The one where we change rooms...

We made it to intermediate care!! Room 3410 for anyone who still wants to send an ecard. Last night was a rough one. He was running a fever again and was super restless. When you're the ice chip giver and your patient keeps waking up with a sore throat, well you aren't going to get a lot of sleep. There was also the worry and the steady stream of vitals checks.

This morning was rough. I started it by missing the Surgeon's visit. Can you believe I slept right through it?? He was standing 3 ft from me! He woke Mike up but not me. I'm sure he thinks I'm a pest with my gazillion questions. But if it weren't for my perseverance, he would never have gotten the breathing treatments that now make it easier for him to breathe. Then his Internist came in. He mentioned yesterday that I was the "chest x-ray girl" because I always ask about them. Well, pneumonia is a big fear. So today he checked them BEFORE he came in. He's learning. He ordered a CT scan to check things out because of the fever.

After he left, I noticed that the stuff coming through Mike's NG tube (the one that runs from stomach to nose and sucks out the stuff in your stomach) wasn't algae green like usual, but brown. When I looked closer I saw some bright red blood. Can I just tell you how badly that freaked me out?! I immediately got Bertha (the amazing super nurse) and the CT got upgraded to "stat". Luckily, the results came back okay, except for increased swelling and fluid in the left lung. Which is likely the cause of the fever. The doctor decided it would be safe to move Mike to IMC and before too long we were ensconced in our new room, on a new floor. It's a step down from ICU, a step up from a regular hospital floor. It's much bigger (he has to have private because of the compromised immune system). I now have a fold out couch to sleep on and we have a private bath (haha that only I use). It seems like the Hilton compared to what we had in ICU.

He got to lose the NG tube and is now on a clear fluid diet which means Jell-o. Lemon at that. He ate four bites. He also got rid of the catheter. He got up and sat in a recliner for 45 minutes and also walked about 10 steps. He has to be supported on both sides of course, but this is still progress. Also, he's now helping them to roll him over and change positions in his bed, he's no longer just dead weight. He was much more himself today, joking with the nurses, and Hildi. The nurses love him because he will try whatever they ask and is so laid back. They even told him how proud they are of him.

His Internist caught up with me in the hallway this morning and said~

Dr: Honey, you need to go home and get some sleep.

Me: I will. When he's better.

Dr: Don't you have a day job?

Me: (laughing) No. I'm a freelance writer and fiction writer. I have my laptop here and I work after everyone leaves and he falls asleep. I do think I might not make the deadline to get my novel to the editor now though.

Dr: A novel? What's it about?

Me: Well, it's a horror novel set in rural Illinois. About a family who moves from Chicago to the wrong town. It has to do with the Pied Piper fairy tale.

Dr: I know someone famous!

Me: Um. I doubt I'll be famous, but if I do get famous, I'll totally mention your name.

How am I holding up? I'm frazzled. I'm tired, I'm still worried and sometimes the close call takes my breath away. But I'm holding it together. I have the most wonderful support system. I did cry today, but it was tears of relief when the CT scans did NOT show some new horrible thing to deal with. And I cry every time my husband pulls my head down to his chest and rests his hands (poor slashed up sutured hands) in my hair. I know that he's trying to give me strength. But all I can think is how close I came to losing him. And how much I took him for granted before the accident. And how lost I'd be without him.

As we left ICU today, amidst hugs and promises to stop by and check on him, our "super nurse" Bertha told us it had been a pleasure to meet and work with us. That it was quite obvious how much we loved each other and our kids. That we had a great family. And you know what? We do.

Goodnight all,
♥Spot

PS- thank you again for everything. The cards, comments, ect really make our day. You all are our wonderful support system. I hope all my blogbuds will forgive me for not making it to their posts to comment. I would love to catch up as soon as I can.