Friday Update For Ben

Ben was a little more awake when I came in this morning. They had started his breathing trial at 7:30 AM. I spoke with the surgeon (Dr. Rupp) and she told me she sees no blockage in his intestines. As before, she tells me his stomach will go down once the physical therapists start getting him on his feet, but who know when that will be as no physical therapist showed up today while I was there. I asked at the nurses' station when one would be coming and they told me one had come in a 7:45 AM and another came in at 10:00 AM. Now I know for a fact that none came in at 10:00 AM because I was there then. I told them I want a physical therapist working with him EVERY DAY! When my social worker stopped by to see if I needed anything, I told her that they claimed a physical therapist had come in at 10:00 AM and I was there at that time and none had come in. She said she was going to put that in her notes and report it to the doctors. They are still suctioning out Ben's stomach and during this, they are NOT tube feeding him again. They are giving him "free water" through his IV to try to flush out the sodium that has built up in his body because that too is causing the bloating. I actually thought his belly looked a "tiny" bit smaller today, but it's still huge. His arms and hands are less swollen and it appeared that his thighs were not as swollen today too. Since no physical therapist came in while I was there, I worked on Ben's exercises for about 15 or 20 minutes in the morning and then again for about 10 minutes in the afternoon. He helped me a little with bending his knees the first time I worked with him and then he helped more with his arms when I worked with him in the afternoon. Lanny and I have an appointment with a senior advocate who helps seniors know their financial rights and obligations tomorrow. He does this service for free. We have to meet him at his home office. My social worker said he really knows his stuff. In fact she said the social workers at the hospital often call him for advice. My friend Marla called me from the airport last night. She will be at my house tonight to stay with me for a few days. When talking to her on the phone last night, I started to cry some. While I was with Ben today a kidney specialist came by to talk with me. She said his kidneys have taken another hit and their function had dropped a little again. She is the one who has ordered to give him a large amount of "free water" to help flush his body. Dr. Shin who is his doctor today called me on my cell. He said Ben has become anemic again and so Dr. Shin is ordering some blood transfusions for Ben. I looked to the north from Ben's hospital room window and saw that the sky was black towards where we live. I told Ben that the weather was getting bad and I'd better head home and he shook his head yes because he doesn't like me driving out in the rain. I had sun & clouds about half the way home, but then it started raining. When I got to the Newhall Pass it was snowing and it was sticking to the ground. I got off the freeway because the snow was really coming down hard and I could not see very well. I ran out of the snow and then it rained the rest of the way home. After I got home, the sun came out for about 20 minutes and now it's all cloudy again. Strange weather. I'm included a photo of the view from Ben's hospital window. But where they have his bed, he cannot see the window.