Kaleb’s Room – The Technology and Decorations

I keep saying that I want to post about living in the CICU but I think I’m going to take a different approach and make mini posts about certain aspects of our environment.  The overall picture will be the “living in the CICU”.

The attached picture is Kaleb’s room.  I took the picture pretty far away, because I don’t want anyone to read the screens, violate any rules, etc.  But I did want to briefly show how amazing this facility is and the technology that is here.

Room overview:

 Kaleb is the center of attention and is in the middle.  You can see the green blanket on the bed above the 3 pull out drawers.  On the left is the medicine pole and monitors on the right and behind him.  The room can also act an operating room, and the operating light is in the upper right with frogs hanging on it.  If you look in the background you’ll see a blue screen.  Our bed and home is behind that.  In the other rooms we were beside Kaleb, but I like this arrangement better.  It provides a more private space, and we can still take the other monitor that is in the upper right and arrange it to where we can see it. 

The noises and monitors: 

Want to keep this as brief as I can (yes It’s hard for me….) but our daily life consists of beeps and monitors.  The medicine pole on the left has a high pitched ding, like an annoying bird outside the window.  Both monitors on the right are for respiratory and vitals.  The respiratory has a 3 beep pattern like someone hitting D# on an electric keyboard 3 times in a row, than repeats.  While the vitals is a continuous beep that sounds like the “going up” ding on an elevator.   Now, all of these beeps keep repeating until the RN turns them off, Kaleb comes out of the set range, or someone hits the silent button.  The medicine pole also has a sound like the pull chain hitting against the light fixture on the ceiling fan in your room about every 5-10 minutes.  You constantly have a beeping sound in your head.  I’ve started to get use to it, but sad that I understand what beep comes from what piece of equipment.

The monitors are the key to letting the doctors know what is going on with Kaleb.  We also know what most of the numbers mean as well.  You catch yourself staring at the screens just watching the numbers.  Especially during stressful times!  But to keep it short, there are 30 numbers total on three monitors that are all very significant and range from body temperature to heart rate sinus rhythms.  It’s scary to think that we are starting to know what each number means and when one flashes and beeps, we know what to worry about.

Decorations:

As many of you know, we have a frog theme going.  We are known as the froggy room on the CICU wing.  There are a total of 18 frogs in the room.  Little stuffed frog animals would be great gifts that people can send us to decorate the room.  It would be cool to have a bunch of hanging frogs from the surgical light.  I’m sure there is a point of overload, but daddy disagrees. 

Signs and balloons are also fun.  Two RN’s have made signs for Kaleb.  Sally’s sign was the first, and has a cool frog on it.  Not sure if you can see it, but it’s above his bed between the two white poles.  The “small” WRA balloon has been a “big” it with everyone!  We would love to have cards, signs, balloons, etc from our loved ones to use as decorations and to read throughout the day. 

That’s about it on Kaleb’s room.  I haven’t touched too much on our living quarters, but will probably do that later.  I also find writing and sharing these experiences therapeutic for me.  I’m not sure about Jenifer, and I hope I’m not providing too much information.  We have also thanked certain people in a previous post, but by no means are we being partial to anyone.   Every person, family member, friend, and unknown individual that is praying, thinking about, and reading this we thank!  Kaleb is where he is because of all the love everyone has given to him and us. 

I hear a little chirping noise.  Anyone know what that means?.... :)  Don’t even have to look up from screen.  We already know what to tell the RN.

Karl

Kaleb's Room