Yesterday was a day of ups and downs. Bill was in a very good mood when I got there. I guess he and the night nurse Lauren had cooked up a scheme for him to tell his day nurse Becky that Lauren was his favorite nurse. But, when Lauren asked him who his favorite nurse was he pointed to Becky! He waved at all the nurses as they walked by his door and wanted to know all of their names.

For most of the morning he was in a good mood, talkative, asking questions. Then, he said that he couldn't breathe and started feeling, not bad, but not good. His heart rate went up and his oxygen saturation went down. Becky would suction and the secretions are so thick they hardly will flow through the tube and she was having to disconnect the vent and clean the trach cannula opening. Dr. Munday ordered a chest xray to see what it looked like and to see if he needed to bronch again.

And then, Bill's numbers all settled down, heart rate went back down, sats were 100% and he was talking and waving at nurses again and talking about getting out of the hospital and moving to the other room and wanting to know where his watch and rings were.

Apparently Dr. Munday decided not to bronch, unless it was done after I left at 5. Bill had been put in his chair and he didn't gripe the entire time, maybe the first 30 minutes, but after that he even tried to get out of it himself! It's a special chair they use for stroke patients and has a seat belt that I don't think he could get loose, but he was sure trying! He said again that he couldn't breathe and I've noticed that when he tries to cough he has a really hard time now. I don't know if it's due to the new trach that was placed Friday or the secretions being so thick or what. He didn't stay in the chair for the entire 2 hours, but he made it for more than an hour. I knew that Becky was in with her other patient, but as soon as she came out, they got him back to bed. And then he was all smiles again and winking.

I forgot to tell you yesterday that as soon as a bed opens in restorative care, he will move. Dr. Williams has decided that they won't try to wean him from the vent anymore in ICU but let that happen upstairs since that is one thing they specialize in. We, Bill and I, have talked about what all they will do up there and I'm going to see if I can get a little tour of it either today or tomorrow, just to get the layout and see for myself what it will be like for him.

I don't know if I'm trying to get sick, or just tired and my body is saying to slow down (probably a combination of both). I've got a headache today and feel like I'm getting a cold. No fever, although I woke up sweating this morning. I've already taken meds for it and I'm hoping that by hanging around the house for a bit longer they'll have time to kick in. 

I have to wait until tomorrow to call Tricare and the VA to see if those benefits will pay after the Medicare runs out. I don't know if the VA will, but from what I saw on the Tricare website, they may. Of course we'll have copays that we don't have now, but I can handle those. 

So, that's it. I'm going to have another cup of coffee before I start getting ready to go. At least the rain has finally stopped and it's not as cold as it has been. I will need to get gas before hitting the highway, but my coat has a hood if there's any wind blowing. Until tomorrow, or later today if something breaks open! 

Edit: Just got a call from the hospital that they had to restrain Bill, he kept trying to pull his trach out. He's OK, they just have to notify the family so they aren't surprised when they arrive. I guess I won't stick around here any longer so that I can get there and he and I will have a talk!