FRIDAY – 11/21

FRIDAY – 11/21
A.M. – The word on Dad’s CT from Thursday is that it shows a slight decrease in the swelling and also shows that the bleed is smaller. The drainage fluid is not nearly as dark as it’s been in the last couple of days. He’s opening his eyes this morning, moving his head, and trying to talk. It’s really hard to hear him, but he’s certainly trying to let us know things.

After his respiratory session he was a bit subdued, but then he coughed a couple of times and really perked up. Whenever we’re holding his hands we ask him to squeeze and move his arms. He is definitely making an effort. I saw him looking at the Therabands tied to the sides of his bed, so I put them in his hands. Right away he started pulling against them, on the left side as well as the right. He obviously has the will to fight his way back.

NOON - Mom came and got me and said, "You've got to see what your Dad is doing!" I went to his room, and there he was, sitting on the side of the bed, holding a spoon and putting a bite of orange sherbet in his mouth. I was dumbstruck! There were three people from the physical/occupational therapy there with him. After a few spoonfuls of sherbet they put a cup of water in his right hand and only gently guided his elbow as he raised the cup to his mouth and took a sip of water. Someone asked him if it was good and he nodded. Someone else asked him his favorite flavor. Very clearly, he said, "Vanilla."

P.M. - The activity of the morning has pretty well tuckered Dad out. The nurse did come and put Dad's bed into a semi-chair position and get him to eat a few bites of vanilla ice cream. He ate about four bites but was obviously really tired out.

On the down side, Dad's running an elevated temperature again and we've been told he has a new infection called C-Diff, which is actually quite contagious. It's acquired as a result of having been on so many antibiotics for the past week; now all the good bacteria in his digestive tract has also been killed off. We've all been washing our hands when we enter his room, but we now also have to wash after we leave in order to prevent spreading to other people. He's officially in Isolation; any medical personnel who enter his room have to first put on a gown and gloves. A stethoscope is hanging next to his bed and everyone is using that one, rather than bringing their own in with them. Any machine that would normally be moved in and out of his room is now being left in there and will be disinfected later. They've started him on a medication that has a good success rate and they are giving him lactobacillus culture to restore his flora.

So, the question for today is, will they still do the shunt on Tuesday even if Dad continues to have this infection? We'll just have to stay tuned till tomorrow.