Tracheotomy is not as bad as you might imagine...

When compared to intubation, a tracheotomy is a BIG improvement.  Still stuck lip reading - badly - as there's no sound when one is ventilated through a tracheotomy, but he seems a lot more comfortable.

If you're coming to visit, you should bring pureed steak for the feeding tube - he'd really appreciate that! 😉

Two steps forward, one step back

Good evening, gang.  Since its been over two weeks since my dad was first intubated, they've made the switch now to a tracheotomy, so he can have the assistance of the ventilator without the tube in his mouth.  It should be much more comfortable for him.  IT'S NOT PERMANENT.  It's just until he can breath on his own, and until he's strong enough to clear his own secretions.  The fluid in his lungs has cleared, finally!  But he has A LOT of phlegm in his airways.
He is now sedated, following the trach procedure, and probably will be for the rest of the evening and night.  His sister just left, and she is planning to return in the morn. My brother and I will head over  around 12 or 1 tomorrow.
Once again, the doc ASSURES us that despite the need for the trach, and continued need for the ventilator for now, he is absolutely still moving in the right direction. 👍

Unfortunately they had to re-intubate him last night: he has so much fluid in his lungs, and mucous in his airways, that the work of breathing on his own is just too much.
The good news is, the settings are such that he is still doing the bulk of the work of breathing on his own; but while intubated they can do more to help get the gunk out of his chest.
He spends time sitting up and moving around everyday, and excercises his arms and his legs, and some of us have even been giving him foot massages!

Shit my dad says, #2

While his brother Danny was visiting, he starts trying to pull out the feeding tube, intravenous, and other wires that are there to monitor him. His brother stops him, but my dad tries to wave him off, assuring him:
It's okay: I'm allowed!

Shit my dad says, #1

2nd or 3rd day that he was awake, having told him the previous day what had happened, and where he was, we asked my dad:
Dad, do you know where you are?
Him: (nods slowly) Of course I do! I'm right here!
(Pauses)
Richmond Hill

All remains well...

It's been over 2 days without a fever: yay! 🎊🎉
He wasn't getting enough oxygen last night, so he's now wearing a big mask with head gear. But thankfully no tube!
Anyone visiting has to wear gloves, mask, gown into the room. My brother and I are going around 4 or 5 this afternoon, and I'll try to find out the reason then. 😊

Extubated!

He is extubated and TALKING! But he's been instructed not to talk, but to just focus on BREATHING. But he's pretty excited, by the sound of it!

Will today be THE DAY?!

Yesterday my dad tolerated the ventilator settings required for extubation ALL DAY. These are the ventilator settings they were looking for him breath successfully at, so with any luck, they may extubate him in the morn!

He still has a VERY stubborn strain of pneumonia, and is very weak. He has periods where he is fairly alert, interspersed with periods where he's still quite groggy. But getting extubated is what's needed to get him OUT of the ICU so that he can begin the next phase of his recovery 😀

He is spending some time sitting up each day, and doing leg and arm exercises. He seems to be on his way!

Steve's Story

On October 6, my dad (and all of us) were fortunate that he had asked a friend to drive him to an appointment. Because of that, his AMAZING friend John arrived in time to find him unconcious, and was able to get paramedics on the scene to revive him when he went into cardiac arrest (twice).  He was taken to Stevenson in Alliston, where he cardiac arrested, and was revived, one more time. Heavily sedated, intubated and on a ventilator, he was taken to the first available ICU bed at McKenzie Health, in Richmond Hill.  At this time, we are hopeful that his time in the ICU is nearly over...