July 6 Update
In my last update, I mentioned that Sarah was back in ICU, on the ventillator, under sedation. Those things are still true, and likely to remain true for the next few days.
What has changed, though, is my definition of progress. That update called general stability throughout the day as progress, where we now hear reports of improvement daily. It’s details like liver function being improved, blood pressure being higher, platelet count being higher, etc. And every day there’s a detail or two mixed in that’s slightly worse, some of those details are predictable while an occasional surprise pops up. However, the overall picture for each of the past three days is improved. And that improvement allows them to make bigger changes to her treatment, over time hopefully speeding up the recovery.
The best news of today is they feel like the infection is under control or better. They’re still monitoring for something different too, and we’re still watching for other signs, but it seems to be an improvement. She still has a pretty good fever, which is causing some concern still, but they link it more (now) to her central nervous system still fighting. While it’s no longer necessary, her system (maybe still remembering the pain from earlier, the trauma of the surgery, and likely impacted by coming off some medication) is still in ‘AGHH!’ mode. Fever, higher heart rate, higher breathing rate, and higher blood pressure are part of that until her internal system resets, which we fully expect to happen.
While not giving me a quote for the e-mail, when asked the doc indicated we’ll likely be involved with this for another 3 weeks or so, counting some physical therapy necessary due to the amount of time Sarah will have gone with minimal movement. Not major, should recover from that part quickly, but naturally more quickly the sooner she can start. And not how we intended to spend July, but that’s how it is.
So, all that said, a lack of an update for a day or two (or three or four) doesn’t indicate much. Progress at the moment is slow, and is likely to continue to move more slowly than we’d wish, but progress is progress and we’ll take it.
Thanks to all for the continued thoughts and prayers. The kids are still in Malden, and at this point I’m not sure they’ll ever want to return to Columbia. Sorry I haven’t returned every call, e-mail, or text message. Most times it depends on timing more than how much I like you. Most times. On a side note, screw ku.