DAY 66: Amazing

Do you remember that a couple of weeks ago, Mom's doctors were pessimistic? I do, clearly. I remember the last rounds meeting before the Christmas weekend, on Friday, Dec. 22. Dr. Bost was gravely concerned that Mom was preparing to slip down from where she'd stabilized. I said to Emily, "Great, just in time for Christmas."

Well, guess what. Not only did Mom avoid slipping down, she improved dramatically. Since I last wrote:

• Her sedatives dropped to almost nothing, just a little Fentanyl to keep her heart from racing away.
  
  
• Her oxygen requirement is just 50%.
  
  
• Her PEEP is down to 10. At 5, they can start weaning her from the ventilator entirely.
  
  
• She's begun waking up. She's still dazed and can't talk yet because of the tracheostomy tube in her throat, but she looks at us, knows we're there, and makes expressions with her face.
  
  
• She's begun moving around a lot. She lifts her right hand toward the ceiling and then brings it back down to her stomach. Her legs are constantly crossing and uncrossing, her toes pinching parts of the bed and themselves.
  
  
• Her stomach wound is on dry bandages, a result of healing enough to no longer require the VAC system.
  
  
• Her lung drain is out.
  
  
• Her blood filter basket is out.
  
  
• She's off the rotating bed and onto a stationary model.

Not a bad rundown. Today, she actually sat on the side of her bed for physical therapy, a sight that brought Emily and me near hysterics.

Here's a picture of Nurse Nicole and me in a good mood at Mom's bedside. Notice that Mom's eyes are open and that she's looking at Nicole (click to enlarge):


I asked Dr. Sipple this morning, "Would you be willing to say that the trend lines are pointing up?" He replied, "Absolutely."

What a fine way to start the new year.