DAY 1 AFTER SURGERY.
Doctor's are very happy. They are continuing to work on the medicine levels as the liver continues to start working at full capacity. Closely watching blood sugar as most transplant patients end up with full blown diabetes. The level of steroids they are giving is pretty large and making Chip quite loopy. He could be the star of one of the 70's Peace Love and Mankind shows cause he seriously acts like he is best friends with some substances that are not legal. This makes him very sensitive. He can be telling you a story one second and laughing and the next he is very teary-eyed.
He sat in a chair for 3 hours and didn't complain at all about it. However, at the talk of possibly taking insulin shots every day his world started to melt. Figure that one out.
He ate three Popsicles and thought they were the best tasting things in the world. I videod it although I am not supposed to picture or photgraph anything due to the machinery being used in the ICU and I don't know how to dub out what he was saying which was funny as can be. With all the drugs his talk has been quite colorful at times. Thankfully he is well liked and his words are taken with little or no attention. He can, however, tell you every Dr.'s name that has walked in and whether they are married or not. He knows everyone who has entered his room down to Agnes who cleans and mops his room. Jim did the pick line, Jeff was morning nurse so on and so forth. It is interesting how he is remembering all the details. He tells everyone the details are for his 'book' that he is writing. Now that would be some interesting reading.
There was a lock down on the floor and he was all alarmed about that.
When the anesthesiologist asked him about his pain he said:
"Now, Dr., your pain level would be a 9 if you had this done but my pain level is a 7"...a solid 7. The Dr. said OK so mine will be a 9"? Chip said "Yes". The Dr. said "Why?" and Chip said "Well, look at you. I am three of you and I am not nearly as big as I used to be. You are slender and in shape but you are too small so if the truck got you then you would hurt more and I am sorry for that cause you are a Dr. and a whole lot smarter than me".
The Dr. smiles and sort of laughs. Chip looks him straight in the eye and points his ET finger at him (The finger that the oxygen levels are being recorded on which has a bright orange light) and says "Now I have made you mad so are you going to take the liver back"? The Dr. says "No, you can still have it, it seems to be quite happy with you".
See, sometimes things are happy with their second owners!!
DAY 2 AFTER SURGERY.
Jeff is the lucky nurse for the day. He has gotten Chip special chicken broth which Chip will tell you that it is the 'cheap brand' and Popsicles. The Popsicles are going to boycotted pretty soon though unless someone goes to the 7/11 and gets him the sugar-free ones. He much prefers the sugar-free over the real sugar ones.
He sat in the chair for a number of hours earlier.
After Chip learns all about Jeff's life and asks him questions that embarrassed him (Jeff) to death he gets him back out of bed to sit up.
He slept NONE last night so that means that when he woke up Thursday evening at 10 pm that he has been awake ever since. Apparently the medicines are causing this.
He is happy that he is not cold. He now gets warm again which is totally his 'old' self.
Looking to maybe move into a room later today (Private room) which will be nice, however the ICU staff has been the best we have ever seen.
I am back in Charlotte until tomorrow and then I will go back to Durham. I just got a call from the nurse who said that Chip wanted to talk to me. I called his cell because he has talked the nurses into letting his cell sit on the bed right beside him but he won't answer my call. The nurse calls me back and tells me that he said for me to come into the room and see him. I tell her that I am back in Charlotte and that I can't. He said "Tell her to get back up here, I can't believe she left me".
Everyone who is young and who enters the room is asked about their parents. Chip tells the person to "Make it right with your parents.....you want them to know that you appreciate them and no parent should ever have to see their child like my dad has had to see me". It has made a few of the people really stop and think. Then when they leave he says "Now, you do what I tell you ok?"
Hopefully BENADRYL can be given later to help sleep. If this occurs then a whole floor will be very happy.
Thank you again for your comments and words and messages.... aain they mean so much and help to give us strength and push on. We are still amazed at how well this has been going and don't want to be greedy but we sure do hope it continues.... Forgive Our Greed please!!!
****************************TO BE CONTINUED***********************************
0 comments:
Post a Comment