6/17/09

It seemed as though Dad was making some progress yesterday. He definitely looked a lot better than when we saw him on Monday night. The anesthetic from the surgery was starting to wear off so his level of pain was starting to increase. They will continue to make him stand every three hours so the fluids can drain but he still doesn't have the energy or stability to do it on his own yet. He has a breathing device he sucks on ten times each hour that helps his lungs regain their strength. It is very painful for him to do these breathing exercises and wipes him out quickly but there is risk of pneumonia if his lungs aren't expanding enough to encourage the buildup to get out of his system fast. They have set him a goal of getting the pin up to 1,000. So far he has been able to get it to 750 a few times but he is determined to do all he can to prevent any more pain or sickness than what he is already feeling. They are also making him cough a few times a day to get any of the buildup out that way. He holds a pillow to his chest and force coughs. As you can imagine, this doesn't feel pleasant at all. It's amazing how much energy these small things require of him. He was able to take down a few sips of broth yesterday, which is a start. They are hoping to get him out of ICU today and to be able to remove a few of the tubes still in his chest. They said as soon as these tubes are removed he will be able to breath much easier with much less pain. Day two down!