Slow and Steady

I know it's not really Chris's style (at least not on the slopes), but his progress can be described as slow and steady. He was kicked out of ICU yesterday afternoon; since all his vitals were really good (except for that pesky fever), he doesn't need that level of care. His new room is really nice. No view of the mountains, but he can at least look out the window at the sky.

He still can't really speak clearly* or move around on his own, so they are monitoring him with a tv camera, which is reassuring. His arms are still weak, but he's now strong enough to push the button on the tv remote control, as long as it's positioned where he can reach it. The OT and PT both said that his range of motion is getting better, and the level of "tone" or spasticity in his arms and legs is much lower, a very good sign.

Today was a really good day, though. He sat up in the chair for a couple of hours, and lounged in bed the rest of the day watching tv and dozing. He woke up a bit for a visit from a couple of his dear friends and ski buddies, who teased him mercilessly and made him laugh. (Thanks, guys, we both needed that!) We will cherish the nutcracker that was presented as a get-well token. Unfortunately, Chris didn't get to see the big smiles on his friends' faces; because one of his tests came back positive for a nasty bug, they are making everyone who contacts Chris wear gloves, masks, and gowns to prevent the bug from spreading any further. This evening, they told me (after I'd spent most of the day in a sweaty plastic gown) that only a couple of the cultures showed a very slight positive reaction, and that the precautions might not be necessary after all. Still, I want to be super-cautious. The place I'm staying, Yaffe House, is a temporary home to lots of folks who have loved ones in critical care at St. Anthony's. I'd hate to bring anything back that might be passed on.

Back to Chris's schedule: He's going to have another busy day tomorrow. Because they suspect he's having difficulty swallowing and coughing because of the feeding tube in his nose and throat, they're going to remove it. Because it's important that he get adequate nutrition for his brain, they're going to put another one directly into his stomach. He may not need it for long, but they think it will still be a few days before he will be able to eat a real meal in the ordinary way, so he'll still need the tube to help get the nutrients in there. They might try the swallow test again on Tuesday if he's still there.

We are still hoping to get Chris on a plane back home as soon as we can. One of his docs is very conservative and might not want to release him fpr a while, but another says he can't see any medical reason why Chris can't be whisked away as soon as possible. The change of feeding tube will help with that; the only other thing they will want to do is remove the anti-clot filter before he goes. We're hoping doc #2 will be able to convince doc #1 that Chris is good to go so we can get him in rehab in Boston ASAP.

Again, my deepest, deepest thanks to all of you who are helping us through this. I believe that Chris's great progress so far is being supported by the positive energy and prayers flowing his way. I also know that I would not have been able to get through this myself without all the emails and phone calls and cards and virtual hugs. I look forward to getting us both home soon so we can see you all and thank you in person.

Much love,
B

*Chris's clearest word so far has been "Wow!" which came out this afternoon in response to the latest news from Loon. I know he will want to get back there soon and see how things managed to muddle along without him.