A Very Long Day

Mom and I just got to a hotel here in Toronto that is 5 minutes from the hospital. When we left dad he was very nervous about being left alone and not being able to talk.  We don't blame him one bit.  It's not fun with a tracheotomy and trying to read lips (that pronounce less and less with the addition of each medication dosage).  It was really difficult to leave him but I had to get my poor mother to a bed because she hasn't slept more than 3 hours in the past few nights.

We had a little drama with feed (NG) tube insertion this afternoon, having to give it a second try when the first one was misplaced (most likely due to dad being tense, anxious, and not swallowing).  The second time around we loaded him up with med (he was much more relaxed) and it went in without issue.  The trach is a "blast from the past" and I realized how much I didn't miss that gurgling sound when he needs to be suctioned.

Dad is currently in an intensive care unit that he was in 17 years ago...funny thing...one of his old nurses still works there and remembered him!  She even remembered that we used to live on Balsam Lake!

Considering it all, dad's spirits are pretty good. He's been patient with our poor lip reading skills and has tried to crack jokes for the nurses (who haven't quite gotten his humour yet).  

We'll know more about his recovery and related concerns tomorrow. We plan on being back at the hospital bright and early so we're gonna catch some shut eye.  More updates tomorrow.... Thanks for following along on our journey - never a dull moment!