Avalanche of Progress

We're having an avalanche of progress here in Room 11 in the ICU!

Today not only did Himself sit on the edge of his bed, sit up in a chair, and talk through a special valve on his trach; he also ate ice chips and Jello, and passed the "Bedside Swallow Test"!!! He successfully swallowed a sip of water, a spoonful of applesauce, and a small piece of a cracker without choking. He spent his second day "vent-free" and the ventilator is being moved OUT of his room tomorrow!

I finally got to read some of his get well cards to him. It meant a lot to him - he wanted me to read those instead of the new novel that he's been waiting to start! Thank you all for sending him your prayers and good wishes. Now that he's awake, he really appreciates them!

Alex is still coughing up the gunk that's been in his lungs. Luckily what he's coughing up is clear/white and foamy, which means there's no infection. Unfortunately, coughing it up means choking and it's very scary for him. I spent last night in his room, getting up and suctioning out his trach tube for him whenever he started to choke. Tonight his mom is taking "suction duty."

The more he gets up and moves around in PT, the more this gunk is going to come up out of his lungs, and it's good that he's able to cough it out himself, but it is exhausting, uncomfortable, and somewhat painful... the nurse says "No pain, no gain." Ouch.

Last weekend was the first weekend of the Ithaca Area Art Trail and we had the assistance of Vanessa, Sabra, and my Mom in the studio to help sell some pots. Thank you, you fabulous women. We couldn't have done it without you. This weekend, Marc, Carol, Sabra, and Hannah are on deck so that I can be with Alex during this challenging time. Thank you, all of you. There's a special place in my heart for each of you.

Special thanks also to Alex's mom for being the giggliest Grandma ever, and to Joe, Mary Ellen, Russell, Joseph, Dorothy, Gordon, and Carol for a lovely birthday dinner among friends. Mary Ellen also gets the Good Samaritan Badge for helping me get my ailing kitty to the vet. (Luna seems to be fine now, a few thousand dollars later...damn cat.)