The cats let me sleep until the alarm went off this morning, and I needed to leave a little early to get gas, so I didn't have the extra time to update this.

Operation Weaning started yesterday, and the nursing staff, respiratory therapists, and pulmonary have all been on board. I don't remember if I actually explained what we were going to try, and if I did, forgive me for explaining it again. If Bill was doing anything other than laying quietly, his oxygen sats were dropping into the mid 80s. The nurses would automatically come in a raise his flow. So, we might have gotten him down to a flow of 8 liters, but by morning he would be back to 14 because they would just crank him up again. So, yesterday, after consulting with respiratory and nursing, we decided to give him 10 minutes after his sats dropped to try to recover on his own before raising his level. Dr. Wright, the pulmonologist agree when he came in and said he could even be give more time than that, even if he dropped into the 70s. He said he had patients walk into his office with sats in the 70s with no ill effects. What this actually is is that he's only getting 70% of the oxygen his body should need to function. Most people in the 70s (not age but oxygen) would be dizzy and in danger of passing out. Their lips and nailbeds would also be turning blue. But, I think that Bill has operated at a lower amount of saturation for so long that his body has adapted. I've told him before when I would check him that he should be passing out and turning blue. Anyway, we tried that all day yesterday. The only time he had a hard time recovering was when he was moved from his bed to his chair (more on that a little later) and then back to the bed for his bath. Every other time he recovered within the 10 minute period, sometimes with just a reminder to take a deep breath. By lunch time, even with a runny nose, he was able to go from a flow of 14 to a flow of 9. Our goal is to get him to under 5 and then, he can go home, as far as his oxygen needs go. I told Dr. Wright and his nurse that if they didn't really start working with him on weaning instead of taking the easy way out, he would never leave this room, which is true. See, common sense needs to be used instead of following protocol all the time!

When it was time for him to get in his chair for lunch, instead of leaving everything where it was, Kelsey moved the bed further from the chair so he had more steps to take. That wore him out and she did have to increase him to 12. But, he didn't recover, if you went solely by the monitor. But, his chair was at the window, where it had been. There was just a 30 degree temperature difference outside and it was cold sitting by the window. The finger with the probe on it was freezing cold. When he got back to bed about 3, the respiratory therapist moved the probe from his right hand to his left hand and his sats jumped from 85 to 98! So many things that can affect it! When I got here this morning he was on 12 again. I know Kelsey was going to start decreasing it again after I left, but maybe the night shift didn't get the memo on it.

The cultures finally came back from the bronch and it showed pseudomonas again, so we are back to having to gown in the room. It's just a precaution as he isn't "contagious", but it's possible that he could cough or suction something out and it travel. But, with the room being a little cools, the nice heavy paper gowns keep you warm, unlike the plastic ones that just make you sweat.

After I left yesterday, the ENT dr. came in. She was the only one I hadn't talked to! Bill called and said that she did clean his ears and got out quite a bit of wax. She also started some antibiotic ear drops. His hearing is still not good, but that could also be from the noise of the oxygen and suction. I can't imagine having those 2 sounds that I can hear across the room right in my head all the time.

I had planned on staying yesterday until I had seen all of the doctors, but I discovered at lunch that I left my wallet in other jeans. Or at least that's what I hoped had happened. I knew I got the loose money out of my pocket, so I wasn't sure if I left the wallet, or if it had fallen out in the public bathroom. Brianna went to the house and sure enough it was in the pocket of my jeans from the day before. But, since I didn't have my drivers license, I thought it best for me to be home before dark. And it was almost not worth it. A car wanted to be where I was and just came on over. Luckily Memphis has wide breakdown lanes on both shoulders. All I had to do was not hit the wall! I think the driver behind me got a little shaken up too. And I don't think the other driver even realized afterwards that I was even there.

Oh yeah, our friend Pete took a turn for the worse yesterday and had to be put back on the vent and taken back to surgery. The right side of the heart stopped beating as well, so they put a pump of some kind in. More unpleasant memories. The parallels to Bill's transplant just keep increasing.

That was the day yesterday. And since I have this with me today, I may get it updated again before I go home.