Please hold

Please hold...

That’s what life feels like right now; on hold.

As you know, David had a small minor surgery last Friday.  Doc wanted to reposition the chest tube on the right side. Chest tubes are not meant to be long term and the tube had slipped a little and was not being effective.

When he was on the vent, there was a constant blow pressure to keep his lungs inflated. Now that he is off of the vent and solely on the Trach Collar the lungs are depending on David’s breath to fill them up, but he is still so weak.  Both lungs are collapsed a bit, the right one being more so.
The chest tubes job is to remove blood, fluid, or air from around the lungs. It is placed between the ribs and into the space of the chest cavity to help his lungs fully expand... eventually. Sooner than later, please.

So that’s where we are on that side. He is talking through the speech valve several times a day in short trials. It is uncomfortable but he has gotten better at it. However, afterwards he has coughing fits and it’s quite unnerving. It’s as if you aren’t sure he needs help or everything is ok.

Without the speech valve, he is actually able to speak, but long pauses through each word. Going forward there as well. When he is too tired to talk you can at least hear a small whisper, in between a dozen or so coughs; painful to watch; to hear.

He skipped a few days of physical therapy after surgery, and it’s crazy how less he can do after two days. But he will get back to where he was. I don’t want to say one step forward and three steps back, but essentially is what happened.

My very favorite respiratory therapist stopped by today to check on David. His name is also David, so I can always remember his name. He was there the very first day we were in the emergency room and was so very kind. We are attached to him.

‘Nice to hear you,’ he says. Haha.

So...onward we go.

Thank you so much, everyone. I have inadequate words to express our comfort from your love, support, every single message. I know you may feel as if your comments do not matter or we don’t read them. We do. And we love every word. More, please. It really helps!

Love love
His Shelli

Ps. His tears are not broken anymore; heartbreaking. Oh how I love that man.