The way Ben bolted out of the starting blocks on Wednesday, we hoped his race to recovery would be a sprint.
Instead, we're learning it's a marathon.
Ben's crowd-wowing breakthroughs (like moving, awaking and talking) are being joined by the less dramatic and less measurable acts of slow healing. Ben seems to be leveling out, settling in as his body works to get better. Finding a pace. Dad says everything is progressing probably too slow for us, but it is progress. A week ago we feared the worst. To now have a racer at all for us to cheer on is victory enough.
Slow can be good. One thing we like being slower is Ben's heartrate. Saturday found it hovering in the 90 beats per minute range, a vast improvement over July 26 (day 3) when I watched it register as high as 159. He is thus responding well to the heart medication recently given to him. His breathing is also slower and more effective.
Ben is now producing urine. This is great news, and as he continues dialysis for 2-3 hours a day, we hope his kidneys will get stronger and stronger. Doctors hardly comment about his liver anymore, except to say it looks good.
Doctors wondered if a sinus infection was the culprit of Ben's elevated temperature. Tests instead point to a possible abscessed tooth, so Ben's getting a broader spectrum antibiotic. (Stay on top of dental care, everyone!)
Ben worked with a speech therapist today, answering an ICU disorientation quiz on such topics as what season it is, is it day or night, etc. He did fine.
Mostly, Ben is very, very tired. He should be! He gabbed for two straight days, supplying us with many entertaining Ben-isms that we're sure will become the stuff of legend around the Thanksgiving dinner table. (Aren't we all loopy when we're not well-rested?)
He's sleeping much more deeply now, and seems rather subdued when awake. Dad says Ben is much more reserved in what he says, but that what he does say makes sense. Ben definitely understands where he is and why.
Ben has a feeding tube again. Is this a step backward? Well, even Olympic-level runners have to pause to tie a shoelace now and again. One nurse reminded us it's OK to go back a few steps, as long as you take more steps forward. We believe Ben is doing just that.
Our family remains forever grateful. Each day gives us more than we had the day before.
Thank you for all your prayers.
Jenni
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2 comments:
Of all the lessons I should be learning - patience should rise to the top of the list. Jenni, you said things much better than I did, so I should just wait and leave things to the professionals.
Love You,
Dad
Hey, I'm getting paid?!
Dad, I thought your remarks were beautiful. I laughed how the blog timestamps posts by when you start them, not when you finish. I started first, but you had already posted by the time I was done. But great minds certainly think alike, eh?
Jenni
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