I didn't go back up to the hospital tonight. I called up there tonight and the nurse said that he was really tired and was still resting pretty well. So I decided to let him sleep. They told me that they would call me if anything changes as far as him doing well.
He sat up in his bed again today and dangled his feet over the edge. Although this may seem mindless to all of us, this is a huge step for him and really wears him out.
Kelly(his nurse today) told me that tomorrow they are thinking of taking him off the vent for an unspecified amount of time. Today they had planned on leaving him off for only four hours, tomorrow, it could be for much longer. We will see how it all goes. He has come such a long way in the past couple of days, it's no wonder why he is sleeping so well.
So, I will post again tomorrow morning. Hope you all have a great night... let's see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully great new things will come.
Heather
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Happy Birthday Mom!!!!
First of all, Happy Birthday Mom! Do I have good news for you...
So let me go back to last night. I got a lot of grief from my sister for not posting here last night.... I apologize, I was pretty tired, and there was no change at all.
I went back up there and they moved him out of the "chair" back into his bed. However, they took off the air mattress on the bed, so now he is in a "normal" hospital bed . Once they put him in this bed, he was much more comfortable and was sleeping very well. Yesterday he was crabby. What I mean by that is you could tell he was uncomfortable in the bed(with the air mattress) and with that stupid tube back up his nose, and by the time they took him out of the "chair" he was tired. Very tired. He remained "open ended" until bedtime. That means he was on a setting of the vent that allows him to breathe on his own, but kicks in if he needs it. Other than the sitting up, and the open ended thing, there was no change. Stats were good and he had a slight fever. But he was restless the most of the day. So, last night I went back and sat for a hour, and he was a sleep the whole time. So, I left.
TODAY HOWEVER... we called up there this morning, and he had a great night. No problems and no vomiting. So, we asked when would be good, and she said the only thing on his "schedule" was changing his lines, so sometime after 1 would be good to come and visit...
We got there at 1:00 and WHAT A GREAT SITE!!!! The vent was POWERED OFF COMPLETELY... as in NO JUICE AT ALL!!! Peej was breathing on his own. No help.. they had him on oxygen flow, but his lungs were doing all the work with no back up plan... They turned the vent off for 4 hours, will let him rest with the vent on for 2 hours, and then take him off again for 4 more hours. Then he will sleep with the vent tonight and start again tomorrow. It was awesome to NOT see all the tubes from the vent there and that one machine is turned off completely. His stats were very good and this was the first time he was cool to the touch. (Usually he is burning up, and sweating)..
So now, he if off the pain meds, his sedative is being lowered, and he is REALLY coming off the vent. I mean, they kept saying that he was being winged off the vent, but until I saw it powered off it wasn't the same... today I saw results. PJ is almost back! He has come such a long way.
Also, when Lynette and I got there this afternoon, it was the most peaceful I have seen him rest since I have gotten out here. No moving around, no opening and closing his eyes, just resting.... That was nice to see too.
This afternoon, they are going to sit him up again.. put him in the chair again, and take him off the vent again. He should sleep VERY well tonight.
I can't stress to you how cool the little things are. Today Lynette and I were talking (in front of PJ) about Chris sucking out his boogers, and we look down, and PJ had a big smile on his face. It is so nice to see that smile. It's awesome when you tell him to wiggle his toes and he does.. the littlest of gestures make you feel so warm and fuzzy inside...
So, I will go back up there here in a little bit. I am sorry for the delay in the posting of the blog. Please know that if I don't post for a while, we are still doing the same routine... in the "chair", sitting up in bed.. or, he is just resting. I (or Lynette) will post more often.
That's all for now,
Heather
So let me go back to last night. I got a lot of grief from my sister for not posting here last night.... I apologize, I was pretty tired, and there was no change at all.
I went back up there and they moved him out of the "chair" back into his bed. However, they took off the air mattress on the bed, so now he is in a "normal" hospital bed . Once they put him in this bed, he was much more comfortable and was sleeping very well. Yesterday he was crabby. What I mean by that is you could tell he was uncomfortable in the bed(with the air mattress) and with that stupid tube back up his nose, and by the time they took him out of the "chair" he was tired. Very tired. He remained "open ended" until bedtime. That means he was on a setting of the vent that allows him to breathe on his own, but kicks in if he needs it. Other than the sitting up, and the open ended thing, there was no change. Stats were good and he had a slight fever. But he was restless the most of the day. So, last night I went back and sat for a hour, and he was a sleep the whole time. So, I left.
TODAY HOWEVER... we called up there this morning, and he had a great night. No problems and no vomiting. So, we asked when would be good, and she said the only thing on his "schedule" was changing his lines, so sometime after 1 would be good to come and visit...
We got there at 1:00 and WHAT A GREAT SITE!!!! The vent was POWERED OFF COMPLETELY... as in NO JUICE AT ALL!!! Peej was breathing on his own. No help.. they had him on oxygen flow, but his lungs were doing all the work with no back up plan... They turned the vent off for 4 hours, will let him rest with the vent on for 2 hours, and then take him off again for 4 more hours. Then he will sleep with the vent tonight and start again tomorrow. It was awesome to NOT see all the tubes from the vent there and that one machine is turned off completely. His stats were very good and this was the first time he was cool to the touch. (Usually he is burning up, and sweating)..
So now, he if off the pain meds, his sedative is being lowered, and he is REALLY coming off the vent. I mean, they kept saying that he was being winged off the vent, but until I saw it powered off it wasn't the same... today I saw results. PJ is almost back! He has come such a long way.
Also, when Lynette and I got there this afternoon, it was the most peaceful I have seen him rest since I have gotten out here. No moving around, no opening and closing his eyes, just resting.... That was nice to see too.
This afternoon, they are going to sit him up again.. put him in the chair again, and take him off the vent again. He should sleep VERY well tonight.
I can't stress to you how cool the little things are. Today Lynette and I were talking (in front of PJ) about Chris sucking out his boogers, and we look down, and PJ had a big smile on his face. It is so nice to see that smile. It's awesome when you tell him to wiggle his toes and he does.. the littlest of gestures make you feel so warm and fuzzy inside...
So, I will go back up there here in a little bit. I am sorry for the delay in the posting of the blog. Please know that if I don't post for a while, we are still doing the same routine... in the "chair", sitting up in bed.. or, he is just resting. I (or Lynette) will post more often.
That's all for now,
Heather
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