Not much happened yesterday. Bill was not awake when I got there, but he woke up shortly after during the little thunderstorm. It did get a little loud!

Stephanie contemplated just taking Bill completely off the vent and going to trach collar (that's how they do it in ICU, referring to it as a breathing trial). I told her if she was going to do that, yesterday would be the day to do it since I won't be there this morning. But, she said she couldn't do it, she just wanted to. She did turn him from 15 breaths from the machine to 10, which means that in a minutes time, if he doesn't breathe the machine will breathe up to 15 times per minute. He did fine that way, although at times he said he couldn't breathe, but all his numbers would be nearly perfect.

He did have speech therapy working with ice chips again. She said his swallow is still pretty weak but they can really start working when he's off the vent.

I have an appointment with my cardiologist this morning for my 6 month check-up. I decided not to go to the hospital first but to stay home and get my oil changed and do a little business. Stephanie knows I won't be there and I told her I would be available by phone until 11. I left Bill a note on his tablet on the tray reminding him and the respiratory tech will be the same as yesterday so she knows. His nurse didn't know who he would have today, but she said she would put a note in his chart for him to get his Xanax with his morning meds instead of asking if he wanted it. He did stay nice and calm yesterday, and awake all day. So he must have slept well.

I did notice that his respirations picked up when anyone came in the room to do anything, but I think that would be normal for any of us, wondering who this person was and what they were going to do. I guess I can test that theory at my appointment.

Dr. Morrow is notoriously behind all the time, but I'm hoping since my appointment is before lunch, she'll be a little faster. I'm also envisioning that I will just smack her if she tells me to reduce stress again. That would reduce some! Just kidding, but why do doctors, when they know you are in a stressful situation you really have no control over, tell you that you have to reduce stress? I told my regular years ago when he suggested that I reduce stress that I could quit my job, divorce Bill, disown the kids, and move to a cave...there stress gone! He got the point and never said another word about it. Yes, I know stress kills, but sometimes there is no way to reduce it other than try to get a little breathing room. I could go on about some of the suggestions caregivers are given sound good but are impractical, but that would be another entire post. So, we'll just leave it this way.

Anyway, hopefully Bill has a good morning and doesn't get too agitated while I'm not there so that he doesn't get the vent turned down to 4 as planned. I'll let you know how things go!