Day 21

It is Wednesday morning. I decided to write my Tuesday update after a night's sleep and hopefully make sense ...

When I arrived at the hospital around 8:30 a.m. (I am not allowed in between 7 and 8:30 due to shift change) I found Stan already "flipped" back onto his back. The puffiness in his face that comes from being on his stomach was already mostly gone, as the "flipping" had taken place at six a.m.

It was a very quiet day for him. He rarely had to cough or be suctioned, and his oxygen levels have been truly wonderful. The pressure has remained at 50%, and his intake number has been 97 to 100% all day. I don't think I saw it drop lower even when they would turn him from side to side. We are hoping his pressure will be lowered even further, meaning his lungs really are improving, and they will start waking him up.

Last night we weren't allowed back in to see him until after nine p.m. and I thought they were "proning" him again. It turned out that during the earlier proning his arterial "port" had shifted so they decided to replace it. No, that is not the right one....it is the one in his vein that they replaced; the one that all the intravenous meds are given through. It used to be in his neck, but a few days ago they put it up through his left arm above the elbow. It runs from there, across his chest to just above his heart. It is also used to measure the pressure in his heart, and there is a formula they can use to determine the pressure in his brain. The arterial one was sewed into his right wrist for a couple of weeks, but is now in his left wrist. It continually measures his blood pressure.

The stitches were removed from his trach last night, and it is really looking good. He looks so much more comfortable without the large tube in his mouth. The feeding tube is very small and is again going through his nose. I am assured this is "hardly noticeable" to him. So far there has been no new mention of putting it directly into his stomach. I think they will wait for him to wake and see if he still cannot swallow.

His nurse did tell me last night that he was a bit more wakeful, because they had to turn off all the meds for over half an hour while they replaced the line into his arm. Katrina said she felt his fingers "twitching" in his right hand. Baby steps....I am always being told to rejoice over baby steps!!

As of last night, his ventilator pressure has been at the 50% number for over 40 hours!!! This, in the light of the past three weeks, is more like a giant step. So please keep praying and EXPECT more giant steps.

I won't know if he was proned last night or not until I get to the hospital. It is a big job for the "crew" ...it takes several people who must work as a very careful team. He is a big man and has such a multitude of tubes and wires that have to be carefully attended to during the "flipping."

Our grandson Isaac arrived last night. Andy, Grace, and Pete picked him up and took him to see "Papa" before taking him to Wasilla for a good night's rest, I hope. His plane didn't get in until just after midnight. I haven't got to see him yet. I got home just after 11....I seemed to be awfully tired yesterday. I woke up at 2:20 something with no covers on last night, and then again this morning at 5 something, so I finally got up and decided to get my update written and start the day. I had my alarm set for 7, and just now when I kept hearing an alarm going off, I ran downstairs to make sure Phil was UP...but his alarm wasn't making all that noise...it was mine! heehee He will be leaving soon. Today he is actually teaching a grade school class (substitute). He is working as a teacher's aide in preschool, but the teacher that had to be gone today asked for him!! Cool, huh!!! He felt very honored.

The church is still determined to protect me from any weight loss!! We had a delicious meal brought in last night. I had made me a peanut butter and jam sandwich, but it is now saved for today's lunch.

I need to get ready to go, so will say goodbye for now. (The shooting victims are improving. PTL... and one of you has expressed concern for the young man's soul who did the rampage. Let us pray for him, too!)

Love, M