Wednesday PROGRESS!

 There's good news,

great news,

and ... not as good (but not bad) news.

First....

we got him up today with his walker

intending to take his first real steps.

So far he has shuffled from the bed

over to the chair and back.

Like 4 steps.

So the plan was to walk to the door of

his room, turn and walk back.

But he just didn't stop.

Eventually made a lap around the unit!

We had a "chase car" with a wheel chair

on standby behind him, but he didn't need it.

After, I re-walked the route and came up

with 84 steps! Of course, his were probably

smaller so maybe more like 100 steps for him!

Amazing progress!!!

And although he's tired, he's rarin' to do it

again this afternoon after a little nap.

Other good news, the trauma doc just

stopped in. His lungs look pretty good,

but there is still too much drainage, so not

removing the chest tube just yet.

And his lower abdomen and plumbing 

is just sitting there.

Kidneys are working fine, but miralax

3x daily and colace and several other things

aren't getting things moving.

So we might need more drastic measures.

Walking should help a little though.

AND

they are going to try to kick us out

of ICU at some point today.

The hospital is fairly full, so it will

depend on when an appropriate bed

comes open, but possibly today.

(They were watching to make sure his

breathing improved and he's getting

better every day in that department...)

That means a bigger room,

a bigger window (he's SO confused

if it's day or night since there is only

one little window and a military time

clock on the wall.) A bigger window

will give him a better idea of what's

going on out there in the big world.

Fewer nurses, but we try not to be "needy"

anyway, so probably won't notice

much of a difference there.

After that, they will start applying for a 

bed in an inpatient rehab center.

Fingers crossed for something in Hays.

But whatever we need to do.

So.... we are moving forward.

Slowly.

But the tortoise won the race.