On/Off

Yesterday was a really rough day for Dad. The nurses had to given him pain medication and it really made him drowsy and delirious. He kept saying all of these strange things. It left Mom and I really concerned, but the nurses assured us that things were O.K. When I arrived for the morning visit I was surprised and delighted to see that the ventilator was shut off! He was breathing only with the assistance of oxygen that he breathes through the tracheotomy. He was breathing with the oxygen for about two hours before he asked to be put back on the ventilator. He said he felt winded, which the nurses tell me is normal. When I went to the afternoon visit the ventilator was back on, but the nurse said she would turn it on and off over the next several days until he is totally weaned from the machine. Then they’ll have to wean him from the oxygen. Once he’s weaned from the oxygen they’ll close the tracheotomy and start more intense physical therapy. Let’s pray that this all will happen faster than expected.