Day 20

Not exactly FIREWORKS yet, but today was the best day since his surgery. He was able to tolerate the "proning" very well and it definitely helped his oxygen levels. Instead of 70 to 100 pressures he has been having for almost 3 weeks, it was turned down to 50. He was "flipped" onto his tum at about 10 last night and "flipped" back over at ten this morning. What I was NOT prepared for (but should have been expecting) was the way his face was swollen. He has so much excess fluid and with his face down, a lot of fluid settled there, so that his eyes and mouth were very swollen. After being turned onto his back again that slowly went away. However, he was "flipped" back onto his tum at six tonight for another 12 hours, so the process will be repeated.

There is a lump above his left eye about the size of a quarter, but thicker. I thought it might be fluid, but when I felt it, it is kind of hard. I asked the nurse, my friend Kathy, and a doctor. No one knows what has caused it or what it is. The doctor did say to watch it and report if it gets larger. I said it looks like he was dropped on his head, and Kathy said maybe a nurse got mad and bonked him. Now its YOUR turn to decide just what did happen. I hope it's gone tomorrow....

His back side doesn't have any bedsores....the bed does rotate him, and I guess it works... After being on his back for almost three weeks, no bed sores is a miracle in itself.

Stan had a very quiet day with good numbers on all machines....but the rest of CCU unit was in turmoil!! Our daily newspaper had headlines and articles of what turned out to be a "serial" killer. There was a young man found shot to death in his Bronco outside his home Sunday morning, a young lady shot on the jogging trail near her home Sunday evening, and a man hacked to death in his Palmer home. Then this morning another man was shot numerous times and his car stolen. It turned out to be a young man angry at his father (who he murdered with a machete) in Palmer and then traveled to Anchorage where he killed the man in the Bronco. He also shot the girl and the other man. The girl was jogging and he approached her and she acted nervous so when she had passed him he shot her several times in the back. He "chose" the two men because he wanted their cars. Why he didn't take the first one's car, I don't know. Phil and Kacee were "on the spot" when and where the police finally apprehended him by ramming the stolen car to stop him. (They were on their way to work.) The girl is in the room next to Stan and the man who is still alive is in another room in the same unit. The waiting room that WE have controlled for so long is now full of the girl's friends and family. The nurse who has been taking care of Stan for the past three days is a good friend of the the girl and all those others who are here for her. We have been in on police reports etc whether we wanted to be or not, since this all takes place within our hearing. She is going to be okay I think. Ryan, Stan's nurse, was in visiting with her at the end of his shift and she was awake. I think the other guy is more critical, but she is badly hurt and has had two surgeries so far and another pending. Her name is Liz. I don't know the man's.....but they could use prayer. They were all three totally random....because he said he decided after killing his father to take a few more. It could have been much worse, as there was plenty of time between each attack! It is so sad. The young man who was killed was a straight A student at the university where Phil goes, and reported to be a very kind and talented person. What a sad day for this town!

They take an Xray of Stan's lungs every morning, and the one they took of him after putting him back on his back showed "not a LOT, but a definite improvement" per the intensivest doctor. There are different opinions about the value of "proning" but after seeing his oxygen levels and his xray results...I think I am for it, even tho I see some discomfort and it is quite a task to turn him. We are so happy to hear of actual improvement to Stan's lungs for the first time. But today's news did put a bit of a damper on our cheer.

When I got home tonight I had frozen pipes, so no water. I am so thankful that Andy and Pete came home with me. They and Brian took care of the problem. It is supposed to warm up tomorrow (to 15!!) so I should be okay. I will leave water running over night.

I haven't got the ladder in to get my ornaments down from the "attic" yet, but I haven't had time to worry about decorating the tree yet anyway. It is a beautiful tree!! even if the Russians had NOTHING to do with it.

I hope I haven't been weird in my email today!!

I haven't been sleepy yet........I think I fell asleep for a little while in Stan's room today. I don't think he minded, tho.

Love you all...M