As we wait for morning rounds, we anticipate that a few things will happen today. These are just anticipations. I'll fill you in again after rounds.
The first is that Lars will likely be transferred out of the ICU. They may send him to an intermediate care floor or a regular care floor. My hunch is that it will be an intermediate care room. The timing of his departure depends on the availability of the room to where he is going--kind of like a hotel. They need to clean the room to get it ready. Typically it will be middle of the day or early afternoon.
Next I anticipate that he will be able to have his chest tube removed. It has become more noticeable to him from a pain standpoint. I guess that is reasonable that it would hurt to have a 3/4 inch tube stuck through your chest wall. We lovingly call it his exhaust pipe.
He has had some difficulty with nausea. They may start him slowly on a clear liquid diet. Clear liquids are delicious things like Gatorade, jello and chicken broth. It's not much but it feels like a feast after not having anything cross your taste buds for a few days.
Lastly, I anticipate that they will continue to advance his physical therapy. He gets tired easily for lots of reasons. His red blood count is a little lower than what his body is used to. It will come back quickly in a 17 year old, but in the mean time it means he'll get tired easily.
Hang in there Lars (and family)! We are all still rooting for you from the Flathead. A Lars update was the first order of business at Institute last night and everyone got the blog address-most already knew it. An exhaust pipe huh? I'm sure that sounds cooler than it is, even for a guy;o) We'll keep praying for you to lose that particular piece of equipment, and the O2 mask as well.
ReplyDeleteWish we could be there to hug your body-gently of course. Hope you can feel our love across the miles because we're sending lots of it your way.
We hope you get a change of scenery today too, cause that will mean your getting better and stronger. Love you Lars!
We are so glad to hear you are making such wonderful progress. We continue to pray for you and your family.
ReplyDeleteLove from the Woodland Family