Tuesday night.... cream of mushroom soup night in the cafeteria (or the dinning commons as they call it here), mmm good stuff. Sunday night's leftover clam chowder is better, but the cream of mushroom soup ain't half bad.
So why am I rambling about soup? I guess because I do not know how to start describing Cathy's day.
I called earlier in the day and spoke with Cathy's nurse. I was told that she was doing well and, at that very moment, she was up and walking around with the physical therapist. "She is having a good day" I was told. I felt a sense of relief.
When I walked into Cathy's ICU room this afternoon, she was in tears. Not at all what I was expecting. "I am having a bad day" she mouthed to me. Lesson learned: The nurses will report on a patient's physical health not their mental state. To the nurse, Cathy's temperature and blood-oxygen saturation were good. She was exercising and not vomiting. This was all that is needed to make for a good day. For Cathy, today she ran out of emotional gas. The memories of being in the ICU previously, and seeing some of the familiar faces during her gallivanting today, were too much for her.
Cathy has made it on the trach collar since Sunday morning. However, this evening her blood gasses are heading south (high CO2 and low pH). She is scheduled to be put on the Bi-Pap tonight to rest her lungs and allow her blood gasses to straighten out.
Tomorrow...Wednesday, I think its split pea soup, yuk.
1 comment:
I am with you there, YUK to split pea soup...
Cathy I hope this brings you happy tears !!
Hey where did we go,
Days when the rains came
Down in the hollow,
Playin' a new game,
Laughing and a running hey, hey
Skipping and a jumping
In the misty morning fog with
Our hearts a thumpin' and you and me brown eyed girls,
Do you remember when we used to sing,
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da
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