Well, I did not get much sleep last night, so I am going to keep this brief.
I had thought that with all the speech and physical therapy and new tests and visitors (Pendar, Brandon and Eric) that Jake would be totally wiped out and just crash last night, but he ended up having a pretty bad night.
He was having a lot of trouble with pain. He is on a morphine pump, which will administer a small dose of morphine on-demand, but not more than one dose every 10 minutes. His problem arises when he dozes off. Since he's asleep he's not hitting the morphine button. His pain starts to spike, he wakes up and starts hitting the button, but by that point he's behind the curve. Can't really catch up to the pain with these very small doses. So, the nurses yell at him for not hitting the button and end up giving him some supplemental pain medicines to try to handle the spikes.
Of course, all of that wasn't helped when he developed symptoms of a urinary tract infection, causing quite a bit of additional pain.
The facial surgeon came in somewhere in the middle of the night and re-examined him. He reiterated the plan to do a single surgery this Thursday. He seemed a little bored by the whole prospect, just another facial surgery, no big deal. (Which I guess on some level is nice to hear - if he was sweating bullets over the case it would be pretty disconcerting.)
I think I finally fell asleep, more or less for good, sometime around 4:30 or 5:00. I woke up a little after 6:30 and Denise and Nick had arrived.
After the nurses shift change Jake got a new nurse, Myra, who came in to check on him sometime around 7:00. Among her questions was whether Jake was passing any gas. Shortly after she left Jake announced, "I just passed gas."
Nick was indignant. "You didn't even say 'Pull my finger.' A clear violation of protocol!"
To which Jake replied, "I've been medically cleared to pass gas."
Benefits of a classical education.
Oh, and finally the latest photo. (For some reason his maniacal smile reminds me of Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange.
Wow! His eyes are open and he's smiling (sorta) and he even sorta looks like himself!! That's great!
ReplyDeleteHowever... a little dismayed to hear he's been medically cleared to pass gas on the day that we are coming up to see him...
See you this afternoon. J
It's amazing to me that he's smiling at all, maniacally or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteHe looks so much more like Jake!
Thinking about you guys all the time.
xo
Jean
Hi Denise & Family
ReplyDeleteCalvary Chapel Anaheim church is praying for Jake, our ladies prayer group on Thursday nights is also praying.We will pray for his surgery that God will guide the Dr. and give them wisdom what to do. That he will heal quickly , be able to drink and eat soon. God Bless you guys!
Sylvia O'Neill( Susan's sister-in-law)I think I watched Jake when he was a baby, you guys went to Disneyland.
I've checked the health insurance small print - it clearly states "when the patient is capable of either (1) dirty limericks and/or (2) "pull my finger" humor (the term "my" not necessarity confined to the first-person but, rather, the greater society-at-large), said patient is clearly making outstanding progress.
ReplyDeleteHats off to Nick for keeping Jake honest on the GAPP (Generally Accepted Patient Procedures). Dude needs to tow the line. Missing tooth or not.
Kisses! (don't tell him I'm 40+ 'cause that will freak him out).
Well!!!
ReplyDeleteHello, Handsome, how you doing!!!!
So to see him looking human, well ok almost.lol
My girls think is is rather hot, but don't tell him two English roses are keeping an eye on him, his head will swell again and you'll never get him home.
Mum and Dad, you must be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel a bit now.
I know you all have so much still to get through and my heart is with you all.
Give the little monster a kiss from me,but in an auntie sort of way, after all I am 47 and we don't want him put off women for life.
Much love to you all.xxxx