Not There Yet: Still in the ICU...

HERE'S MICHAEL GETTING A BEARD TRIM YESTERDAY FROM THE LOVELY MICHELLE (TAKE MY WORD FOR HER LOVELINESS) - DON'T WORRY: IT'S JUST A TRIM - HE KEPT THE BEARD!
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So today I learned that when patients are sedated for over a week, they come out of it with sleep deprivation. Go figure! And Michael was sedated and tubed twice. He was also receiving ALL kinds of doggy downers and pain killers - and frankly, not sleeping well. At the time, I couldn't understand it.

But now all he's getting is an occasional Tylenol and/or a Zanax - the antibiotics are leaving his body - and he's starting to get back to his natural functions.

And he's exhausted. The good news is he's sleeping the good sleep - the REM sleep. That's why I feel I can be home right now - I know he's zonked out and breathing beautifully. Bye-bye pneumonia! All gone! (Okay, slight phlegmmy cough left over, but that's it. No oxygen tank for him!)

So I don't why they're surprised that this has put a little damper on his physical therapy progress; I think he's supposed to be weak and sleepy. Today, they were hoping to get him into a chair again. And, he was better at using his own muscles to hold himself up at the edge of the bed. But when the PT people tried to help him stand, Michael's eyes rolled back and whoop! He was out for a few seconds. Left the building, so to speak.

Later he said, "It's a good day for napping." And it was.

I spoke to the Tribune today about the story they're going to do on Michael - and they're aiming for the weekend. I'll see if I can scan it and post it here when it comes out - or at least include a link.

So now we're looking at Friday possibly for Santa Barbara. We'll see...

THANKS FOR THE CARDS!!! YOU'RE FAST! What an Internet world we have - Michael even got Cheer Cards all the way from Germany and New York from Susan Burgos' daughters! (So appreciated, ladies.)

And I'm getting word of all the prayer circles and churches and groups of loving people who are holding Michael (and me) up every day. You all have made a huge difference to us!

The current doctor, Dr. Haddad, said to me today that Michael has healed twice as fast as a man half his age with Swine Flu who was in the ICU, who was obese. His own physical fitness helped save his life - and make a difference in his recovery.

Tomorrow is Day 30.