An attempt at a word picture

I have not been down to the hospital yet, but it occurred to me this morning that it could be helpful to do a non medical overview. TJ has been in bed for 25 days, and after he was intubated on 21 days ago did not even have his feet touch the floor except for a few minutes the day before yesterday. The physical therapist thought is was great that he could support himself
sitting for a whole 15 seconds! His arms a legs look thin, his right arm is still a little swollen from the clot, and his face looks gaunt because the whole time he was intubated he did not use his facial muscles as well as any other surface muscle in his body. The ET tube looked to be to be about 3/8 inch outer diameter and that was through his vocal cords so when he tries to speak he croaks and it hurts. The inside of his mouth hurts from being open due to the ET tube for so many days and repeated suctioning which was required. When he tries to smile it fades quickly but his eyes still twinkle when he tries to do that. He has not lost the TJ eyebrow lift and uses it generously with the nursing staff. For about 22 days he was on a insulin drip and therefore every hour finger sticks to check blood sugars. He has had 4 deep IV lines (the genesis of the clot) and a thoracentesis and a spinal tape, plus numerous arterial sticks to check for blood gas readings. Since he has a working PIC line most of the blood draws can be done through that. He also gets several medications subcutaneously so by a small shot. He once had a total of eight drips each on an individual pump, a chest tube attached to a water vacuum devicewith a scar on the side of his chest to remember it by, an NG tube, 2 feeding tubes with a feeding pump, oxygen support ranging from a nasal cannula to a variety of masks to the ventilator. He occasionally has a racking cough that is obviously painful. He has been on a cooling vest that is chilled by a small refrigeration unit. Every piece of equipment in the room has an alarm. There is another tube that we don't need to discuss. His poor nose is pretty raw and extremely tender and stuffy to boot. When rehab starts in earnest it will include gaining strength and coordination to sit and walk and do stairs. Speech therapy to work on swallowing and speech, and probably OT to get his hands functioning again. I put a diet coke in his had the other day and he did not even move it! Turning, working with PT, or when I mess with him to wash his hair with no rinse shampoo leaves him visibly fatigued. He has an automatic blood pressure cuff continually attached to his arms with two tubes coming from it, 4 monitor leads with wires, and and oxygen saturation monitor taped to a finger. He has had at least 4 echocardiograms, 3 MRIs, 4 cat scans, a doppler study of his arm, a sigmoidoscopy, an endoscopy and almost daily chest xrays. In his room it is never quiet and some light is always on. Either a pump is beeping or staff are in and out, or there is noise at the nurses station (it is a circle unit). This is simply life in the ICU.

The final analysis of all this is that GOD IS GOOD! TJ has gotten the best care available in modern medicine and even with that, he is alive due to God's intervention. We are so thankful to be where we are today and are trusting in God's grace for the long road ahead to FULL recovery. I am so grateful for the support from all of you. It seems that when I get discouraged just the right message or comment comes through and gets me refocused on our God and not the stormy sea around me. Without exaggeration, I do not think we would be at this point without the earnest prayer of so many of God's faithful servants. I am humbled and grateful. When I tell TJ about the blog and the numbers of people praying he really cannot get his head around that yet and looks really puzzled. I can't quite get my head around it and at least in theory, I have been conscious! We have had incredible support from family, our church, RG, friends and neighbors, and the staff at my school.

Grace and blessing to you all.

Love, Mary Ann