The Fight Goes On

I want to thank my wife Jen for the fantastic job she did on the last post. I was way too tired to write anything at that point, so I really appreciate her help. The doctors were able to turn down the settings on Dad's ventilator ever so slightly today, and he is almost all the way off Milrinone, a medicine used to dilate the blood vessels.

Because Dad hadn't slept for two or three days straight after they stopped sedating him, he has been extremely tired yesterday and today. A few hours ago, he was so exhausted that he started to cry a bit when he was having a hard time telling me something he needed. It is so frustrating for him to not be able to do anything for himself. I asked him if he would like something to help him sleep, and he said yes. The doctor's prescribed him 25 mg of a combination sleeping and anti-anxiety medicine that starts with a "c" (sorry I can't remember the name). When he woke up just a few minutes ago, he said that he feels like he slept better, so it seems to be working.

Dad's pancreas (which produces insulin, among other things) is not working correctly; it is producing too much of a couple of enzymes that aid in digestion. Because feeding him would only cause the pancreas to produce more of the enzymes, they have stopped feeding him through his feeding tube. If the enzyme levels don't go down in the next day or two, then he will have to receive his nourishment through an IV. Hopefully the levels will go down so he can get something in his stomach, as he told me last night that he felt famished.

His biggest request continues to be for water, and the nurses have started to allow him to have four or five swabs (small sponges the size of a die on the end of a stick) worth of water at a time – but he still wants more. His mouth and throat always feel dry, and nothing would make him happier than to take a big swig of water. Unfortunately he can't, because his esophagus is currently pinched closed by his tracheotomy tube, so the water just goes right to his lungs. They try to limit the amount that goes to the lungs to try and prevent infections. Dad's blood pressure and pulse are pretty much normal now, and he only has to receive insulin once or twice a day after he is given steroids (which raise blood sugar).

While he is making progress in the right direction, all of us wish it was at a faster pace (him most of all). Unfortunately, we just have to be patient and let his body heal as fast as it can. When I told him yesterday about the AFPPA scholarship that had been created in his name, he just started shaking his head and mouthed, "Wow!" I could tell he was very touched. Thank you to his fellow PA's who deemed him worthy of such an honor, and to all of those who continue to pray for him and the family. While this is a difficult and trying time for him, we know that Dad can get through it with your support.