Watching and Waiting

The CT scan showed that TJ has the same amount of pneumonia in his left lung as he did on Tuesday when he came in. The drainage around the lung (the medical term is thoracentsis I learned) was actually 600 ccs, not 350, which is over two and a half cups.

By the time he became coherent again after the pain meds he said, "I don't know what they did but I feel a lot better." He also is looking a lot better.

The doctors also took the ng tube out (a tube through his nose to his stomach) which made him much happier, and took him off the by-pap and he is now only on a nasal cannula, e.g., a clear plastic hose of oxygen to his nose.

They are still waiting for the ilegus to clear so they started him on a nutritional IV as he hasn't eaten in four days now.

All of his vitals have been good throughout the day as well.

To sum stuff up for the day -- at least at this point -- he is feeling better but only slightly less sick than when he came in. In essence, we are now waiting to see if the antibiotics will help and if fluid returns to the outside of his lungs (plural effusion). The cause of all of this is still unknown.


Tonight his youngest sister will be spending the night with him as the rest of us try to find some rest. You can pray that TJ is able to get some sleep and rest (which has only happened once, and that was still limited) and that the rest of us are able to recharge as well.


We deeply appreciate all of your prayers! Jon is making sure that all of your messages make it through to TJ, which have also been many.

Special thanks to Jon and Chip's profs at Bethel who not only are being flexible but are praying as well, and to Mary Ann and Jon's co-workers who are covering well for them.

We'll continue to update this blog as often as things change, or occasionally, just to say that nothing has.

-The Addington Family

Edit: I meant to mention that the doctors who have seen the X-Ray of his lung keep commenting on how impressive it is. Meaning, wow, that's a lot of pneumonia.