Friday April 24

Yesterday they put dad on CPAP because he just wasn't breathing with the ventilator (sounds weird but that is close to what they told me). They left him on the CPAP from like 8 AM yesterday until 11 AM today. Dad's blood pressure started going way up so they switched him back to the ventilator and his blood pressure went down some. He has slept a lot today, I think being on the CPAP for so long -- while good for him -- just wore him out.

Today dad is following commands better Nurse D said. He still gets really agitated at times so they have had to give him some Versed, and Nurse D doesn't think the Precedex is doing dad much good. I just don't know. I know they can give him some Ativan and I tried to tell the nurse that it might help his blood pressure come down some. Nurse D said she didn't think the blood pressure was up because of agitation so she was giving him everything else in the world.

The thing is that the nurses rotate within ICU and some within ICU3 (where dad is) so he never has the same nurse more than 4 days in a row then he may get that nurse again in another week or not. Each nurse treats dad different, one notices something might be working and another nurse sees it differently. I really wish dad could have the same nurse/s more consistantly. I think his care would have better continuity if they did.

Still those teeny tiney baby steps. A step forward and 2 steps back. But overall dad is doing lots better than he was say just a week ago. But he still has a long way to go.

Keep those prayers going up for dad and me, and Aunt Betty.

Kathy