A new day . . .

The sun has arisen on yet another day, and he's still hanging in there.

Blood pressure seems to be almost in control at this point, so during rounds this morning the doctors have requested the nursing staff to start weaning him from his drips.

In the 13+ hours since being extubated, Tyler seems to be experiencing a little more pain that is causing him to take shorter (and not as deep) breaths... like he's afraid to. However, his blood gases continue to come back just fine. As a result of the increased pain alongside his massive headaches (due to adjusting to the new bloodflow), they have ordered a new med (toradol) to help take the edge off and allow him to relax. He is also experiencing major itching issues as he comes down from the Nitro and Morphine... also something to be totally expected.

He is very swollen today because his puffiness increased over the night. His day shift nurse, Michelle, is taking measures to correct it with hopes that he'll start to pee some of it off. Basically what's happening is he's taking in more than he's letting off. Also, his throat is swollen and dry from the ventilator, which isn't allowing a lot of what he's trying to cough up to come out, causing him to have a little bit of stridor at this point. However, his lungs are nice and clear at this point, so the doctors told us not to be concerned yet.

We were told by his Surgeon, Dr. Lofland, and CV Surgery nurse, S. Reynolds, that today and tomorrow will be two of his worst days during the recovery process. We were also told that we shouldn't expect to head to the floor today (but maybe by tomorrow evening)... It all depends on the length of time it takes for the nursing staff to adequately wean him from the drips, become stable on his own accord, and begin his feedings again.

Andrew and I have talked about the possibility of having one of our favorite OT's, that worked with Tyler during his stay here in Aug/Sept '07, come up for a visit to discuss the possibility of working again with a bottle... since there isn't an issue anymore with paralyzed vocal cords or aspirating. I don't know, but we'll see. It would sure be nice to have him take liquids by mouth (like formula in a bottle) to help heal his throat after being intubated.

I will post again later in the day on how he progresses. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. I am a little down today, just because we're facing the reality of post-surgery now. This really is the worst part. But as always, a safe recovery takes time.