Welcome to PCU!

Yeah! We busted out of ICU today and moved into the Progressive Care Unit, Room 25. It's a nice room, maybe not all that different for Eric, but for Bob and I, there's a nice couch that pulls out into a bed we can both sleep on. There's a bathroom/shower right here in the room, no more trekking out of the waiting room, down the hall, and into the public restroom. No more Ronald McDonald house, either, that's for ICU parents only. The nursing care here won't be quite as intense, and there will hopefully be more emphasis on physical therapy/rehab/nutrition/ventilator weaning. We're feeling very hopeful and optimistic about this new phase of Eric's recovery.

One major disappointment . . . Eric wanted only one thing today. Lemonade. During morning rounds, Dr. Kennedy said yes, but occupational therapy had to do it with him. I guess there's some learning involved with swallowing with a trach. Anyway, OT never showed up. The lemonade sits on the window sill, waiting. Hopefully tomorrow.

Moving Day?

I had planned to wait until it was definite, till we were there so I could tell you about it, but Eric wants me to post a blog now to let you all know that, after eight full weeks, we're (hopefully) busting out of ICU today! (Contingent upon room availability in the step down unit, called PCU, short for progressive care unit) I'll post later to confirm and elaborate.

ICU Impatience

Quiet day. Long day. Tired day. Eric's still doing well physically, but he's had insomnia for two or three days now, even more, and he's completely frustrated, not to mention fatigued. He just can't sleep. The trach ties around his neck are too tight, but he has to wait till tomorrow when he gets his new trach for them to change the ties. Despite a long foot and hand massage from Mom, winning a game of Yahtzee with Drew and Dad, SpongeBob on TV, jazz CDs, and his favorite nurse Randy on duty, Eric is not happy today. He wants to be out of the bed, out of ICU, out of the hospital. He wants to sit in the sunshine awhile, feel a breeze, eat something besides ice chips, say something. He wants to sleep. As patient as my son is, he's reaching the end of his IV tubing. We're getting close to these things, but Eric is having trouble seeing beyond the frustration of here and now. He's still being incredibly patient and cooperative, but I can see and sense the underlying depression. Lately, we're getting excited about the slightest smile on Eric's face. Like when he rolled his second "Yahtzee" in one game.

One Less Tube

Yesterday afternoon, Sue and Lisa sat with Eric (thanks!) while Bob and I took a break. It's been two months since we've done anything together as a couple besides being Eric's parents. We strolled through Hermann Park, looking at flowers and watching wildlife. Had dinner at Luby's. Felt like a date.

The doctor pulled chest tube number two out this afternoon. Eric's doing great. My prayerful pleas have shifted from "Please God, please" to "Thank you God, thank you."

Visitors today (in order of appearance): Aunt Lisa, Aunt Sue, Andrew, Grandma Rusnack, Aunt Cathy, Uncle Steve, the Easter Bunny (who gave Eric a stuffed rabbit) and two clowns.

It Just Keeps Getting Better

More good news. The doctors are downright giddy, smiling big grins, over Eric's progress the past few days. The pulmonologist practically did cartwheels in Eric's room this morning, he was so thrilled. He said the chest x-ray this AM was "gorgeous." He said at the rate Eric is improving, he's optimistic that Eric may possibly be decannulated (lose the tracheostomy) and be off the ventilator prior to going home. We pulled the right chest tube yesterday, and the left one is now on water seal. If no pneumothorax developes, we'll pull that one tomorrow. To put this in perspective, when we first got here and for the first couple weeks, the holes in Eric's lungs were so big, the leaks so bad, the doctors thought Eric would have the chest tubes for months, even possibly go home with them. We've been here for less than 3 weeks. On the ventilator, he's on CPAP 5, PSV 10, doing all the breathing on his own. The plan now is to get his new trach (standard post-trach procedure) AND go to the step down unit on Monday. Then it's all about rehab, nutrition, strengthening. Bob and I, and my sisters who are here with us, are celebrating, praising, and doing some cartwheels of our own. It's almost scary to feel this optimistic.

I want you all to know how much we appreciate your encouraging comments, prayers, well-wishes, and support. You've been such a big help in us navigating and surviving the past two months. I hope I can write the end of this story soon.

More Good News

Silly me, thinking any day in ICU could be boring. Nope, every day is a new adventure. Late yesterday evening, Eric began complaining of pain in the area of his right chest tube. Several days ago, the nurse noticed increased inflammation and reddness around the skin where the chest tube is inserted. So they've been changing the dressing every other day and treating it with antibiotic ointment. But now with this pain deeper inside that general area, as well as an increased temperature, the doctor suspects he might have an infection inside the pleural space. Hopefully, we caught it early and it can be treated with the antibiotics they started last night. But what to do? If there is infection, the tube must come out. "Germs love plastic," says Dr. Kennedy. But will Eric develop a pneumothorax if we pull the chest tube? As I said in yesterday's post, the leak has been small, but still there. To test it a bit, they turned the suction off last night, putting it on "water seal," then got an x-ray four hours later. No sign of any pneumothorax. Anyway, in short, we pulled that chest tube out today. And we'll see what happens. Hopefully, nothing.

Also of interest, that fickle left chest tube never bubbled all night long, which would have been a concern prior to last night. But Eric remained completely comfortable with stable vital signs. I'm baffled. I guess I shouldn't be. Shouldn't we expect miracles?

So Far So Good

Eric had a great night, very stable, and I think he slept better than in a long time. He's required very little pain medication post-op, so he's been awake, communicating, and comfortable most all morning. Right now, he's napping with this black eye mask on that his favorite night nurse gave him. So cute. And it's so awesome to see his face without all that tape on it and that tube hanging out of his mouth. He looks great in that respect.

His left chest tube is behaving itself for the most part, just a couple times last night it needed some tinkering. Of note, and I haven't mentioned this because it's been such a non-issue, is that his right chest tube is barely bubbling, but on this side, that's great news, because on x-ray, his right lung is fully expanded (this was a problem a few weeks ago) and the lack of bubbles mean the leak there is finally healing, hopefully. A few weeks ago, that leak was so bad, they thought Eric would eventually require more surgery to close the leak. The surgery that Eric had so many weeks ago back in Lake Charles finally seems to be a success. So it would seem that his lungs are healing, the holes are closing, at least on the right. Now if we could just get that left side to heal . . .

Bob and I are doing well. Ever since the attending physician had that talk with us about taking better care of ourselves, we've had a room in the Ronald McDonald House every night. I think it's been five nights in a row or something like that, I'm losing count. I think that doctor must have slipped the charge nurse, who makes the room assignments, a twenty or something. We're just grateful. It's not perfect. I sleep from 8 or 9 till 3:15 AM, then Bob sleeps from 3:45 to as late as he can sleep. Check out time is 11:00. Certainly better than trying to sleep in that waiting room.

I guess it will be pretty boring around here for a few days. As a "fresh trach," Eric is expected to be very still to allow the trach to heal. No sitting up high to write emails, no physical therapy. Just sleep, TV, or listening to either music or his dad reading to him.

On an exciting note, my two sisters, Sue and Lisa, are coming from Pittsburgh to visit us for two days. Can't wait to see them. And my mom, Andrew, and some neighbor friends will be here Saturday and Sunday.

God is good.