Yesterday was the best day in a very long time! Surprising things happened along with some that are a little unsettling.

Bill was sleeping when I got there and Mikala said that he was given some anxiety medicine on the night shift. He didn't sleep all day like he had been, so maybe it was just a little Xanax along with his Seroquel to sleep. I've been suspecting some, and I think I've mentioned it, that he's also been getting a little dialudid at night so they don't have to do anything more than absolutely necessary.

I had forgotten to switch my picture around when I left, but Mikala saw it and changed it. She is so good with Bill, I wish we could have her all the time.

He was in a talky mood again yesterday and responding well to everyone. When Dr. Sharma came in he looked at all the numbers on the vent and just nodded. He again asked about restorative care or another facility. I told him there are only 2 facilities in Memphis that take vent patients and either one would cause a big hardship for us. He said the only other choice would be Nashville and walked out of the room. There is an acute care hospital in Jonesboro, but I don't know if Dr. Edwards would go for that. But, I digress.

Dr. El Hadad came to the doorway of the room and just nodded at me and then started asking Mikala and Crystal, the respiratory tech some questions. He then gave an order for a teepee and said if he can't tolerate being off the vent put him right back on! Crystal came in and said he told her to put Bill into CPAP mode! She said that they don't use the teepees anymore and it would have to be trach collar, which is why he went to CPAP. It uses the same tubing as vent mode. So, the switch. At first Bill took a deep breath and coughed and I told him the machine wasn't doing any breathing for him and he had to do it all. AND HE DID! ALL DAY! There was only one time that his respiration got too fast, into the 40s and I just rubbed his shoulder and told him to slow his breathing down and just take deep breaths and that's what he did. His oxygen levels were better on CPAP than they were on vent. He did drop to 89 at one time, but he came right back up.

He didn't even have to go on the vent for therapy. He didn't get into his chair, but they did leg and shoulder exercises and sat on the edge of the bed. His oxygen dropped to 84 at one time, but no lower. That's the number the monitor will start alarming, but he went right back up. The bed was put into chair mode, as it had been most of the day and we watched Dances With Wolves, or I did while he napped.

Dr. Edwards came in, which surprised me. But, they may have cancelled all of their office appointments during this crisis. He asked about interactions and I told he was responding to people. Bill did respond to his questions. I told him that he had slept all week-end but had been awake and alert on Monday too. He said he wanted him to have 2 good weeks straight, not 2 good days, 3 bad days etc. I took that to mean that he wouldn't be going anywhere until he had those 2 good weeks. That was a big relief for me. I think Dr. Sharma, who is only a resident, only knows what he's seen in the chart, and going by protocol again. There's been quite a change in Dr. Edwards, who was Dr. AA last year. He started to explain something about Bill's condition, then just looked at me and said, "well, you know, you've lived it", meaning that I've been there and through everything.

When I went to get some lunch, I saw one of the nurses from Restorative Care and she was asking about Bill. She told me that just yesterday they were restricting all visitors, with no exceptions. I understand the patients there are fragile and need protection, but I just read an article, from our own little hospital, that they understand how important the family interaction is to a patient's recovery. So far the main hospital is not considering restrictions any more than screening. At least, the staff had not been told anything.

Cynthia, the palliative care nurse we've been assigned came by, and said when they got word of the ban in restorative, she and Dr. Mullinax both said that if they moved Bill upstairs now, he would not thrive without me! So, some of the staff get home dependent he is on me just being there. All of the nurses on both floors know how anxious he gets when I'm gone, and all of the nurse practitioners for Dr. Edwards can attest to that also. So, I don't think he'll be moved without an exception being made for me to stay with him. Just something else added to my list of things to do and find out!

One thing I found out is that the cafeteria is doing a little price gouging now. It actually started last week, I noticed prices going up. It was raining when I left yesterday and I got a little later start so didn't go through McDonald's drive thru as usual. I can get a Sausage McGriddle and a large diet Coke for $2.21 total. At the cafeteria, they have now closed all fountain drinks, the coffee urns have been moved to behind the hot line and is served instead of self serve, no hot cereal/soup, no salad bar, no self serve anything. I understand that. What I didn't understand was the price of a bottled drink, 2 hard boiled eggs and 3 strips of bacon...$8.06! Lunch was also over 8 for a drink and a pre-packaged chef salad. If I end up staying I can't afford $24 a day for food. So, it will be back to McD's or poptarts for breakfast and I'll bring my own drinks. I can still get ice from the nurses. I don't even know if they will offer a dinner. Usually dinner was self serve leftovers from lunch. Even all of the condiments and plasticware was moved behind the serving lines. So, my salad that was in a refrigerator case and easy to pick up cost me 15 minutes in time waiting to just get a fork and some salad dressing! I understand it, I do, but not the increase in prices.

And with that, I must get dressed and get my stuff together, and get the cat down from behind the TV. She knows better than that. She's really been bad lately, even getting onto the kitchen counters and she has never done that before. Just her way of telling me I'm gone too much.

Let's hope that even if Bill had to be put back on the vent overnight to let him rest, he'll be right back to at least CPAP again today! I'll of course let you know!