Mr. V's Journey To Recovery

Mr. V is doing it! My mom went early to the hospital, I was running late of course. When I got to the hospital she was already in the STICU seeing my dad. She came out to the waiting area and said "Awesome, Awesome, Awesome" My mom timed it just right to see the doctors making there rounds. She waited until they got to my dad and she heard Dr. Cotton going over all the tests they have done on my dad, e.g. his ammonia level. Every time they would go down the lists of tests and say my dad's levels Dr. Cotton would respond Awesome! They are reducing the medications they are giving him. His levels are slowly returning to normal. I finally realized they are testing my dad for EVERYTHING! They want all levels of everything that should be normal output for our bodies to test normal. Its going to take some time for him to go back to normal but the doctors see him making progress once again. Dr. Cotton reminded my mom "small steps" and that it would be a long time. He is still on dialysis and less fluid is coming out of his chest. The drugs they are giving for his jaundice is going to take a while to kick in so he is still yellow. My dad is responding better and he is doing more and more each day to try and communicate. He mouthed the words "Water" to my mom, to say he was thirsty. I about cried that is the first time he has tried to mouth words. She told him he couldn't have any water but that the nurse will wet his lips with a damp cloth.

As far as his infection, it wasn't a mystery infection really, his colon was inflamed and causing the levels in his body to go haywire and cause the fever and increase in white blood cells. They put him on new medicine yesterday and they said he is responding to it well and the dialysis has helped a lot. His white blood cell levels have not gone down but they have not increased either but the doctors said he just started the medicine so it will be a little while before it starts to really work. I know they are being conservative in telling us remember small steps and we know but we are just happy to see him recover bit by bit. He is still in his "rotisserie" bed as Nurse Jennifer IV calls it. He needs that bed to keep up his circulation and help his lungs, which by the way look healthy. Well I will keep everyone posted if there are further developments. Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers, he knows that a lot of people care for him and want him to recover.