Tuesday Update For Ben

Today is Ben's and my 31st wedding anniversary. I'm a little sad because I did not get to spend very much "quality" time with him at the hospital today because so many people kept coming in to check on him and one of the Case Managers came by to talk with me again. They moved Ben from ICU to DOU this morning around 6:00 AM. It's good that he has moved because DOU is a step in the right direction. He is now considered in serious condition instead of critical. They started weaning him from the ventilator this morning around 9:50 AM. He was only able to do it for 1 hour and 45 minutes today. I was hoping he could go longer, but I think the move downstairs may have worn him out and then some people came in to examine any sores he may have and then the physical therapist showed up and then the pulmonary doctor (Dr. Chang) and then an Internal Medicine doctor (Dr. Awad). When I first got there, I did his exercises with him for about 15 minutes, but I no sooner finished when in came Brent his physical therapist. Brent worked with him for a good 20 minutes and said he could really feel Ben's muscles doing the work. He said Ben was helping him move everything and that he was doing well. Then Dr. Chang came in and check on Ben. He said that Ben was doing really good. The only thing this morning was that his heart rate started to go up when the put him on the breathing trial. that's why the ONLY let him do it for 1 hour and 45 minutes. I turned the TV on for Ben and then noticed that his TV glasses were not there. I went downstairs to ICU to see if they had them and they could not find them. I went back upstairs and started looking through the drawers and cabinets and I found them in his plastic tray. They are only cheap cheaters, but he needs them to see the TV clearly. Next, Dr. Awad came in and checked Ben. He said Ben's sodium level was a little high, so the lowered the liquid nourishment and gave him what the refer to as "free water". They put it into him through his NG tube. His arms and hands were not as bloated today, but his legs are still bloated and his belly is huge. They also gave him more diuretics to see if that helps relieve the bloating. That beach ball sized belly must be very uncomfortable, but Ben insists he is not in pain. Next the people who check for sores, etc. came in and looked him all over and medicated and dressed anything that they found. Ben fell asleep as soon as they put him back on the ventilator. Then the case manager came to talk with me. She wanted to know what the case manager from yesterday had told me about Ben maybe going to a trach care unit. She gave me the names and address of both units and told me that Ben's brother Lanny and I need to go check them out just in case. Please pray that Ben will be able to be weaned off of the ventilator at the hospital so he won't have to go to an outside unit. Ben's nurse Manjei kept telling me to go to lunch and let Ben sleep. I could tell she was trying to get me to go away. She doesn't understand that I always come and stay 3 to 4 hours with him since I live 25 miles away. I finally gave in and went out to the waiting room to eat my lunch. When I came back, Ben was totally asleep. They assured me that they had NOT given him any morphine because I again told them that I do NOT want him to have it. After about 30 minutes, I decided to head for home. He nodded a little when I told him I had to leave and that I'd see him tomorrow. Not a very good anniversary.