Day 2 - Post Surgery

Good Evening!

I hope you all enjoyed the Super Bowl game -- it was a good one, although I wish the Cardinals had come out on top. Phoenix is pretty quiet tonight!

Today was quite eventful. I feel like I've been riding on a rollercoaster and am ready to get off. The morning was wonderful. Jim was feeling so crummy last night, and I was really dreading having to watch him suffer through another day, but when Jenna and I came in to see him, he was much improved! He was relaxed and feeling fine without the use of any pain medications. His drooping seemed a little better, and we had just missed him being up and sitting in a chair. His overall demeanor was much more positive, which makes things a lot easier for me to tolerate. He kept telling Jenna and me how beautiful we were -- and, of course, we ate it up!

Dr. Fiorella stopped by to visit and so did Dr. Spetzler. Both were very pleased with Jim's progress. Dr. Fiorella seemed downright amazed at how well he was doing. The big pipeline stent surgery is Monday (tomorrow) for the gentleman who has a fairly similar case to Jim's, and he was pleased that I promised a huge network of prayers that would be coming his way. So, please everybody, don't let me down! The outcome of this surgery is VERY important to the plan for Jimmy. Pray, pray, pray, and then pray again ... please! Judy McStott, it's time to place another call to the poor Clare sisters. We'll be watching the recovery of this gentleman and rooting for him as diligently as we do Jim's, and the doctors have promised to try to keep us informed. I will pass along anything that I hear to all of you. It is such an exciting option!

The kids all flew back to their prospective destinations this afternoon, and it was very nice for them to leave their daddy looking so well. Although it was unfortunate that I had their flights scheduled right at the start of the Super Bowl game. I guess that's why I got the flights so cheap! Shortly after they all left for the airport, Jimmy got moved out of ICU and was upgraded to the next level Neuro floor. I can't believe he was moved out so soon! He has a wonderful private room that looks out at the Hampton Inn, where I am staying. He also got to have his catheter removed and passed enough of his swallow test to be able to start on thickened liquids and pureed foods. He was pretty bummed about not passing the whole way, but we all are all thrilled that he has come so far so fast. He had mashed potatoes and gravy with his pureed chicken and vegetables and some sugar free vanilla pudding for dinner tonight -- yum! Unfortunately, he was very exhausted by the time that he got settled in his new room and his food arrived, so he only ate a few bites. He started feeling pretty crummy again, and I started getting a little worried as he seemed to be regressing a little bit. He seemed weaker and wasn't quite as clear headed as he was all day. The physical therapist came in to evaluate him (right at the start of the Super Bowl game of all times) and he didn't do very well. This really frustrated him. It's hard to say how much was fatigue and how much is a potential problem beginning to develop. His cough is still very weak and he's having trouble clearing his chest. This can be a problem in regard to the risk of pneumonia. His gag reflex seemed a little weaker also, and they were having trouble suctioning him when his chest started rattling as the evening progressed. He became more and more tired and uncomfortable. Then he started vomiting again. This was disappointing as he had done so well all day, and we were hoping that the swelling was beginning to subside at a more rapid rate. Because the vomit appeared to have some blood in it, they took a chest x-ray and drew some blood. I am waiting to hear the results from the nurse. Jim was so exhausted that he wanted me to leave so he could try and sleep, and I asked the nurse to call me so that I could relax and try to sleep too. Obviously, I have not yet heard anything, which probably indicates another restless night ahead. They are looking for evidence of pneumonia issues in his lungs and possible bleeding issues in his abdomen, although the internist didn't think the bleeding part was likely as he wasn't sensitive in his tummy. I'm hoping the news is good. For awhile, they were considering sending him back to ICU for a few days, but his vitals still look good, so they have decided to leave him where he is.

Unfortunately, Jimmy is feeling pretty down about his setback. I don't even have any funny tales to tell! He said to tell everyone that it was a black day. I disagree. Although the ending wasn't great, he accomplished a lot earlier, and he was more settled down and stable by the time that I left him at 9:30pm. We both have to get used to baby steps and the fact that sometimes we might take a step back every now and then. I am almost as exhausted as he is, but I am also very anxious to see him tomorrow morning, so I probably won't get to sleep in quite yet. I hope to have more good news than bad to pass on for everyone tomorrow. Please continue to pray for Jim and don't forget the extra prayer request for the gentleman having the pipeline stent surgery tomorrow. This is going to be another monumental week for both of them to get through! I'm going to wrap this up as my eyes are feeling as blurry as Jim's are right now -- take care, God bless, and tune in for more fun facts tomorrow!

Love and sweet dreams, Krissy