The Seventh and morning of the Eighth Day

Couldn't get online last night...sorry.

It's all getting to be a bit of a blurr.

Yesterday all the doctors agreed that Richard would be better off upstairs in a private room rather than remaining in ICU even though the outcome of his pneumonia was not completely certain. Richard told them that he had not slept a wink in four days. This, undoubtedly has been affecting his thinking, his mood, the entire healing process. While doctors and nurses have been telling him that he is going to be fine, not to worry, he has been fearing the opposite. 

All his vital signs are good. He's a bit anaemic and the congestion in his lungs has not shifted significantly, plus he still cannot eat or drink. Sounds horrible, but considering what his body has been through and that he is now only connected to oxygen (only 6% as opposed to 15% three days ago), feeding tube into upper intestine (2000kcal a day with hydration) and has a cannula on his right hand with ports to connect iv antibiotics and paracetamol , (his only pain killer) that's not too bad! He says he's doesn't feel hungry and is constantly swishing water about in his mouth and then spitting it out to keep it moist and feel like he's drinking. He looks entirely normal (why are some of you laughing?) to me! His mobilization is improving exponentially. He's going to the loo on his own. We put the little two pronged nose oxygen nozzle on him today so his face has been freed up. So, really allot of progress.

Yesterday he had his SALT assessment by a lovely Kiwi, Hilary. Essentially what it showed was that his epiglottis (muscle flap) and vocal chords which overlay each other and keep food and liquids flowing into the esophagus and not the bronchial passages is not functioning properly at the moment which the doctors believe is down to bruising of the muscles and nerve, so they're doing some more investigations and frankly just waiting to see if it corrects itself which is what I think will happen. This is why he can't eat or drink yet and also why he hasn't been able to perform the helpful act of coughing up the phlegm in his lungs. It will get better each day is what I believe and what the doctors have told us.

Just two more things before nap time.

Please text me before coming in to visit. There is the potential for visitations to get out of hand and Richard, as most of you know, has a hard time restricting his socializing! He's indicated to me that it's not quite time to open the doors fully. Both of us though, want to say how much everyone's incredible outpouring of love has meant. The prayers that people are saying for Richard all over the world, just that positive intention, like someone holding your hand when you are scared, is getting through. Thanks for the cards, beautiful flowers, supportive emails, texts and telephone calls!!!

Lastly, the roller coaster ride nature of Richard's journey so far was reflected in a frightening incident last night which ultimately resolved itself in a positive affirmation. Around 10pm after getting settled in the private room and meeting our night nurse, Beverley, Richard was dosing and I was trying to get on the computer. His yawns sound a bit like someone is stabbing him right now for some reason but they come and are over in a few moments. This particular yawn though kept on, and I looked up to see him writhing in his bed gasping and trying to cough. I ran to the bed and pressed the nurses button and gently hit his back and said, calm down, I'm getting the nurse, you'll be ok all while he was gasping for breath in an extremely distraught way. It seemed like something had gotten loose in his chest and was clogging his airways. Beverly came in a minute or so and by that time he had recovered somewhat only to have two more fits which he said he could feel coming and which ended in a little bit of discharge. We asked that a doctor be called and calmed ourselves down as his breathing resumed in a normal way. About 30 minutes later Prof Hanna, who had been doing his rounds, and the duty doctor came into the room. Prof Hanna sat on the bed and listened to the story and examined Richard. I told him about his SALT assessment earlier in the day when Richard had drunk three tiny sips of a starchy liquid, two of which seemed to go down the bronchial passages, or so the therapist said. Dr. Hanna after a few minutes deliberation said. You're fine. Don't worry. If that happens again just try to be calm. Nothing can go wrong. He smiled and said, you're doing well. You might even be back home by this weekend! Richard rolled his eyes a bit in humoured disbelief. And so it goes.

I was able to spend the night on a cot in his room and had my eyes and ears attuned to him the whole night just in case there was another episode which, thankfully, there wasn't. We both slept fitfully, but for Richard, I think cumulatively he must have gotten a good four or five hours sleep.

So today there is another SALT consultation, the doctors pow wow, the physio, a few scheduled visitors, and hopefully some more sleep!!!

Francois came up from Whithurst and is staying with him in the room while I get some sleep in the flat and gather a few things together. Francois got me on the hospital wifi so I should be able to post more regularly.