple of weeks he had two doctors and two nurses tending to him non-stop, to now where he only has one nurse tending to him.

I saw him this afternoon, Nurse Christine had just gave him some pain medicine because she was changing his dressings. But maaaaaaaaaaaan when she started moving my dad around he did not like it he grimaced then clenched his teeth and then let out a "scream" (not an actual scream since he has no voice yet because of the tracheostomy). I know some of you would say hey that is terrible but to me its a good sign because last week he had no response maybe a little frowny face to say he was in pain but now he can move his head a little and do all those expressions. He is becoming more aware. I know that my dad is very very critical still but he has come so far. I think it boggles the doctors' minds that a man in his 60s with a heart condition and is hefty can make it so far. They have him on his blood pressure medicine again but at a very very low low dosage, super low. But they are going to try to get him off of it completely. We saw he was back on an actual feeding tube again with some nutrition. I hope this "food" will give his body energy to heal. He needed some blood today but only because his blood count was low but not at a dangerously low level. I heard that the nurses who had tended to him are all pulling for him because he is tough and a fighter. That was so good to hear. I only hope he still heads towards the right direction. Thanks so much for your prayers and thoughts.

Last night my mom and Uncle Rudy went to see my dad around 8:00pm when visiting hours started again. I was catching up on my tv on hulu.com, its an awesome website for people who do not have DVR. Anyways when my mom and uncle came back I asked how dad was doing and if he was blinking more. My mom said that Mr. V was blinking and trying to mouth words again. I just about dropped my open my mouth to the floor. Oh but it gets so much better. She said they saw a doctor and waived her over to dad's room and asked about my dad's condition. I was expecting the "he is still stable but not getting better or worse condition" but instead she said that his heart was beating on its own with no medicine and he was completely off his blood pressure medicine and that he was maintaining his own blood pressure. That completely floored us but not really because we all knew Mr. V had it in him. Tell my dad he has a weak heart when we all know he has the biggest strongest heart there is. She continued to tell my mom of course he is still very critical but if keeps this up he is heading in the right direction. She made it clear to my mom this will not be in a couple of days or weeks but in the far future if he keeps it up. My mom and I know this because he did sustain very serious injuries that of course his body needs plenty of time to repair itself. She said his kidneys are still damaged but right now they could go either way, restore themselves or he could have chronic kidney damage and need dialysis for the rest of his life. My dad has been there before he can kick start those kidneys. His liver is still damaged as are his lungs. But he is still here and has been stable since Tuesday when they dropped the bomb on us (reminder: told us he had multi-organ failure). My Tia Sylvia told my mom that my dad has lasted this long because God wants him here with us. I am not a very spiritual person but I do believe that my dad is still here with us for a reason, he has more life to live.

When I saw him finally last night, I just blabbered on and on about stuff. Told him my friend's cheesy joke she posted on facebook about Tiger woods, What do you call a Tiger? A Lion Cheetah, get it, yeah I laughed but i love corny jokes. I think my dad tried to laugh or roll his eyes. I had to update him on celebrity gossip, I am trying not to watch real news right now because yeah I have enough to deal with then listening about sadness everywhere. He tried to talk to me too! I was so happy but it zapped all his energy so I just talked to him until he fell asleep and said we will be back early to read Da Vinci Code to him. So I have to finish getting ready folks to head out to the hospital. I will update more if there is anything that changes. Thanks again for your prayers and thoughts.

We saw my dad this morning and he has been pretty stable. He did not give the nurse any trouble last night. While my mom spoke and touched his forehead he started to open his eyes more and blink. We just love when he is more alert. He is still the same not better but not worse. We are hoping his spirit will finally give his body the strength it needs to heal. We are not giving up on you Mr. V! So hopefully today will be a slow news day. He is okay still in very very very very very critical condition but he is still here and stable. Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers.

We were running a little late to the hospital this morning because it decided to snow! The roads were not icy thank goodness but my mom still drove 10 mph, so yeah people walking outside were zooming past us. But she is taking my dad's advice better safe then sorry and no need to rush. We had to wait to see Mr. V because Nurse Jen was cleaning him to look good for his ladies. He did look clean and refreshed we noticed they went down on his pressure medicines, I guess the steriods they are using are working. We have not talked to doctors today because right now we just want to spend as much time as we can with Mr. V. He is still here and still fighting. He looks more alert each day. My mom is reading to him right now so I excused myself and said I will be back to tell him crazy Pollie (my dog) stories. So for now nothing really new other then oh yeah the dialysis machine was not working correctly again! Nurse Jen said she just probably needed to change the cartridge and the filter so we will hope that will work. So lets hope for a slow day today folks of just the nurses and doctors monitoring my dad and letting him build strength. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes.

Update: My dad is still not doing better or worse he is at a stand still. My mom and I are spending as much time as we can with him when we can but also letting him rest. We even braved the weather like mail carriers, through wind and rain and snow to see my dad. I am cherishing every moment with him and I always have. I love him and I let him know everyday.

I went to work this morning (my choice) so yes it is late but hey like my uncle said no news is good news so its a slow day today which is good. Dad had a stable day yesterday and so for he is been okay today. My mom read to him this morning, they are reading The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. I recommended it since my dad likes history but my mom likes mystery both things, its not really accurately historical but hey its fiction people, best of both worlds in other words. My mom said she waited until the doctors did their rounds. The doctors said that he is somewhat responding to some medicines, overall he is still in critical condition, but he is not getting better or worse they want to try new things to get him better. They may try a steroid to regulate his blood pressure and see if that works better. So again he is still the same. We are grateful for days like this right now that he is not getting worse and hopefully he will get better.

I went to see my dad and he is blinking more and when I started to talking to him his blood pressure went up. Nurse Jen said he recognized who was here, he was aware I was there. So I talked to him and said to him that its my turn to motivate him and tell him he is a strong person and he will persevere. He has been my support and strength for most of my life so I told him its my turn now. I know he understands me because he blinked and tried to move his mouth more but I told him that is great but not to over exert himself and just relax and and build your strength in repairing your body.

So consider it a good thing that my posts are getting smaller and less dramatic and I am not posting as much, it means Mr. V is still here and fighting. So tune in later for more updates but we want some good ones, I know I do. Thank you again for your prayers and thoughts.

I saw my dad today and he is in there. My mom told me that he is still losing platelets so they want to only get it from one donor instead of multiple, to see if that makes a difference. They are also doing a line directly to his stomach to feed him and give him nourishment to see if that will strengthen his body to help his organs. It really is a small chance of working but they are doing everything they can to help Mr. V win this fight and recover. My dad is sleeping now and just resting. I feel he wants to come out and be strong physically again like he is spiritually. I can only think positively and be strong. As I said before I am not ready to let him go. I am ready for him to get better. All we can do is think positive and pray. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers, we love you all.

Update: My dad also got a DVT filter in his vein in his legs to prevent blood clotting since he has been immobile for a while. I hope everything they do is helping him.

I had to work today, so I came to the hospital at 3:15 pm and my mom was in the back waiting area behind closed doors. She was there with a chaplain. The chaplain said that Dr. McNutt (not a nickname) had told my mom that my dad had multi-system organ failure. His heart, lungs, kidney and liver are not functioning on their own anymore or are very weak and that they have to use medicine and his dosage only keeps going up. The chaplain continued and said the trauma team will keep doing what they are doing but soon the medicine will not work anymore and his organs may not be able to function on their own. His heart is weak because of his triple bypass and it is barely functioning correctly. They basically said that they would not rescicitate if his heart stops beating because of his severe internal damage he only has less then 1% chance of his heart to start beating again. The doctors are saying medicine can do so much the rest is up to Mr. V and right now his body is not well its only getting worse. He has total renal failure his kidneys are not working at all. They cannot tell us if his organs will be able to work on their own again only that the outlook is not good. We are going to be strong for my dad and see him as much as we can. We are going to talk to him and tell him we love him and not think of this as us saying goodbye but being with someone we love and giving him strength. I told my mom whatever happens to dad I know in my heart the doctors did all they could for him because these are the best doctors and nurses in Houston maybe even the world. I am cherishing every moment I can with my dad right now. Ugh this is really hard to type as my eyes get watery but I love my dad. He is a great dad and I know he has many "sons" and "daughters" out there whom he looked after as if he was their own dad. I never minded sharing him even though I am spoiled rotten, my dad had enough love to spread to everyone. I cannot be to sure what will happen to my dad but I do know I want to spend as much time as I can with him and tell him he is a good husband and father. Its out of my hands his fate but whatever it is I want him to know that lots of people love him and we want him here with us. His spirit is so strong but right now his body needs that strength and I know he is trying with all his might. So he had been stable for some days now but they had hoped he would get better and he hadn't.

He is now getting a new line again for his dialysis because it still is not working right. He is in IR right now so we are just waiting until later when we can go into see him again. Its hard for me to believe that this is it I am not accepting that because I cannot give up on dad and I have to be strong. I don't want him to think we have given up on him. I know he is not very responsive right now but I know he can hear us and sense our feelings. So I want to be there for him and be strong. My mom and I are strong women and we are just going to combine our strength and pray for the best. We love everyone and this is a brutally bleak and honest blog but we want you to know because we know you are concerned about Mr. V like we are. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.

I am on break from work so quick update. Talked to my mom and she said he is doing a tiny bit better in most things they tested him for. His dialysis machine is still not working right (why they cannot get a new one is beyond me). She said he is doing okay today. So I hope he keeps it going. Go Mr. V you can do it! Thanks so much for your prayers and thoughts!