Draining!

This morning when I went to see Lee, the pulmonary doctors arrived shortly thereafter.  After talking to Lee, listening to his chest and checking out his chest drainage they expressed concern that he was not draining from the chest tube.  One of the doctors injected 60cc of ? into the tube and the main pulmonary  (in charge) doctor told us that if the tube did not drain by this evening then they would have to take him back to the operating room and drain the pleural space under anesthesia. He told him to get up and walk and move around to try to break open that pocket of fluid.

Well!  I was just praying that the lung would drain. We walked him around 4:00 and while we were walking, the drain began to drain and drain and drain.  We were very excited!  Now maybe things will change for the better.  Once the fluid dimenishes he will feel more like moving about.  We have been told it will probably be Monday before he can be discharged back to the condo and to the Center for the Living. 

Today he did get to have some visitors for a short while.  Mary Nell, Roger and Genice came by and then took me out for lunch.  While I was gone, our friends Ted and Diane Cable came by from Chapel Hill where Ted got a good report from his doctor.  Lee was so glad to get to visit with them.

Lee did not have a very good hospital lunch today and I was able to get him a low sugar strawberry smoothie that he enjoyed.  I had taken all the mail and he was able to go through his mail and I had the computer there so he seemed to enjoy going on-line and also reading the blog.

It is good to see him wanting to do more and to appear more interested in daily activities outside the hospital.  I'm sure he thinks about the farm because the cows are having calves and the last count was 11 calves.  He always enjoyed this time of the year.  We both miss the farm so very much.  I try not to think about it, it becomes too painful emotionally.  We just don't discuss it.  Our focus is here and on Lee's recovery.  Someone mentioned to me  today that soon Summer would be over and how fast it had gone.  I realized that the seasons and the time other than here have ceased to exist for us.  Strange how that happens when you are totally caught up in a medical situation that is a constant threat to someone you love.  I share some of our feelings with you because I know you care about what we are having to experience right now.  It is very comforting to both of us to know that at all times we are not alone.

Tomorrow holds the promise of a better day for Lee because of the draining chest tube.  Thus the importance of the word DRAINING!

More Later...............................................Brenda