Day 3

I can't believe it is already day three. Things are going a lot quicker then I thought they would. Chris is doing pretty good. This has been the hardest day for him so far. This morning they were able to get a room for him and started to pull out some of the IV's, and one of his drainage tubes. What hurt the most for him was two wires that they pulled out which are connected to the heart in case of an emergency and they need to shock the heart. The wires came out around his belly button, so it was a long way and a lot of wire to pull. I thought that the drainage tube would be the worst but he said he didn't really feel it. After they got the tubes and wires out we packed our things up and then moved him to his new room. When we got to the room and all situated I noticed that he was getting really quiet. He finally told me that he was in pain today and super tired. You don't get much sleep in the ICU. The sleep exhaustion and lack of pain medicine was finally catching up with him. The nurse came in, pumped him with some meds, and he was good to go. He was able to do some walking today, put a shirt on, moved around in his chair pretty good, and is now asleep getting some much needed rest. He also had several visitors today which helped to perk his spirits up and take his mind off of things. They said today would be the worst day for him and it should start getting better from here on out. Let's hope they are right. Throughout our stay I've been taking pictures and a movie of Chris working on a breathing exercise. I'm finally able to post them. I will be taking a picture each day to document his progress and to see how far he came along.

Day 1

An hour after he got out of surgery. He looks happy because he is really loopy with medicine. He doesn't remember any of these pictures on day one.


This Curious George is from his first surgery he had when he was three. I think he is bringing good luck. He's been next to Chris the whole time.

E.T. phone home. This keeps track of his heart rate.


Day 2

He made it to the chair for the first time and has more color in him. He is pointing to the pillow where friends wrote messages for him.

This video is Chris working on a breathing exercise. He has to suck in and make the ball hover in a certain spot. This helps to build strength in his lungs and keep fluids out.


Day 3

He finally got a shirt on and has all of his IV's but one out and only one drainage tube in. He looks really good and much better without all of the cords and wires around him.

This is our lovely view outside our window. They are working on a new wing for the hospital that will have 500 more beds and bigger rooms. We get to see dumpsters and materials fly past the room by the crane and listen to construction all day. It's not to loud but at times can be a little annoying.





Today has been eventful and it's time to rest in preparation for what tomorrow may bring. It is looking good that the second chest tube will be taken out tomorrow. This will make him even more comfortable. Lets hope this happens.