Family Briefing — Susan

• Susan remains admitted at Cedar Memorial Hospital on a monitored unit (6 West Surg PCU, Room E412 / Bed 02).
• Main immediate problems being treated: suspected aspiration-related lung irritation/infection + dehydration after vomiting/reflux and very low fluid intake.
• Today, the GI team reviewed the esophageal stent and cleared her to start clear liquids (including water) by mouth; tube feeding is being handled cautiously due to aspiration risk.
• A heart “stress” blood marker that rose overnight was rechecked this morning and is trending down, but she remains on continuous monitoring and an ultrasound of the heart is still expected.

Based on what’s visible in the hospital portal and today’s provider notes so far, this remains a real hospitalization (not just a precautionary visit), but she is currently stable on a monitored unit and not showing signs of immediate crisis such as needing ICU-level breathing support right now. The next 24–48 hours still matter because aspiration-related lung issues can change quickly and she’s being monitored for heart stress during illness.

As of midday Jan 3, things look cautiously improving with treatment underway — but there are still a few key areas the team is watching closely.

• Ongoing breathing checks (watching for any new oxygen needs).
• Tomorrow-morning repeat labs (CBC + basic electrolytes/kidney panel; troponin may repeat if needed).
• Culture updates (blood cultures are early “no growth”; urine culture is still pending).
• Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) result (if performed).
• Antibiotic and feeding plan updates after the next hospitalist rounds / nursing notes.

• Gastroenterology (evaluated the stent and guided the slow restart of oral liquids/soft intake).
• Nutrition team (to help with tube-feeding plan and hydration goals).
• Speech-swallow therapy (to help reduce aspiration risk when/if oral intake resumes).
• Physical/occupational therapy (to keep strength and mobility as safe as possible).
• AIM / palliative care consult may appear in the chart — often involved for symptom support (pain/nausea), not necessarily end-of-life.

• Chest X-ray — showed changes that can be seen with pneumonia.
• CT scan of the chest/abdomen/pelvis — ruled out a large blood clot in the lungs and showed lung changes that can fit with infection or aspiration-related inflammation; it also noted fluid sitting in the esophagus above the stent, which increases aspiration risk.

It’s still too early to know an exact discharge date, but today’s notes suggest she is moving in the right direction (stable vitals, improved labs, and cleared to start clear liquids/water). Discharge timing usually depends on (1) how quickly the breathing/lung picture improves, (2) whether the heart evaluation stays reassuring, and (3) whether oral liquids and tube-feeding can be stabilized safely.

• Earliest plausible: Sunday or Monday, if she remains stable on room air, tolerates clear liquids/tube feeds without recurrent vomiting, and the heart marker continues to trend down (with no concerning echo findings).
• More likely: Monday–Tuesday (a few days total) to confirm stability, finalize culture results, and lock in a safe hydration/nutrition plan.
• Longer possible: Up to a week or more if aspiration/pneumonia worsens, she needs oxygen support, cultures identify a harder-to-treat infection, the heart workup suggests a true cardiac event, or feeding/hydration can’t be stabilized.

Family is already beginning early planning for discharge needs (Susan, Linda, and Don discussed this today), but nothing is final yet.

The care team will generally look for: stable breathing, improving infection signs, stable heart testing, controlled pain/nausea, and a workable feeding/hydration plan before discharge.

• Next check-in: tomorrow morning we’ll confirm overnight status, breathing support (if any), tolerance of clear liquids/tube feeding, and whether the echocardiogram is scheduled/completed.
• We’ll send another briefing after tomorrow’s early-morning labs (often around 5-7 AM) and after the hospitalist has rounded (often late morning/early afternoon), or sooner if a major result posts (echo/cultures).

• Feeding instructions (tube feeds and/or soft diet guidance)
• Medication changes
• Warning signs to watch for at home
• Follow-up appointments and next steps

Included for family members who prefer more detail. Values below reflect the initial ED results (Jan 2) plus the first set of inpatient repeat labs (Jan 3 morning) visible in the portal at the time of this update.