Monday, December 7

Today was much better.  The bronchoscopy yesterday was really effective and Bill had a much easier time breathing today.  The doctors are now coming into his room when they do rounds (instead of standing just outside the door and out of earshot) and Bill can listen to the same incomprehensible jumble of acronyms and medical terms that we've been hearing the last few weeks.  The important part is that whatever is going on with him is not so bad that it can't be discussed in front of him.  And actually, the things going on with him today were all pretty good.  He wanted me to ask his doctors about anxiety and I did.  He was told that now that his heart and lung issues are under control, it's time to work on his mind.  He is much too young and too smart to sit in a bed and stare at the wall all day.  He needs to be awake during the day, sleeping at night, and thinking about his future.  His doctor told him there was no reason he could not go back to school and finish his degree once he's recovered.  In the meantime, we need to bring him audiobooks and movies, read to him, and keep him engaged.  This is just what both he and I needed to hear.  One of his friends actually brought a couple of movies over today and sat and watched one with Bill.  When I left tonight he was watching the Discovery Channel.  You might not be too impressed to hear that Bill has been sucked into the television, but the great part is that he wants to do it.  He hasn't wanted to watch anything until today.

He also had speech and swallow therapy today.  I think that the exciting part of this therapy might be the fact that he actually gets to swallow some juice and it's one of the only things he gets to taste.  Tomorrow they will try the endoscopic swallow test again.  If he passes that he's another step closer to food.  Today's food obsession was sausage gravy and biscuits.  That actually sounds pretty good to me, too!  While we are talking about food, his stomach issues seem to be mostly resolved and he's back on tube feedings.  Not very tasty but better than IV nutrition.

I'm not sure how tomorrow will go.  Days here are a lot like a roller coaster: up and down and twisty and frightening.  I'm not sure how he feels about it, but for me knowing that tempers the good days and bit and helps pass the bad days.