Another Good Day

Today, Angela's doctor said she is doing "good". Her chest x-ray is better. Her blood gasses are better. She is on 30-35% oxygen, and they are trying to bring the ventilator airway pressure down. It was, earlier on, as high as 35, I believe. Today it started at 20 and was at 19 when I left. The doctor says when it gets to 17, she will go on the regular ventilator. He didn't say "try" - he said she would be ready. The amount of pressure she needs is an indication of how stiff her lungs are. As they become less stiff, less pressure is needed.

I spent the day rubbing her feet and hands and even sat down and read a little. Her bed is tipped with the head up about 10 degrees. She has always scooted downwards, necessitating the nurses to pull her up a couple of times a shift, but today, she was doing it much faster, needing to be pulled up every hour or more. Her nurse today allowed me to help, and the two of us could accomplish the job. Previously, she had to call two other nurses and the three of them would move her. I am becoming "trained". I also replaced her sat probe many times. That is the thing that clips onto her ear and tells the percent oxygen saturation of her blood. Her head is positioned between two cushions and as she rocks back and forth, it falls off frequently. Sometimes they put it on a finger where it stays better, but today her fingers were a little cold, and cold fingers don't give as accurate a reading.

We continue to praise God for the healing he is giving her. Every day when I leave I tell her that Jesus will stay with her and keep his arms around her and keep healing her lungs. Maybe she hears and can understand. Anyway it comforts me.