Tommy Update September 3rd

September 3rd

Hello everyone! I have to write quickly so I can get in the shower. I didn't have time at all yesterday to write because I was so exhausted, so this is yesterdays update today. And yesterday I wrote stuff down as soon as the doctor left the room so I could remember as much as possible (thanks Robyn) So, as I said on my status update they were again unable to take out the breathing tube. They said that when they woke him up he was calm and not anxious but he was still having to work way too hard to breathe on his own and they knew he wasn't ready. The risks of keeping the breathing tube in too long is that there's a greater risk of getting pnemonia, but the risk of taking it out and not being able to breathe is obviously far greater. They think he's having a hard time getting rid of it because of something called a reperfusion injury of the lung, which I think causes a leakage and that is from the clots being in for so long and the body not knowing how to pump blood without them there. But the doctor said this is something that will go away soon and not something he has to live with, which I was worried about. Even though he still can't breathe on his own, the doctors are still so happy with his progress. All the levels are going where they want them to be and said it's a good sign they are even trying everyday to get him off it because they wouldn't even try if what they read was not good. So, he said to not worry if he was doing bad he would tell us but he is very happy with how he's been doing. He told us that he was really bad after the surgery which doesn't happen normally til the next day and he was inflammed or something inside and the nurse said she'd never seen anything that bad. But it has been coming down everyday and has been doing significantly better. The doctor said he is doing "miraculously" from where he was on Monday. So praise God for that!! He also said that during the surgery his muscle mass worked against him. Something like the muscles need oxygen and when they weren't getting it they start releasing a poison into the blood stream. If he was just a skinny guy that wouldn't have happened. So that was another reason he's going slower than most. Most of the patients are either women or 70 year old men. But the fact that he is in such good shape and muscular, they say will help him now to get better.
Oh, i just wanted to clear something up. That picture of the clots is not actually "clots" it is the scar tissue that formed around the clots. The body tries to dissolve it and when it can't it just becomes a part of the pulmonary arteries and forms scar tissue around it. So that is still the size of the clots and what was blocking his breathing. Just incase some of you are nurses or anything and are wondering how those could be clots, they are not,they are scar tissue. And i thought it was a 15 inch ruler on the bottom, but it was 15 centimeters which is 6 inches. Still big.
So yesterday was hard because at one point he woke up so much more than he ever had. He was looking at me and trying to move and swallow and looked like he was trying to say something as if he was in pain and I didn't know what he wanted and wanted him to fall back asleep so he wouldn't be uncomfortable and I just burst into tears. I had been there day after day holding it back and I just could not take it anymore! The nurse came in and gave him more pain killers and I told her I thought he was in pain but as she asked him questions it came out that he just had to go to the bathroom. He didn't know he was hooked up and could just go. So, she told him he could and fixed the medication and soon he fell back asleep. She is sooo nice! I cried to her twice that day. All of the other nurses probably think I have no feelings cuz I've seemed okay and then I just wept to nurse Sarah. She probably thinks I'm a basket case. :-) but she was soooo kind and comforted me and got me tissues and kept reassuring me he wasn't in any pain and kept asking me if I was okay. :-) she said she would be back today which makes me so happy when we see the same nurse taking care of him (especially if we like them) :-> So that was the toughest day so far. But as always, God is good and prepared me for the day yesterday morning with a wonderful time of worship with just me and Him. He is faithful. So, they are going to try again today. Heather and I are trying to get there around 10am when they usually try so we can be there to hear right away what their plans are. The doctor thinks it still may not be until tomorrow but they will try anyway.
I will try to write later tonight and let you know what happens today. Thanks again!! :-)
~Naomi