Day 31, Friday

Taken after a nice long nap

Everything went well with the colonoscopy and they didn't find anything which is a huge relief. The doctors are basically saying that his body has gone through so much trauma, pain meds and antibotics block your system up and then they gave him relief to unblock him and usually time will make it all right again. In other words, they don't know what is wrong with him. He managed to eat a small bowl of oatmeal this morning and some juice and had some chicken, linguine and carrots for lunch and of all things cheese cake and managed not to have any issues throughout the entire day. As a matter of fact he slept all day and woke up at 5:00 and I said "you slept all day and now that you are awake I'm going home." He was actually sitting up watching the news and eating an Italian ice and in good spirits. He's so relieve to have that rather messy prep and test behind him. I've gotten to be friends with this other lady who also has a loved one in the hospital for the entire month we've been there and when she came in this morning she said she brought a cork and a hammer to stop Leonard up with!

The doctor said this evening that if Leonard does well over the weekend she will release him on Monday to go back to the rehab hospital. Let's pray that happens.

Day 30 Thursday

Another day of the same but today we added the prospects of a colonoscopy at 6:45 AM tomorrow morning. Had to drink the gallon of disgusting medicine all afternoon. He's exhausted, depressed and scared. We just want some answers and so far the doctors don't have any. He says "I just want to go home". Believe me I want him home too. Even though I'm with him each and every day from morning until early evening I miss him and can't wait until he is back with at home where he belongs.

Day 29, Wednesday

I spoke too soon. He was doing so well yesterday afternoon but he had an awful night and this morning he was still having the diarhea. None of the cultures or blood work is showing any infections whatsoever. The doctors are baffled to say the least and we are just frustrated. He just wants to feel good so he can do his rehab and come home. This is putting him behind schedule and he doesn't like it. Everyday we think it will be the day that he's back to some normalacy and can be released, but it's not happening. Patience isn't one of Leonard's strongest virtues.

He did get the staples out of the hip and it feels good. His trauma doc came by this morning and just listened to his lungs to make sure all was well and he was pleased. The hole where the trach was, is making lots of funny noises which is normal. It will take a couple of days to close. It's amazing how that closes up all by itself. It's like a large body piercing!

We are ready to advance to the next chapter so let's hope it happens sooner rather than later. Keep those prayers going as we have a long road ahead of us.

Day 28, Tuesday

He is growing his beard and mustache until he gets to go home.

Leonard was still having issues all through the night and into the afternoon and then all of a sudden he started feeling better and has been good ever since. I think he may be on the mend, at least we are hopeful. The cultures are coming back with no significant signs of infection but they are giving him some pretty high powered antibiotics as if he did have an infection. The gastro specialist came in and put him on an all clear liquid diet in hopes that it might help as well. He has been very lathargic since he was re-admitted to the hospital,but his spirits lifted this afternoon which makes my spirits lifted as well. We may be able to go back to the rehab hospital tomorrow.

The trauma doctor who headed up his team of doctors from ICU came in this morning before I got there and removed the trach; that was a big relief. Respitory said his oxygen levels are excellent and even removed the oxygen tube that was in his nose. His orthopedic doctor's associate came by late this afternoon and looked at his hip and ankle. He okayed the removal of the staples that start in the middle of his back all the way down to the top of his thigh to be removed but the leg and ankle has to wait for a bit longer yet. Incisions look very good.

So all in all he had a fairly good day with some small victories. The ortho doctor said his recovery will be at least a year which we pretty much knew. I think we just need to set his goals for one day at a time so he doesn't get overwhelmed with the long time frame. Key words: positive attitude and faith in God.

Day 27, Monday

Today was more of the same as yesterday. Doctor came in this morning and said he was to remain in the hospital until they get this intestinal business taken care of. He is still have diarrhea and they can't get it to stop so they are doing cultures. Running a low grade temperature and just feeling terrible. I'm afraid depression has set in which is understandable. I can't imagine laying flat on your back for 4 weeks and all you do is think about the condition you are in and wanting to get back to your normal life. Because of this the PT is not happening so that means longer time away from home. He called me tonight and said they placed some kind of balloon up into his rectum so I don't know what that is supposed to do. He said it hurt like heck when they inserted it but he was feeling better. I hope he can get a good nights sleep. I think his new roommate asked to be moved because the nurses where constantly having to help him and he wasn't getting any rest so now Leonard has a private room. I think he's also starting to feel clausterphobic. It was just a miserable day for him. Let's pray for a better one tomorrow and they find out whats wrong.

Day 26 Sunday

I think we are finally over the hump so to speak and his system is cleaned out. The doctor finally ordered something to stop the movements and he is finally feeling somewhat normal. The doctor wanted to release him this afternoon and send him back to rehab and I had the nurse call the doctor and told her I didn't want him released until he was stable so she agreed to hold him until tomorrow.

I was so tired of listening to the crazy man in the next bed ranting and raving all day and every other word out of his mouth was foul, I had the charge nurse move Leonard to another room. I wish he would have done it 2 days ago when I suggested it but he's so laid back and doesn't want to trouble anyone. It was all I could do not to yell at the man but the nurses did it for me. Now he's in a room about 1/2 the size but peaceful.

Tomorrow we will be back at Health South and I plan on having a meeting with the head of nursing to discuss his care and diet. The nursing care is questionable at times and I have some concerns that we will be discussing. We have been so spoiled with the nurses at Lincoln. I bumped into two of the ICU nurses today that had cared for him and they were all concerned about why he had returned and one of them said she is going to go over to the rehab facility and see him. Such caring individuals.

Because Leonard ended up in the hospital we missed his orthopedic appointment on Friday so that has to be rescheduled. We are anxious to see the surgeon as Leonard can't feel the bottom of his right foot and his left foot isn't working the way it should be. He can press down with it but he can't pull it up towards him. The therapists are concerned that he has nerve damage and we are praying it's just temporary. What's a day without worry and concerns!

Day 25 Saturday

Leonard is on the mend once again. We do believe the blockage is gone and the dam is bursting. We had to laugh today as we were visiting a friend that came to see him. He said "who would have ever thought our main topic of conversation would be poop!" For those of you that prayed for the poop to happen, now pray that it will slow down and become normal!!! He is beyond embarrassed and has lost all modesty throughout this whole ordeal. They may release him from the hospital tomorrow and return him to the rehab hospital, but we are hoping they will keep him another day or so until his bodily functions are working properly. They tend to rush patients out because of insurance and sometimes it's just too soon. The pain is gone and his tummy has become soft again, as it was hard as a rock and about 3 times its usual size. He said he has never experienced such severe pain like that ever before. I keep thinking about his massive injuries from the accident would qualify as severe pain but they had him so drugged up that first 2 weeks that he doesn't remember the pain. Thank goodness for that.

Now that things are moving again they took the tube out of his stomach and started him on a soft diet. He was still getting IV fluids and nutrition but they will probably take that away when those bags are empty. He did a little PT today so that's good. He still has no feeling on the bottom of his right foot, so there may be nerve damage which is a little upsetting. It may come back in time with therapy but I know he's worried about it.

Leonard's roommate was going to be released today but he started running a fever and they had to keep him. I'm about ready to put a pillow over his face (just kidding). I guess I just have to pray for patience and understanding. The nurses just cringe when they have to tend to him because he's so nasty and complains constantly.

I'm looking forward to when I can get him in a wheelchair and take him outside and enjoy the warm, sunny days. I know he is very tired of laying in a bed day after day. He will begin sitting up more this week and he's glad of that.

Day 24, Friday

At 12:30 AM I was called by the nurse at the rehab hospital that they were transporting him back to John C Lincoln Hospital as he was very sick and in a lot of pain. I had just gone to bed at 11:30 PM and had taken 1/2 a sleeping pill, but I managed to get to the ER without falling asleep while driving. I actually beat him to the hospital. It's amazing how someone who had just been in the same hospital for 3 weeks has to do all new paperwork.

They started out with an IV of saline solution and some morphine for the pain. Took an x-ray of his chest and gave him 3 or 4 breathing treatments. They put a tube down his nose to help empty his belly which gave him some relief right away. The doctor finally came in and ordered a CAT scan of his belly. Then we waited. Leonard slept the day away while I paced the floor and tried to get comfortable in a straight chair and fall asleep. The falling asleep part didn't happen. About 9 hours later he got into his room. Still no results of the CAT scan. After being in his room for several hours the doctor finally came in and explained what was going on. He has a condition called Ileus. It is a temporary paralysis of a portion of the intestines typically after an abdominal surgery. Since the intestinal content of this portion is unable to move forward, food or drink should be avoided until peristaltic sound is heard from auscultation of the area where this portion lies. Symptoms of ileus include, but are not limited to: moderate, diffuse abdominal discomfort, constipation, abdominal distension, nausea and vomiting, especially after meals lack of bowel movement and/or flatulence. Doesn't that sound like fun. He is so miserable and the thought that it basically just goes away on it's own is depressing. It could be 2 days or 2 weeks or longer. He thought he could get a quick fix. This is our first major setback so I really can't complain too much.

To add insult to injury he has a roommate that is a psycho. This guy moaned and groaned all afternoon and it was really annoying. He cussed out his nurse and really pissed her off and I don't blame her. He complained about his pain, too hot, too cold, he was dying etc...As I was leaving for the day, I spoke to the tech that was tending him and Leonard and I very nicely asked for a new roommate and the tech had already put that in motion before I left. I felt tense listening to him and I'm sure Leonard felt the same way.

Depression is setting in and I hope he can overcome those feelings because we don't want them to hinder his recovery. He just wants to get busy with his physical therapy and he can't do much when he's so miserable. Sure hope his bed will still be available when he is released to the rehab hospital.

I just hit a wall with fatigue and will try to get a good night sleep so I can be ready to go in the forning, nice and refreshed.

Day 23 Thursday

Having lunch

Although he looks happy in this picture I'm afraid the smile was forced. He had a horrible night. He has been having problems with his intestines. He continues to be extremely uncomfortable so today the doctor ordered an x-ray and found he has a small blockage in the intestine and the only way it will pass is by drinking lots of liquids. He said he can't concentrate on his PT because his belly hurts so bad. He also gets very worked up emotionally and worries that something is more seriously wrong than it is. He was given an anxiety pill tonight to calm him and help with sleep and he was sleeping when I left at 10:00. I kissed him goodnight and he said I wish I could just go to sleep and I said you have been for the past hour and he thought I was joking. Boy, the drugs sure make him talk in his sleep a lot, I just can't make out what he's saying as it's very garbled.

Tomorrow he is supposed to go see the orthopedic surgeon that did his hip, leg and ankle surgery but if he's not feeling better tomorrow morning I hope they postpone it until next week. PT so far is just some bed exercises and they used a hoist to put him in the wheelchair and he sits for a couple of hours.

He's still getting breathing treatments and after he's talked a lot he starts wheezing. He has to be suctioned out once in awhile but nothing like it used to be when he was in ICU. Still hoping Monday or Tuesday they will take the trach out, just don't want it out if he's still having difficulty breathing. He said the trach doesn't bother him that much, so if they have to he's okay with them leaving it in.

Day 22 Wednesday

"I'm happy now that I have my own pillow!!!"

Looking a little grissly.

Today was a better day. I was running errands all morning and by the time I got there he had gotten up and sat in a wheelchair for 2 1/2 hours and he said if felt so good to be up. A little tired of being in a prone position for 3 weeks. The nurse he had today was so good and she addressed his concerns and explained everything to him which is what he needs. We all know that the unknown is usually scarier than the known. Today was mostly evaluations from all the different departments and I'm sure tomorrow he will be starting his rehab. Today was quite a production getting him from bed to wheelchair and back. I think his confidence level with the nursing staff was back where it needed to be. He had such great care when he was in ICU being spoiled by all the nurses and even when he went to a regular room he was pleased with his care. Of course in ICU there is one nurse for every 2 patients. The rehab hospital is 6 - 8 patients per nurse so they are not always so readily available. He didn't sleep well last night either. There again he was used to this wonderful air bed at the hospital and now he's in normal hospital bed. I did bring him his own pillow from home today which made him very happy. I know once he starts the rehab the pain will get intense but right now he's doing okay. I don't think he likes to take pain medication as it makes his brain fuzzy. He likes to be in control and that hasn't happened for 3 weeks.

Day 21 Tuesday

Today was a very emotional day and extremely upsetting day for Leonard and myself. I was assured by the case manager at the hospital and the liason from the rehabilitation hospital that all the paperwork would be done and all his information would be given to the new hospital. He was transported by ambulance around 2:00. He was put into a room and was only there for about 45 minutes when the nurse came in and said they were moving him to another room as the room they put him in didn't have oxygen and he still needs oxygen occasionally as well as breathing treatments. As they were wheeling him down the hall into his new room the nurse that he would be having didn't seem very pleased about getting another patient as I could tell by her body language. Well, it went south from there on out. She didn't bother to look at his medical file, didn't know anything about his case and started asking him questions that made us both question her ability to nurse him. When she starting taking off bandages to check out his surgical wounds she announced she was going to change his dressing and Leonard pretty much told her to not touch them. He had lost his confidence with her and so had I. When Michelle came down this evening to see her dad I told her what had happened so we asked to meet with the supervisor of nursing to inform her of our concerns and that we didn't want this nurse to ever tend to him again. She was wonderful and listened to us attentively and assured us going forward that they would do everything in their power to give him the best of care and we would not get this nurse again. They did have all of his records and that made both of us feel better and she was going to go down and talk to Leonard. Tomorrow they will be evaluating him and determine what rehab he will be getting. I was under the impression that since he couldn't bear any weight for 3 months that he would be in rehab for 3 months. NOT! He will only be there for 2 weeks and then they will send him home. I freaked out with this news, but I'm told in the next 2 weeks he will learn how to do everything for himself such as getting out of bed into the wheelchair, going to the bathroom, taking showers etc. Worker's comp said that if he's not ready to go home in 2 weeks he will be allowed to stay a little longer. She informed me that he will get nursing care at home as needed and more rehab. It's all so overwhelming and stressful. You all need to start praying for me that God will give me the strength and stamina and probably a lot of patience to get me through the next few months. I will be so happy that he will be home with me but it's scary too. We will get through this.................

Day 20 Monday

Today wasn't one of his better days. Someone came in first thing this morning and told him that he wasn't allowed any food or beverages as they were going to do a procedure on him to remove a filter from his heart. The filter was put in to help prevent blood clots. No explaination as to what the procedure entailed so he was quite frightened by the prospect of someone messing with his heart. He later found out that the person who had spoken to him was misinformed as the filter they had put in right after he came into the hospital is a permanant filter not a temporary one so they did not have to do the procedure. He got all worked up over nothing. They then brought back the food and drinks.

I took a tour of the rehab facility on my way to the hospital this morning and was impressed with the cheerful staff, the state of the art equipment, therapy pool, semi private rooms were very spacious etc. The overall atmosphere was good and the place was highly recommended by staff at the hospital and by others that have either been there before or knew of someone that had been there. It's an acute care facility which means they are aggressive with the therapy they give there patients. He will get 3 hours a day and will most likely be divided into two 1 & 1/2 hour sessions. I am sure he is apprehensive about the move and not too sure about the rehab itself as he knows it will be painful. They won't be able to be very aggressive in the beginning as he is still recovering from all his surgeries. He will be transported by ambulance sometime tomorrow, probably in the afternoon, by the time they get all the paperwork done. This will be so much closer to home. He will be staying at Health South Rehabilation Hospital, 67th Ave south of Thunderbird for the next 3 months if not longer. Once he is all settled in I'm sure he would love company. He will have his own direct phone number and once I know that I will share it with you. Please continue to keep him in your prayers as he will have a long and painful recovery facing him.

Day 19 Sunday

Leonard is all settled into his room on the 5th floor. He had a roommate but never met him as the curtain was pulled and he was discharged today. Hopefully he can have the room to himself until he is released to the rehab facility on Tuesday. That's right, he's doing so well they're kicking him out! Still has the trach and the IV connection as he's still getting antibiotics. They weaned him off of the morphine today and are giving him oral pain meds as he can't be on morphine in rehab. His ortho doc saw him this morning and said everything was looking good. He is somewhat concerned about the bottom of his right foot as he has areas that he can't feel anything. The doctor even poked him with a needle and he didn't feel it. He could have some nerve damage that hopefully is temporary. He had a very restful day.

Day 18 Saturday

Leonard had a fairly good day. We visited for awhile in the morning and he was feeling good except tired. He decided to nap and I went out in search of lunch and thought I would call Janie who said she would pack up some sandwiches and head my way. We ate in the little coffee room in the waiting room and then went to visit Leonard. He thoroughly enjoyed her visit and after she left the occupational therapist came in without any warning which threw him off somewhat. She said she was there to teach him how to put on pj's, socks etc and how he would eventually learn get out of bed on his own. He is know more ready to do any of that right now and it got him pretty worked up and frightened. After she left, his nurse came and told us that she would be getting him ready to move him out of ICU and up to the 5th floor. He graduated! He is all settled in up there now and one of the nurses knew of him as her husband does repairs on equipment that Leonard sells, so they had a good time getting to know each other. We'll miss the nurses in ICU as they were wonderful, caring people, but they seem nice upstairs as well. They are going to take his trach button off at night starting tonight and re-insert the trach tube putting moisture through it until morning, as he is producing some very thick mucus and they wanted to avoid that. He doesn't talk at night so this will be a good thing. Can't wait for that to be removed permenantly.

Day 17 Friday

He's doing his PT, stacking coins which sounds very easy but it took a lot of effort on his part.

I got to the hospital about an hour later than usual this morning around 9:30 and I walked into his room and said good morning and I got "where have you been!" I went hysterical as he was actually talking to me. They had changed out his trach, putting a different one in and they capped it so he could speak. Oh, what a joyous feeling it was to be able to carry on a conversation with him. He talked all day long and was so exhausted tonight. He remembers the accident, the helicopter ride and just about everything that has been going on for the past 2 weeks. He understands that he will have to be in a rehab facility for 3 months and accepts it as he's just so grateful to be alive. He's in pain all the time but never complains. He actually got to sit in a special chair today and did some PT with his arms and fingers. He's eating soft food and says it tastes pretty good. Our friend Sue brought him a Jamba Juice today and he was so happy. After not eating for 2 weeks he can't consume too much as he gets full very fast plus it takes so much effort to do anything, even brushing his own teeth wears him out. He smiles all the time and it just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. We were told today that by Monday he will probably have the trach removed if he does well over the weekend with it being capped and he will then be moved to a regular room for a couple of days. By the middle of next week he will be transported to the rehab facility. Miracles every day..............praise God.

Day 16 Thursday

Our prayers have been answered. His ankle and leg surgery was very successful. It was supposed to take approximately 4 hours and it took 7 but the surgeon was extremely confident that he would do well in his recovery. He did say there is a bone in the ankle that he may have to remove 6 months down the road but for now he left it alone. He also stated that eventually as years go by arthritis will set in but 2 weeks ago he wasn't even sure if he could save it because of the swelling and the extent of the breaks, but he did. After surgery I thought he would be heavily sedated but he was wide eyed and wanting to know what happened. I could not have asked for a better Valentine's Day gift. The surgeries are behind us now and we can start the mending. I spoke with his trauma doctor this afternoon and he said that he will remain in ICU for a couple of days then to a regular room and should be released some time next week. He will have to go to a nursing home for 3 months as he will not be able to walk. I have not told him this piece of news yet. Hopefully, I will be able to find a facility close to home. All his nurses have been such caring individuals and have been wonderful with his care. They said he is one of the best patients they have had for awhile as he is so laid back, smiles a lot and never ever complains even though he has every right to complain with all his injuries. He's a good boy!

Day 15 Wednesday

Leonard had a fairly good day. The respitory therapist tried to cap his trach this morning so he could talk and he panicked as he thought he wasn't getting any oxygen. She explained it to him that he is breathing on his own anyway and just getting moisture through the trach tubes but he wasn't buying into what she was saying. They will try again possibly on Friday. Tomorrow at 7:30 AM is his surgery on his right ankle and leg. This will be a long surgery as there are 15 breaks in the ankle and 2 in the leg. Continue to pray for the surgeon tomorrow that he will be successful with this very delicate surgery. Even though the days are long and he asks me every 15 - 30 minutes what time it is, he remains in good spirits for the most part and smiles and tries desperately to converse with me. He just rolls his eyes and smiles as I try to make a joke out of it. Patience is not his strongest virtue.

Day 14 Tuesday

Leonard had a rough time last night as they gave him a drug to help him sleep and he had a bad reaction to it and became disoriented and started pulling out tubes. He pulled out his feeding tube which I guess was all right as he no longer needs it as he's eating food again. I was able to stay past visiting hours tonight and fed him his dinner. If anyone knows him well enough they know that he hates mashed potatoes and guess what he got for dinner! We chuckled over it as I was stuffing it in his mouth. He ate well which pleased me. Told him if he didn't eat enough they would put that feeding tube back in his nose and that made him a little more willing to eat quite a bit. He pulled a few other things out of his body but I'm not sure what and they that had to be replaced. This morning he was agitated and anxious but once the drug wore off he was back to his smiling sweet self. He is still trying to mouth words to me which I just can't understand and I know he gets frustrated with me but I'm trying to make light of it and he laughs. Told him I needed to go to lip reading school.

Day 13 Monday

Leonard continues to improve each day and is so determined. The staples were removed from his knee this morning and it looks good. He also is breathing totally on his own with only moisture going through the tube. Everyday something positive happens and I'm so thankful. He was evaluated this afternoon by the speech therapist and she reduced the size of the balloon in the trach to see if he was able to swallow some food and process it without backing up and he did great. She is putting in a request to the doctor for a soft food diet. Small things mean so much. He was all smiles especially when she had him sitting up in bed while she did her evaluation as he finally got to see his surroundings. He even asked to see the newspaper this afternoon and of course I couldn't find one that late in the day. I will make sure he has one tomorrow. His left hand was x-rayed today and it is doing well from the surgery of last week. The ortho surgeon is saying that surgery on his ankle and leg will probably be Thursday of this week. Keep praying for the swelling to go down.

Day 12 Sunday

Today was a quiet day and he seemed very content. I turned on the movie Blazing Saddles and he smiled throughout the movie. I'm sure he would have laughed if it wouldn't hurt so bad. Michelle got a one hour break from work and drove R/T an hour just to spend 5 minutes with her daddy. It was worth the drive to see his smiling face. The nurses say he is the sweetest man and such a good patient. One of his drains was removed from the hip surgery area sometime the early morning hours but the other 2 drains are still in. I was informed today that the vent would remain on until after his ankle surgery is over. He's trying very hard to talk around the trach and making some sounds that we can sort of make out as words. Boy are we going to get an earful when he can talk. I sure miss our conversations.

Day 11 Saturday

What an awesome day! I walked into Leonard's room today and I got greeted by this big warm loving smile that I'm so very fond of. I know he's feeling better. I was actually able to give him some ice chips today and he relished them like it was the best tasting thing he ever ate. His fever is still low grade and we're still dealing with the rash, so he's somewhat squirmy but we can deal with it. Brian brought in a radio so he could listen to his oldies music and when the Suns play he can listen to Al McCoy who he enjoys. He would watch the TV without sound and have the radio with Al. There's a game tomorrow night so I will need to get that set up before I leave for the day. Didn't see any of the doctors today but his nurse said he was doing very well. It was a good day.

Day 10 Friday

Leonard continues to do well, surprising the doctors. He is almost breathing on his own and can hardly wait to cut loose and start talking. I know he's getting better because he is getting rather demanding. He wants to eat and drink and not happy with our answer of "no, not yet". His fever came down today from 103 - 104 of the past 2 days to 100. The nurses are keeping cool damp towels on him. He has developed a nasty rash all over his body and they are not sure why. Could be the high fevers. Might try Benadryl to relieve the itching. It's driving him crazy. They were unable to take the drainage tubes out of his hip incision today as it's still draining too much. He will be so happy to have all these various tubes removed.

Day 9 Thursday

He is doing so much better today. He is breathing more on his own as they are weaning him off the ventilator and should be off of it the first of next week. I know he will be very happy to have that behind him. His mood is somber and I've addressed the depression issue with the nurse who in turn spoke to the doctor. He did not want to put him on medication for it. I know he is getting better as he wants to sit up, stand up and have coffee. Not happening anytime soon but at least he's asking. He had the 2 chest tubes removed today which is a big step. The ortho surgeon said the swelling in his ankle is gone down and he may operate the first of the week. Running a high temperature but there is no infection so it's probably being attributed to the trauma going on all over his body. His mouth is always dry so we swab it with a moist sponge and he wants it to remain in his mouth. Looks like he's sucking on a sucker.

Day 8 Wednesday

Today was a recovery day. Feeding tube had to be re-done but thankfully it was placed correctly the first time. He was very down today which is understandable. He had been through a huge ordeal with the surgery and he was drained. The doctor was very pleased with how he was doing.

Day 7 Tuesday

Today is a big day. Hip surgery is scheduled this afternoon at 12:30. The ortho surgeon estimates it will take 4 to 5 hours. As things go, they didn't come to get him until 1:30. The surgery took 6 hours and it was success and the surgeon said he did very well. The hip bone had approx 6 or 8 breaks. His vitals stayed strong throughout the surgery. This was all very overwhelming but we are extremely optimist. After he got all settled back in his room, we kissed him goodnight and went home. He was heavily sedated.

Day 6 Monday

Today a procedure had to be done to stop a bleeder. It took a couple of hours and they were able to stop it by putting some gel in it. It was necessary to do this because tomorrow is hip surgery and he will lose a lot of blood.

He's exhausted to say the least. We refrain from visiting with him so he can rest.

Day 5 Sunday

Today they removed the ventilator tube going down his esphogus and had a temporary tracheotomy. This will be more comfortable for him and eventually he will be able to have it capped and will be able to speak. Not speaking I think is one of his biggest frustrations. I'm sure he will give us an earful when he is able. I really miss having conversations with him. He was sedated most of the day which is good as he needed to rest. Still not much improvement with the lungs. Our longtime friends, red hat friends and family have surrounded us with their love and support and we are all extremely grateful. Prayers are being said all over the country, Canada and Australia that I know of and they are working.

Day 4 Saturday

Days are starting to blend together and I'm losing track of what has happened. My mind has become mush. So much information from doctors and nurses and trying so hard to process it. He shows signs of improvement each day, nothing significant but nothing worse. Lungs will continue to be a big concern and the hip and ankle as well. They are hoping most of the ribs will heal on their own. He now has a feeding tube which took 3 attempts to insert. Not a pleasant process and each time they had to take x-rays which means they have lift him, place the x-ray plate under him and it's so painful.

Day 3 Friday

Trying to communicate and very frustrated. He tries every day by writing but because he is so heavily drugged it is not making much sense. No procedures today other than the normal x-rays, labs etc. Condition is about the same, he's holding his own.