Here it is 5:49 and I'm just now getting this started. Normally I would be close to, if not actually, walking out the door. But, I'm taking the cats back to the vet today so I get a somewhat leisurely morning. I've also had some computer issues for some crazy reason this morning so the post would have not happened early anyway.

Yesterday was not as good a day for Bill as the day before. He was still very aware of what was going on and communicating, but he was very junky and congested and this time he was having a hard time coughing the stuff up and out. Even with frequent suctioning, his oxygen levels were staying in the mid-80s. His lower limit is 88 and he was hanging out at 84-86. He wasn't really in any distress, and they didn't turn his oxygen up, but he hasn't been this junky in a long time. I did look to see how long it had been since his last bronch and it was March 16 I do believe. So, it's been a good little bit of time.

Dr. Threlkeld has stopped the antibiotics. He said that the bacteria that grew was resistant to the Merreperrem that he was on. So, he's stopped it and is just going to watch. He said his white count is still coming up, but it had gotten really low again so I don't think it's actually in a danger zone yet. He did say that if he really started to get bad, or spike a fever, he would start him on a different antibiotic, but right now we're in a holding pattern while they test other antibiotics to see what will work against it. He is still getting his Bactrim and an inhaled antibiotic so maybe those will keep it somewhat at bay.

His formula has been changed again, back to Nepro from Glucerna. Glucerna keeps his sugar in check better, but it raises his potassium too high. The Nepro isn't formulated for diabetics so they have to keep a closer eye on his sugar, but it's good for potassium levels. I guess they think it's easier to just hang a bag of potassium if it's too low than to give him the medicine that makes him poop to lower the potassium.

His urine has gotten much pinker again. Yesterday it looked like strawberry soda. I looked at the drainage tube as it came out of his body and it was really dark at one point, but I could also see clear urine ahead of it. So, there is a bleed or clot again somewhere. I missed Dr. Morris. He must have come while I went to get some lunch. I had a thought yesterday that he had been Elequis since October for the blood clot in his arm. I didn't follow him to the bathroom to inspect his urine, and for quite a bit of time in the hospital there were no problems with the color. Then it darkened and turned purple and then cleared and then the bright red from the clot and your remember the rest about that. Anyway, he was taken off the Elequis when the clot finally was gone and his urine cleared slowly. He was put on heparin when they discovered the new clots and the urine stayed clear after the first few days and he's now been taken off the heparin and put back on Elequis and there is the blood again. I don't know if there is any correlation or not, just something that worked it's way to the front of my thought process.

Bill sat in the chair for 3 hours and was very straight and erect...until physical therapy came. He grudgingly did some exercises and then she slightly reclined the chair and put a pillow behind him...and he couldn't hold his head up. After he got back into bed we watched the goose that came to visit (he was looking into the window and quacking at us). 

I did discover on Thursday that he has been taken off his Cellcept, which is one of his anti-rejection meds. The nurses usually just say they are giving the normal meds and nothing has changed, but the one Thursday, who was a new hire and still under supervision, called out all his meds and I didn't hear Cellcept, so I asked. She checked with Whitney the assigned nurse who checked and it was stopped when his white count dropped so low. Since it's one that suppresses the immune system, that makes sense. So, since I know his white count is coming up, and had come up, I've asked if they are going to restart it. So far I haven't gotten an answer. Cindy said she would mention it to Dr. Edwards. So, I'll have to find out when I get there.

I didn't get anywhere with my research yesterday, or phone calls. So, maybe this week-end I can get the research done. The internet at the hospital always works better on the week-end anyway. I just won't be able to make any phone calls most likely.

I also didn't get anywhere again with getting a dumpster. They are not answering their phone, nor do they have an answering machine/voicemail. If they are not in the office, they should be doing what most businesses in that situation are doing and forwarding calls to an employees cellphone. I may have to delegate this chore to Bryan. He's already bought new tires for the Thunderbird. The flat that he had was from dry rot and instead of just getting the one tire, since they were all bought at the same time, they are all going to start doing it. They had 1 tire in stock so he could replace the flat one, or they gave him one to use, but they had to order them. Once it's back in running condition I may drive it to Memphis. I told Em I have a long chiffon scarf that I can wrap around my head like in the old movies to keep my hair from flying everywhere! It would be just my luck that the end of it would blow across my eyes so I couldn't see!

I think that catches everything up. I hope Bill remembers that I'm taking the cats this morning. I'm going to do what I did the last time and be there when they open at 8. I'm actually hoping that he wants to keep them for a few days. They are both off their food, and I do think Cat is running a fever. Mouse just lays on the back of the couch, he doesn't even really want to go talk to the outside kitties. So, I think they need a few days there for some good meds. And, the vet only charges for the treatment when he keeps them. There are no boarding charges or food charges, only the meds.

My body is telling me that I've put too much coffee in this morning and need to do something about it. I hope everyone has a great day. It's nice and cold here this morning, only in the 40s. I've gone from heat to air to heat again. Maybe it will warm up and stay warm now.