Party in the ICU...

Happy New Year! ICU parties are more fun than I had initially thought. We celebrated with John and he sported a party hat. It was a little croocked on him but it was a party in the ICU. His nurses kept the hats to keep up the party atmosphere even after we left. So thankful he could celebrate the new year!

He had a good, stable, uneventful night despite the party. In the morning rounds we got good information. Today he is scheduled to go back to the OR to clean out his arm and get it set. Depending on his condition they may or may not close his abdomen. He has lost approx 3 liters of fluid over night which is a really good thing. His brain pressure is in the normal range and that is a really big deal. They are decreasing his reliance on the ventilator in small increments but slow and steady is the name of the game we want to play. He is no longer acidic and despite his heart being very bruised it is functioning well. His lungs are good - not great but good. His team continues to be one step ahead on the what if game plan. So they will be watching his lungs closely. His platelets are low - 47, for those who like details. He is having plasma again for breakfast to help get that number higher. He is off sedation meds and they are even backing off his pain meds. That is not to torture him but to allow them to better evaluate his condition. In a twisted way we were excited to hear he gagged this morning when they were inserting his feeding tube. Those sort of natural reflexes are what we want. They give us a peek into his future and his potential recovery. We are not out of the woods but we are not lost in the deep deep deep woods like we were. I was hoping to ditch the "critical" label but he will keep the label for a while. John loves the outdoors and being in the woods but it's the kind with lots of trees and a few deer not the kind that requires a medical team (although they are great). I am confident he will get out of it as soon as he is able!