The internet was speeding right along before 8 this morning and now it is, well it's not as slow as Christmas since that is next week, but you get the idea.

Bill's blood pressure was running low this morning and the peg placement was in jeopardy for a bit. But they gave him a boost of albumin and the procedure was done about an hour ago. I've been back in the room for about 20 minutes and his pressure is still running low, but Connor said that's normal because of the sedation.

Dr. King said everything went well. His stomach looked normal and the peg was placed with no problems, so they could remove the ng tube. Even without his teeth, he looks more like Bill now without that tube in his nose and I won't keep grabbing his hands so he won't try to pull it out.

Dr. Williams gave me a thumbs up this morning, but I don't know if it was to let me know that the peg placement was on, or if it meant that he had convinced Dr. Edwards that restorative care was where he needed to go.

The cardiology team still thinks that he will only get tube feeding from now on, but again, they don't know Bill and his determination. Mayo thought the same thing. Once he's getting the correct speech therapy, who knows what will happen. He will probably need supplemental feedings as his main nutrition, but I truly believe he will be able to eat again. And for you who personally know him, you know how much he likes his food!

He still hasn't completely come around and of course is back on the vent until the sedation wears off. He had been put on the trach collar again before the procedure and was doing well, but since he had to be sedated, they wanted the vent support, which only makes sense. He was on the trach collar for at least 8 hours yesterday as I said last night and only had 2 episodes where his sats dropped and that was when they were doing something to him. While she was changing him over today, she needed to put some more water into the tank and he was breathing room air for maybe 10 minutes and his sats stayed in the mid 90s until right before she turned it back on. So he's coming along, now we just have to see what the plan is going to be.

Bill slept most of the afternoon and they put the trach collar back on around 3. He did so well, even sleeping his sats were anywhere from 97-100! He's still coughing up some nasty stuff, but he is coughing it out so his muscles are getting stronger. Everyone who listens to his lungs say they don't sound bad, but his upper airway is still junky.

Connor wanted to put him in the stroke chair, but it was being used, so he turned his bed into a chair. Because he's been laying so much, it seems like it's hard for him to hold his head up, so Connor tilted the top of his bed back some. He was still pretty much upright, just not straight.

When I was getting ready to leave I told Bill that I loved him and he mouthed back I love you. First time for that and boy, did I need to "hear" it! I've got to get his teeth in my backpack tonight. We're hoping he'll want them in and that will help with lip reading. But, is mouth is still swollen from the biter bar from the vent. I had been looking at his mouth trying to figure out what was different about it and finally saw his bottom lip is bruised. It looks like he's wearing dark brown lipstick. So, I don't know if his teeth will fit or not.

Connor was disinfecting the stroke chair when I was getting ready to leave and he told all the nurses that 2934 has dibs on the chair. He said he's off tomorrow, but Jacinta said she would be there and would make sure he got to use it. Connor told me I didn't have to come in early as nothing was planned for tomorrow. And I said good, I can leave at 6. He told me to sleep in until 6, but I told him the cats will wake me between 4:30 and 5 anyway. But, I'm going to leave at my normal 6. The traffic was much heavier at 5:15 than 6. 

When I got home there were a couple of packages waiting. They had just come because it's been raining and they weren't wet at all. Joe said he had come over about 5:30 to see since I knew one of the packages was coming. So, Ronna, it did come on the 20th. They are in the closet with the others until I take them to the hospital Christmas Eve. The other one was beautiful roses with evergreen from Bill's sister and her husband. They are so pretty, but unfortunately the ICU doesn't allow fresh flowers. But, I took pictures of them to show Bill. Hopefully the cats will not try to jump onto the mantle. That was the only place I could think of to put them that they (Mouse, mostly) couldn't reach. Don and Shirley, thank you so much, they did brighten my day after driving home in the wind and rain!

I think that's it for today. It was a long day of waiting and I didn't sleep well, awake every 2 hours. So, I think I'm going to call it a day and crawl into bed. Kitty is already asleep and I think Mouse is about ready himself. He's being very quiet tonight, unlike the wildman from the other night. Goodnight!