Thursday, July 30, 2009

Four Crucial Days

Doctors told Peter and I last night that he has 4 days to show significant improvement before they cease to actively fight the pneumonia!

This is another major blow! Apparently he has been showing some improvement but not fast enough and so he now has to get up and try to walk around, get rid of the fluid/phlegm on his lungs and stay off the Cpapp mask (which helps him breathe both in and out breaths) as much as possible. Yesterday Peter did stay off the mask 11 and 1/2 hours which is his longest since coming into hospital last week. So that's a positive step. He has to try to stand and expand his lungs to remove the phlegm on at least 6 occasions today. I know he is determined but also exhausted and gets distressed when pushed too far. But this is the challenge and he has to do it well or die. So I will be trying to encourage him as much as possible over the next few days. I will also be asking what the usual dose of antibiotics is and encouraging the doctors not to abandon him if he is almost there but not quite. Most of the intensivists have pulled out now but one is keeping the faith and is encouraging.

Nothing more to say right now. All is very grim and neither of us can bear the alternative to failure.

Leanne

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

hello leanne
i am saddened to hear that peter is struggling so severely and that both of you are experiencing this difficult time. please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you both. we hope, too, that peter will recover from the pneumonia.
with love, angie and greg (ben and louisa, too)