Bill made it to trach collar about 11:15 yesterday morning! At first he did a lot of coughing, which is normal, and he coughed a bunch of nasty stuff up. This time it looked a little blood-tinged, which is new, but normal for his condition. And color changes in the secretions are normal also.

After he settled down after all the coughing and suctioning he went to sleep and, while I don't get respirations without the vent, his oxygen level was 100% and his heart rate was 85, nearly perfect. When Janet from infectious disease came him she said he looked very peaceful and that he was really resting...and then he woke up.

He kept telling me all day that he wanted me to take the collar off (the one that holds the trach in place) and I told him that was how he was breathing. He then informed me that he didn't have to have that to breathe before and he didn't know why he had to have it now! He just kept saying he was choking. When they changed it in the afternoon, I could understand why he would say that. The band is a spongy material and soft. I don't know the last time his had been changed but it was hard and had shrunk up. So, I imagine it had been choking him.

We're still playing with his Xanax some. Kayla gave him his morning dose, she could tell just looking at him in the morning that he was agitated. She thought the afternoon dose should be held, but I told her that he gets agitated when I leave, so she gave him that one. He had also been through the trach care and a bowel movement so was a little agitated from that. But, she agreed that on top of the Seroquel, the Xanax just might be too much. So, we'll see how he is this morning.

He didn't have any therapy at all yesterday. The therapists didn't even make it to our hallway until 4 pm. The nurse said the therapy staff had been cut in half and could only do what they could. I let it go since I figured trach collar was enough to try in one day. But today, he's going to get in his chair as early as I can get him there. 

He wants so badly to be able to use the bedside commode, or go into the bathroom to do his business. He told me he had to poop and told him to go ahead and he said he was holding it until he could go into the bathroom! Hopefully he's not still holding it! Of course all the coughing he was doing, bringing up the secretions, was working against that. I told him he just had to work hard with therapy so that they would let him stand up and then he could use the bedside commode when he was stable enough to stand and pivot to sit on it.

That's how his day went. Let's hope the night was the same, although it wouldn't surprise me, or upset me, if he was put back on CPAP to sleep. It would depend on if his sats stayed up and since they stayed up during his nap yesterday, I have a feeling they would at night too. So we'll see when I get there.

I'm hurting all over this morning. We had another weather front come through yesterday, and I can tell I didn't relax in the night again, although I slept well. But, every part of my body hurts this morning and the Aleve hasn't kicked in yet. Hope it hurries up!

I had a reader tell me yesterday that I have helped her so much in dealing with her husband's transplant and all of his complications. He finally was moved to rehab yesterday after 104 days in the hospital. And that's part of why I do this. If it helps one person know that someone else has "been there, done that" and made it through then it's worth it. Katie and Pete, I wish all the best for continued recovery and a great new life after transplant!