It's a great Monday

Good Monday to all,

This is the text message my sister sent my Sunday morning: Daddy/Papa update. Had a great night. stats r - HR 77; Oxygen 96%; BP 126/57. Versed is turned 2 low dose & he opened eyes & turned towards me when I spoke 2 him. Vent settings changed. Breathing on his own with 40% oxygen support. He was at 60% support yesterday. WOOHOO!

Dr C then came in to see him and said it was time to move along. By evening the Versed had been stopped and the vent was removed. Yes, removed! He did have oxygen attached to the trach but he was doing all the breathing on his own. Cindy put her phone on speaker and he responded to my voice. I cannot tell you the joy that brought to my heart. The plan is to get him moved to a rehab facility in about a week where they can teach him to swallow, eat, and walk again. After all, he's been a slug-a-bear for the last 3 weeks. My hope is to come home once he has been moved to rehab and I see how he does for a day or two.

And that brings us to today. Daddy was taken to radiology this morning to have the feeding tube inserted into his stomach. He was awake and oriented enough to be, as nurse Alex puts it, "pissed off". He has tubes coming out of everywhere, it hurts when then move him, and he can't talk. Unfortunately the tube could not be moved. The radiologist could not get to his stomach around his ribs. We are waiting to discuss the next step with Dr C. Cindy and I did have a long talk with 2 of his nurses and his respiratory therapist. We did find out that rehab will not take him unless his feeding tube is into his stomach. 

Dr C was just in. Daddy was off the vent for too long yesterday. His blood oxygen levels were low this morning. He was put back on the vent for the procedure this morning and will be kept at the machine breathing 6 with 50% oxygen for now. The weaning process is very slow with lots of ups and downs. As for the feeding tube, Dr C says rehab will take him with it in his nose but would be much better to have in directly into his stomach. This now must be done in surgery by Dr Hartigan. That means daddy will have to recoup from a surgery again which means slowing down on the vent weaning. 

So right now I am a little sad...that the feeding tube is not in, that he is back on the vent, that he will need another surgery. But the sadness goes away when I think of how far we have come. I continue to hold tightly to my Heavenly Father as he heals my earthly father. I can't worry about tomorrow, or even an hour from now. My God is in control and I trust Him completely.

Please pray that Dr Hartigan will be able to move the feeding tube with no complications. Also for his lungs to continue to heal. And as always, for the awesome nurses, techs, and physicians that are caring for him.

Standing in the gap for my daddy.