BeaucoupKevin(dot)com | An Update on Carla and Lance.

There’s a Facebook group established, where got this update from Jason, Carla’s brother:

Hi Everyone,

We last saw Carla and Lance today at around 2:00. The staff were
working with Carla, taking blood and other samples for testing. Other
staff were completing Lance’s hydrotherapy (cleaning the burns). It
takes a lot of work and time to perform this for Lance due to his size
and also his tendency to resist the treatment somewhat. Cleaning all
of the burns is very painful and typically requires additional
sedation/pain medication. This is performed once daily and involes
completely redressing their burns.

Carla has burns on her arms, back, hands, and thighs, about 33% of her
body. Lance has burns on his hands, arms, face, and feet, about 22% of
his body. Fortunately, the burns on his face do not seem to be more
than 2nd degree and we are told his appearence will return to normal.
He’s pretty swollen right now. Their conditions are about the same
based on where the burns are and their degree.

Both Carla and Lance continue to be medicated and sedated (2 mg
Morphine/ hour and I don’t know how much Atavan) and are both on
respirators. Carla is being respirated at 15 breaths per minute. She
has increased the number of breaths per minute to as high as 22, by
breathing on her own. Lance is being respirated at 18 breaths per
minute and has gone as high as 24, also breathing more on his own.

Their heart rate and blood pressure are being kept stable.

The doctors will make rounds twice daily. Every Monday they take
photos and evaluate the progress of the burns. Any third-degree burns
will be treated with surgery as soon as possible. Dr. Lane stated they
might begin surgery as soon as Wednesday. If they feel that Lance and
Carla are strong enough, they will take skin graphs for the
replacements. If not, they will use cadaver skin.

The staff indicates that this is all normal in patients recovering
from the level of burns that they have.

The BICU has six beds, total. Carla and Lance have their own nurse,
each, as well as the charge nurse and several attending physicians.
The staff nurse in charge today has over 20 years of experience in
burn treatment and therapy.

Yesterday I watched them stabilize Carla after a drop in blood
pressure and, although it was frightening, it was also really amazing
how effective their treatment was.

We will call the BICU tomorrow after rounds and update everyone with
their report. Both Mom and I returned home (SB and SF) but plan stay
with Carla and Lance again on Friday.

Jason