This evening the doctors took Linda off the ventilator, and she is breathing much better. Her right lung remains expanded after the bronchoscopy, and an echocardiogram shows the slight effusion around her heart is not causing any functional impairment. Her blood gasses are good, and she has been taking her medicines by pill with drinks of water. Tomorrow the doctors say they will let her get up out of bed into a chair, and maybe walk a little with the physical therapist. She will probably still be on TPN for the next couple days, but they will allow her to eat, to see if her appetite has returned to any significant degree.
She is very pleased to be off the ventilator, and looks forward to getting back on schedule with her physical and occupational therapies. She can only speak very hoarsely now, but that will improve with more time off the ventilator. The drainage from her chest tube is much less since her right lung expanded. If we can keep up a good level of nutrition, she should recover fully from the frightening episodes of the last few days.
I hope to be able to report our return to RHI later this week, and after a week up there we will have a conference to set another expected date for Linda's discharge and return home. Hopefully we can expect to be back home by the end of July or early August. Thanks again to everyone for your prayers and good wishes. Linda cheers up with each card, phone call, and visit, and it's always good for me to see her smiling. I couldn't get her through this without the support we are getting through this ordeal from each and every one of you. Many thanks.
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