Sunday and Monday

On Sunday Alan got the remaining 2 chest tubes out. Traci, Mark and the kids were at the hospital with us when his surgeon, Dr. Shu Lin came by and said we would all need to leave the room while he removed the tubes. So, we went to the ICU waiting room to visit with some of the families we had come to know. After about 15 or 20 minutes, Traci looked up and said "Daddy is coming down the hall." We looked up and he was walking with no walker, no chest tubes,no IV tree, and of course he has not had oxygen since the surgery. It was so miraculous to see him. When we all ran toward him, he started to sob and just kept saying that God had given him a second chance. God gave all of us a second chance. Then Alan did 3 jumping jacks. He said it hurt, but felt good at the same time.

Today the infectious disease doctors came in a couple of times talking with us about the ecoli in his lungs. The first bronch they did showed ecoli but the culture itself was not growing, the second bronch did not show ecoli but ecoli is growing on the culture from the 2nd bronch. They are going to let him come home tomorrow, but will have a home health care nurse come by every day for 2 weeks to give him an IV of an antibiotic that is good at killing the ecoli. They don't seem overly worried because Alan is doing so well otherwise, but they still feel like this is necessary. We are now in isolation. When I or anyone else go into his room, we have to put on one of the paper gowns and plastic gloves. Those gloves make my hands sweat. If I leave the room for anything, I have to throw the one I have on away and get a clean one when I come back.

Alan is in very good spirits, but a little bored. He is inspiring a lot of the other patients.

While we were in ICU waiting for Alan to get his last 2 chest tubes out, I saw a young man that I had come to know just a little in the hallway. I guess he is about 16 or 17 and his name is Xavier. He looked upset and I asked if he was okay. He told me that his brother (19 years old) had just died. I didn't know what to say. I just put my arms around him and prayed. I was so rattled. I hope God let me say something of comfort to him. The last name of the family is Ramirez, please remember them in the loss of their loved one. And remember Martina who is 17 and had a lung transplant and is still in ICU, and Elois Carlton who is 56 and had a lung transplant and is still in ICU, and the many other people in ICU and their families.

I hope all of you have a great week! Hugs, Judy