3/01/2009

Jim Day 3

6:00 PM Sitting in the ICU waiting room with other family members sharing stories of why you are here,



4:15 PM What do you do when you are sitting in a room in the ICU?
* you watch - monitors, which you don't fully understand and his breathing
as he sleeps.
* PRAY
* thanks to wifi and laptop computers you check and write email and in my case
* write on a blog. It keeps you connected to the outside world and to people so
that you don't lose track of time and place: i.e. "sundown" like the patients do.
* stare out the window
* make lists of things you will do when you life is back to normal.
* knit
* read - the same paragraphs over and over if your mind won't focus - I brought Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese - beautiful language on the fitst few pages over -and over.
* cut and paste paper into collages in a sktech book - my preferred activity

3:30 PM Jim was up in a chair for 2 hours this afternoon. Big hurdle. exhausting for him so now he is sleeping. Good job.

11:30 am Have you heard that we are expecting a BIG snow here today? This should be interesting. I am glad we are already in town and we don't have to concern ourselves with getting back and forth to home.

11:15 am The surgeon was in a bit ago and he is very pleased with the way things are going for Jim's progress. He is going to keep Jim in the ICU for another day though because of the level of nursing coverage.

Jim was startled when he told him that, " well you have rested for two days - now this afternoon we will get you into a chair." Whoops! We will see how that goes.

I tell you everytime I look at him and see him improving I think of everyone that sent a note, a greeting and a prayer. And we are grateful.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the good news! Hugs to you both!

Granny Sue said...

This is all good, Ellouise. Keep the updates coming.

Kate Dudding said...

Dear Ellouise,

I'm so glad you have some knitting to do. I've always found knitting to be very soothing during stressful waiting, as did my mother.

And I can't eat while knitting -- eating, unfortunately, being another way I soothe myself. Consequently I often bring knitting to parties so I have something to do with my hands other than snarfing down potato chips... I digress...

May Jim sit in his chair longer tomorrow and the next day, etc. And may he soon be sprung from ICU to a floor with great nurses -- smart, attentive, caring and funny :-)

Hugs,
Kate

About Sean Buvala said...

We're with you.

Marilyn said...

I'm happy for you both that things are going well. I've been thinking about you. Knitting is a great idea. I think of threads and yarns as a connection of sorts to other times and other women who have waited and created and cared for others all at the same time.