10/05/2021
It’s been a while since I have made an update on Jim. It’s been a roller coaster the last few days. He is still on the ventilator and has had 3 dialysis treatments. He will have his 4th on Tuesday. Hemoglobin and platelets take turns going up and down. We have been able to call his phone and talk with him while we watch from the window for his head nod or shake. He has been opening his eyes a lot more and even tried to squeeze the nurses hand early this morning. He has been doing spontaneous breathing trials where they turn the vent off and he breaths on his own. He has done pretty well on this but seems to wear out after a while, therefore, they have not been able to completely wean him off the ventilator. So Wednesday they will be performing a tracheotomy. This will allow them to remove him from sedation. Sometime after that he will be moved to an LTAC facility. This is a long term acute care hospital where he can get more specialized care in weaning off the vent as well as physical therapy to strengthen his muscles. They also have all the specialized doctors he may need like a hematologist to ensure his platelets, white blood cells and hemoglobin are improving. There are 4 in our general area - OKC, Tulsa, Muskogee and Ft Smith. I do not know which one he will go to but was told today that one facility did say they could probably take him. It all depends on insurance and if space is available. His body has been pretty swollen and he did develop a superficial blood clot in his left upper arm. The dr said this was the best place to have one if you had to have one. They are just treating it with warm compresses since he can not take any blood thinners. He looked better today and some of the swelling has gone down. They performed another covid test and got results back yesterday that he is now NEGATIVE for covid. Praise the Lord!!! He is not out of the woods yet, but is making baby steps toward recovery. Our family can not thank you all enough for all the prayers, messages, and texts. They are very much appreciated. Jim is fighting hard every day and God keeps providing the strength he needs to push on. Please continue to pray for him. It will be a long recovery process but I believe with all my heart he will do it.