Tuesday Morning

Hello everyone! Sorry I didn't get online yesterday to post an update but here's what's been going on since his surgery...

Yesterday, some of Chris' vitals were a little off - his blood pressure low and heart rate elevated. They gave him some plasma to help with a clotting factor that was a little off and his breathing wasn't as great as it could have been. Thankfully, all of those things improved throughout the day and do not appear to be of any concern anymore. He was in more pain than following the first surgery, but he is able to manage it with the epidural catheter. And the nose/throat/stomach tube that's so annoying came out pretty quickly so he's not dealing with that anymore. And another huge improvement was that his stoma/ileostomy is already producing a lot more than it ever did following the first surgery...and that was the biggest hurdle he never overcame last time. So Graham is very pleased with progress there.

Last night he was able to sleep pretty well and was resting comfortable again this morning when I was there. He is still in ICU, though, following Dr. Graham's visit today. So I would say that he'll need another day before visitors. When that changes, I will let everyone know. He is anemic, which isn't really a new thing, so they are giving him another unit of blood to raise his levels. From what I can tell, this is the only real reason he's staying in ICU - the nurses continue to say that Graham just likes to be conservative and the attention you get from the staff is so much more responsive in the "Hilton" of SMMC before they move you down to the "Motel 6". The nice large flatscreen in front of the bed isn't bad either, especially during the World Cup matches!

On a separate note...
Please keep my Aunt Karen in your prayers as well (my mom's brother's wife). She is recovering from major surgery for esophageal cancer and has developed several serious complications as a result. She is expected to be in ICU for up to a couple of weeks as they determine and treat an infection and help her to fight Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). My Uncle Ron is an amazing caregiver but still needs extra strength to move him through this time. And keep both Ron and my mom in your prayers concerning my grandmother (their mother). Her health has slowly declined over time and she is on hospice care now with very little time left.