THURSDAY - 11/20

THURSDAY – 11/20
Dad’s really sleepy this morning, not really waking at all. When we got here his nurse said that for today Dr. Smithson wants the lights on and for Dad to be stimulated throughout the day. His temp has been 98.6° since about 4a.m. It’s a relief to see him without the cooling blanket on.

After lunch – still asleep. Mom and I were in there when Physical Therapy came in. They worked his arms and legs for close to an hour and he never really woke up. They left some Therabands to use on another visit. Dr. Smithson came by around 2:15 and was talking about getting another CT. Dad coughed and opened his eyes as though to join in the conversation. It provided a moment of humor, but he drifted off quickly. Dr. Smithson then started doing all kinds of things to get Dad to wake back up. After about a half hour he said he might consider a stimulant, such as Ritalin, to get Dad a little more awake but definitely wants the CT first. He also tied one of the Therabands to Dad’s bed and told Dad he needs to pull on it to help his muscles. Dad’s sleepiness precluded any active participation, but at least they’re moving forward with the PT.

Whenever Dr. Smithson speaks with us he has a way of being very reassuring while covering all the issues that are at the top of the list right now. It’s so easy to sit here and just let the fear percolate. After hearing how Dr. Smithson explains it, I have a better sense of what to be afraid of today and what not to.

When Neuro came by the Attending was pretty adamant with Dad about raising his arms. He was shaking Dad aggressively and said, “Move your arms. Move your arms. If you move your arms I’ll stop.” Dad moved both arms. The doctor kept his word and stopped. David and I tried the same technique a couple of hours later. We didn’t get an arm raise, but it doesn’t mean we’re not going to try again!

They’ve scheduled Dad for surgery next Tuesday, the 25th to put in a shunt. They’ve tried numerous times to close the EVD but the pressure keeps building up. So, we know Dad’s in ICU at least till then.