For those of you who know Linda Giddens, I wanted to let you know that she is back in the hospital and is fighting a life threatening condition. She was recuperating well from her bout with a rare type of pneumonia. After having visited her mother, she went to Nationals, and returned home to have surgery for a cyst, which was benign. They thought everything was going well, when she developed Thyroid Storm, a condition that occurs in a small percentage of people who have hyperthyroidism. After fighting an extremely fast heart beat rate, dehydration, and other symptoms, they think they have it under control. She had a hard fight and is very fatigued, but she is in the recovery stage.

Saturday, August 22, 2009 7:25:11 PM

I'm sitting here with Linda and Dr. Chuck Ogburn.  Chuck states that he is very pleased with her progress, that she is in much better shape today than he expected and considering what she has gone through, that all her numbers are good, that her kidney is doing OK.  Her feet, hands and arms are very swollen but this is expected.  Her face is not swollen and this is good. Thank God for our water ski friends and our water ski friends that are doctors.  

Leonard Giddens

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 9:52 PM
Linda is back from having PIC line put in to allow her meds, etc. to go very near her heart. They have started that. Dr. Charles Ogburn is her lead physician and has pulmonary, endocrine, neuro and infectious disease people looking at her condition.  Her reports indicate that the Thyroid Storm thing is over but has done much damage.  One of her main issues is that her nutritional numbers are very low and they are addressing that.  Linda is very sick and needs your prayers. Please forward to her water ski family.
Leonard

Friday, August 28, 2009 6:34:23 PM

Linda is still in surgery after 4 hours but hopefully we have good news.  We have been advised that after removing 3 liters of fluids and much time looking they found a perforation in her rectum.  This area has been removed and she will have a "bag" for a while.  She will still be very low for a couple of days and will have to be constantly monitored.  

Please pass this along to her friends.

Leonard

Saturday, August 29, 2009 6:15:47 PM

I'm sitting here with Linda and Dr. Chuck Ogburn.  Chuck states that he is very pleased with her progress, that she is in much better shape today than he expected and considering what she has gone through, that all her numbers are good, that her kidney is doing OK.  Her feet, hands and arms are very swollen but this is expected.  Her face is not swollen and this is good. Thank God for our water ski friends and our water ski friends that are doctors.  

Please feel free to pass this along.

Leonard

Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 11:10 AM

It's a day for good news.  Linda is down to minimum assistance from her ventilator and is actually breathing pretty much on her own.  She only gets a "puff" occasionally. The pulmonary/respiratory will make the decision when to remove it.  All her other signs and ranges are where they should be. She has been opening her eyes. You can tell that she is not happy but we are. Jessica Ogburn RN, and another member of the Ogburn family, has been with her this AM and has been very encouraging.  BTW, her 5 year old daughter, Dylan, is skiing. 

Please forward this.  Thanks and love.  Leonard 

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 10:16 AM

Within the hour Linda is off the breather....This is great...She is asking questions. Her O2 level is 99% @ 3 liters per minute, she is running a slight fever but they say that is normal...Her RN is from Eastman, is beautiful and is top notch. If I were sick, she could be my nurse.  Linda is asking Lance lots of questions.

Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 5:17 PM

Linda's surgeon just came by and states that he is pleased with her progress.  She is sitting up in bed and if she can start eating light foods then she might get moved to a private room.  Tonight she will be given Ativan to help her sleep deprivation. She wants to get to a private room so that she can watch the college games on Sat. AM.  Her PT went to Mid. Ga. College and played baseball there.  He knows who she is and asked her where she went to college.  Her answer, "Callaway Gardens".

Thanks for your concern, love and prayers.  Leonard

Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 8:14 PM

Absolutely, go ahead.  The surgeon states this PM that Linda may go to a private room on Friday...Wait and see again.  She did sit up for a while today.  Gene this was just a thing of a "simple' surgery going bad and then being complicated by a horrible hyper-thyroid condition.  But her doctors state that there is nothing that can not be fixed and that she should return to a normal, active lifestyle.  She will have some "repair" surgery in months ahead.  Linda is a mini-celebrity there at the Med. Center as many of the staff knew and have learned about her water ski connection.  Many who don't know her have just come by to speak and check on her.  She has had hundreds of emails and cards from all over the USA and I know when she is able to go through them that she will appreciate each and every one.  God bless this great water ski community. 

Thanks

Leonard Giddens 

Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Linda was up in a chair twice yesterday and standing and leaning on a chair beside her bed twice during the night.  Dr. Chuck Ogburn, close family friend from water skiing, was in a few minutes ago.  He states that she is still very sick owing to the fact that she is still on a feeding tube.  Her nutritional level was at zero but she is now eating soft foods, puddings, grits, Carnation Breakfast, etc. He wants her able to sustain herself nutritionally.  She still has pains in her upper abdomen but he states that this is gas from her surgery and just that her intestinal tract still has not settled.   He also states that her improvement now is about 5% per day. Thanks for your emails and cards.  I have opened about half the cards for her but every time I get started there is an interruption. 
Thanks  Leonard

Date: Thursday, September 10, 2009, 8:50 PM

Things have been up and down the last 48 hours in Linda's progress but today she was much better again.  Yesterday AM started off with  nausea and much concern about her lungs and abdomen. They decided to take her off food and water for 48 hours to give her GI tract time time to settle and then will restart her food.  Her nutrition is being given IV and is much better than what she was eating.  Today her lungs and abdomen are much better.  This PM she was sitting and walking for over 3 hours.  Lance is with her and he has really jacked up her PT. She is eager to start eating again.  She loves the cards and emails.  The RNs are great in that they are all very encouraging and motivating.  They remind her over and over that what she had was pretty traumatic and that it is just going to take time to return to health.  Thank you for your love and prayers.  Leonard

Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:49 AM

Unless there is a miracle Linda will not be dismissed today.  But that is not a problem. Dr. Ogburn states that the only things left to decide are what meds her thyroid doctor will want her to take and whether or not she will go to rehab. The endocrine man does not come in until late in the day.  The PT lady came by again and watched her walk and states that she probably will not qualify for rehab because she is doing so well but yes to out-patient therapy 3 times a week and maybe some home health.  There is a caseworker nurse that eventually will put together that package.  The PT nurse states that her biggest issue is that she is too aggressive.  Of course, we knew that.  Thanks for your love.  Leonard

Wed, Sep 16, 2009

Some of you know already...Linda is home..Over and over the doctors and nurses told her on Mon. and Tues that there was nothing else they could do for her.  She still has a long way to go.  Two home health RNs and a PT came this PM  and stated that, considering what she has been through, she is doing great.  She walked 3 times around our circular drive.  Her PT says that she will be driving in 3-4 weeks. She will not be in her boat anymore this year. I am not used to home health supplies laying around but I am monitoring her BP, heart rate and blood glucose.  And, I am cooking what she wants.She had a special phone call this AM: Dr. Steve King, pastor of Mt Hebron Bapt. Church, of Montgomery, one of her special National Champions, and someone that she loves greatly. She was smiling from ear to ear. What a fine young man!  Some of your remember him. I will never forget the day that Steve suffered a water ski ending injury and how distressed she was.  She hurt worse than Steve.  Thanks for your prayers and love.  Leonard