Tuesday Update

Up until now Bob has had a drain that comes from the top of his head to drain excess fluid around his brain.  Today the doctors turned the drain off to see if Bob's body could get rid of the fluid on its own.  So far his body has done a nice job and the nurses have only needed to turn the drain on twice for about 5 minutes.  A sample was taken of the fluid that has been collected to check for bacteria or infection.  We are hoping to get those results back tonight or tomorrow.

The doctors have also continued to limit the amount of Morphine that Bob receives.  He now only receives the Morphine shots to calm him down when his blood pressure or pulse get too high.  Over the past day Bob has had a good gag reflex and cough.  He has even shown some fight against the ventilator by initiated movements to grab the tubes in his mouth.  A few times he has even moved his left leg and extended his left arm to grab a hand, or the side of the bed when he has been agitated.  

We are pleased to report that all the tests completed on Bob from the neck down have come back good.  The doctors will continue to monitor the blood gases and Bob will get a chest x-ray on a daily basis.  As of today there was talk about the pulmonologist POSSIBLY decreasing the oxygen level on Bob's vent.  We hope that as Bob gets stronger he will begin to take more breaths on his own so that the vent can be taken away, although the doctors have warned us that it could take weeks.  

As we reach the one week point since Bob's stroke we are thankful for the constant support of the nurses, doctors, friends and family. Your thoughts and prayers have meant so much to Bob and the entire Morden Family.