Mike remains in the ICU where we have been working to slowly reduce his sedation and wake him up. We made good progress today, and he did a wonderful job on his range-of-motion exercises, participating in the exercises by pushing against resistance and moving his legs. He even opened his eyes for a few minutes today and scanned the room and seemed to recognize faces, and nodded in response to questions.
Throughout the day, he started coughing, which helped him clear out built-up mucus and blood that have accumulated throughout his stay. Coughing can be a very positive thing, since it is his own body removing the build up. However, he had trouble stopping the coughing, and by the evening his coughs we're producing anything, they were just aggravating his lungs. His respiratory technicians gave him a numbing lidocaine treatment and the nurses increased his sedation for the night.
- Please join in our prayers that we can keep the coughing under control, and that the increased sedation we used tonight to calm him can be reduced quickly in the morning, so we don't lose the progress we have made on reducing his sedation.
Tomorrow the hospital administration has helped us plan a convening meeting with all of our attending physicians, as we have had serious concerns about 1) creating a stable plan of care for Michael in light of the constant rotation of doctors 2) incorporating a nutrition plan that can create a sustainable platform for Michael's body to heal itself.
- We request your prayers that this meeting will produce a mutually beneficial treatment plan, and that all parties are agreeable to this collaborative treatment process.
We know we can't begin to thank you enough for your support and love. You help us to recognize God's constant faithfulness throughout our struggle; nothing great can't be accomplished without Him, and your messages, notes, and prayers are daily reminders of his presence with us.
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