It is after 2 and we are back to a good status quo. Breathing tube is out and David is talking again. He is still having trouble sleeping caused by both the people coming in and out, and by pain caused by the chest tubes, this incision, and the wear and tear on his chest after the CPR this morning. He is fitfully napping and I guess that is the best he can expect for awhile.
His doc team may have been lulled into relaxation yesterday, but the morning's incident has them back to high alert. From the little that I know and understnad about transplants, complications are not unusual or really unexpected. His nurse is now headquartered in his room and numbers are run over and over again. the nurse just told David that they will not take the drainage tubes out of his chest today. Something that David was looking forward to very much. The tubes are incredibly uncomfortable and his hope was to get the tubes out and then some good sleep.
Funny how it all centers around sleep right this moment.
I feel like this stress of today is what yesterday should have been like -- day after surgery fears.
Watching the nurses' minute to minute reactions -- sighs, grimaces, swift then slow moments. I ask them regular questions but they don't do a running comtentary. right this second, something is not right. It may be corrected in another minute. They take more blood. David naps for 2 minutes this time. The nurse checks numbers over and over.
Before they took the breathing tube out of David's mouth, he asked for a pad and pen to ask some questions and let us know if he was okay. One of the things he asked was whether he was home when he fell. That scared me to death. I felt the chill. After the tube came out, he told us that he had been dreaming about being home before he stood up. And Cheshire and I heaved great sighs.
Sorry, but I dont have the patience for spell check.
3 comments:
I was literally restrained to the bed, as I kept trying to remove the tubes, etc.
David's hallucinations are VERY real at this point. Once you get him back home and have time to read, I devoted an entire chapter to my ICU hallucinations.
I'm glad he's coming back around. It will take some time. Right now it'ss minute by minute. I remember all too well.
God bless all of you!!!
Suzanne,
The hallucinations are so real. When I had the thoracotomy I had the same experience. I had 5 chest tubes running out of me for 2 weeks and they were connected to 2 collection chambers, IVs like crazy (although not as many as what David has right now), and I jumped out of bed twice due to hallucinations. Once I ripped all the bandages off of the large incision and blood was going everywhere. My little story does not compare to what David went through today, I'm only speaking to how real the hallucinations are from the drugs.
I love you al so much!
Traci
Oh yea, I remember that I would reach up to shake hands with people all the time and no one would be there. My family laughed for months about that one. :)
Suzanne,
I don't know you, only your words but you are obviously a strong woman with such a strong and loving family. You all can do this! God's love is with you!
Prayers coming your way from Michigan.
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