After checking on Lee in Intensive care earlier this morning, I felt it was in my best interest to return with Julia, my daughter, and try to get some sleep and rest.  I just talked to Lee's Intensive care nurse and this is the report on Lee as of 4:45 p.m.:
He has at small intervals been allowed to begin to emerge from the drugs that allow him to sleep, and was promptly put back under as it is not quite time for him to wake up.  Withdrawal at small intervals from the ventilator have also occurred but he will remain on the ventilator as of now.  The lung surgeon will be back to check and make more decisions whenever he returns from the case he is now on in the operating room.  The plan at this point is to help maintain his stablization.  All his vital signs are holding well.

I was really tired when writing the last blog so will try to clarify some things:
Lee had two (2) coronary artery bypass procedures.  He did have to have the center through the sternum incision which also meant that he had to be placed on the heart by-pass unit.  This is a special perfusion unit that allows the surgeons to stop the heart and allow the unit to take on the work of the heart during the procedure.  It is usually used on all by-pass coronary procedures that require more than one bypass.

Lee tolerated this precedure well and the lung transplant was also done through this incision.  The good news is that he probably will not experience as much pain post-op as he would have with the under the rib or crab incisions usually reserved for lung transplants. 

I am told that right now there is a balancing of sorts to be able to do what is best for the heart vs what is best for the lung.  For example:  The heart needs more fluid in the vessels and the lungs need to be kept more dry so it is a challange during these critical post-op hours to complete that with success.  These first 24-48 hours are critical and Lee is receiving one on one care with many doctors nearby.  It is amazing to watch how thorough and confident these nurses and doctors are and to know that they certainly know what they are doing.  To this ancient nurse, the feeling and comparison is likened to having steped into another time zone that is comparable to the "Star Trek" series of the 70;s.

Please continue your prayers for Lee as I know you will and for me to have the physical and mental strength to be everything I need to be to help him along his journey to recovery. We are both looking forward to the time for him to move freely without being tethered to a line of oxygen.  More Later.........Brenda