Boring/Exciting Days # 5 & 6

Beautifully boring/exciting.  Real live shower.  Real live chest x-ray (instead of bedside) for comparison to 10/24 x-ray and future x-rays.  Another walk in the park hallway planned. Tapering oxygen.

Boring/Exciting Day #4

Joe's moving in the right direction, literally.  He walked down the hall yesterday.  The oxygen level is being reduced gradually.  We're listening to Wait!  Wait! right now.  RIP Tom Magliozzi.

Boring/Exciting Day #3

Another boring/exciting day.  Joe took a few steps throughout the day and hung out in the chair.  Turkey and mashed potato dinner was OK.  The big news is that the Art Cart came around and replaced the creepy girl with our choice of Manet's "Bar at the Folies-Bergere".  We have their phone number now in case we ever have an art emergency like the creepy girl picture again.

Another Boring/Exciting Day

Joe spent much of the day in the chair instead of bed, had a hockey puck hamburger and a dry ham sandwich.  We're using the term "nose thing" instead of cannula for the device that delivers the oxygen since "cannula" reminds us too much of "cannoli".  The nose thing stayed in place all night.  Yay.  The docs aren't pushing tapering the oxygen too quickly, which is good, since we need to see the oxygen saturation levels stay high and not drop too quickly with activity.  Boring as she goes.

Bye Bye ICU!

Joe was moved from the ICU to a general pulmonary floor this morning. Still using oxygen through a cannula.  Did a little activity today.  Said the egg salad sandwich wasn't bad.  All in all, a boring/exciting day.  The painting of the little girl and her dog on the wall in front of us creeps us out. Added incentive to get outta here.  Thanks for all your support!

Houston, We Have Extubation

They removed the breathing and feeding tubes this morning at 11:30 without a problem.  Joe's been breathing on his own all along with varying levels of assistance.  He now has a cannula providing air.  When I asked the nurse how long Joe should refrain from talking, in a riff on Joseph Campbell, she said to "Follow your pain."  Great.  They'll monitor Joe for a day or two in the ICU, and then he'll move to a general medicine floor.  Three cheers for the Amazing Joe!

Cruisin' in the Right Direction

There's an indication that Joe's breathing is getting stronger and that the steroids he's being given are working on the lung infection.  Joe had a relatively peaceful, productive day breathing with less help from the breathing tube apparatus.  If the current trend continues, they may be able to remove the breathing tube as early as tomorrow.  That would be hugely wonderful.  Keep those positive rays comin'!