CCU Day 1 - 10:30 AM

When I arrived for the 8:30 AM visiting hours this morning, Terrie had already begun to awaken. She is still pretty drugged up, which is good, but the nurse began to awaken her so they could start the process of weaning her off the ventilator. She had to prove that she could breathe on her own before they could remove it entirely. She looked very glad to see me and put out her (restrained) hand to grab me when I entered the room. Her hands had been restrained because the first thing people do when they wake up is try to pull those nasty tubes out of their noses & mouths. Just before I left her room at 10 AM, they succeeded in getting the vent tube pulled out. She had a bit of a struggle for a minute or so after they pulled it past her gag reflex spot. However, she soon settled down and was resting well when I left. She is now able to whisper and that is helping our communication - although it's a bit hard to understand. Also, the hand restraints have been removed now. As the day progresses, they will begin to remove many of the myriad of things attached to her body - tubes, monitors, etc. One of the major struggles ahead will be the use of pain medication. She will need some in order to help her feel like moving around, which is crucial to help her avoid pneumonia. Yet, strong pain medication usually makes her nauseated. Please continue to pray that God provides something that works and doesn't make her sick. Our kids are all at the house and are working out their rotation to come see Terrie through the day and still have someone to watch those 9 precious grandkids. It sounds like good ole Chucky Cheese might help babysit today! With adult supervision, of course! Stay tuned for more and especially keep a line open to heaven to ask blessings on Terrie. Thanks!