Sticking Around Thru Weekend; White Count Going Up

MICHAEL B.'S VIEW FROM BED OF HIS EXPANDING WALL OF CHEER CARDS, BULLETIN BOARD & IPOD ON TOP OF DIRTY LAUNDRY CART WE USE LIKE A TABLE...
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Keep the Cheer Cards coming from the Twin Cities Community Hospital website - we'll be here until Monday or Tuesday, as Michael needs the time to get stronger.

He had a terrific night's sleep and a really good day, working with all three therapies: physical, occupational - and speech (photo). He sat in a chair for 40 minutes without any side trips to murky unconsciousness. When he began to feel a little nauseous, we knew the time was up, and once back in bed, he felt better quickly and fell into a deep sleep.

It occurred to me that if he could sit in a chair, he could sit in a chair with wheels - so Friday, I'm looking forward to wheeling him through the halls and into the 2nd floor waiting room - just to prove there's life outside ICU Room #1. Might help him orient himself.

He still thinks he's either in a golf course clubhouse or a hotel, which is funny until I have to explain - again - why I can't order him room service. He looks at me with such a pained expression, like he's just being a reasonable guy, asking for a glass of water or orange juice. Today, he declared he wanted some oats! And beer and ice cream have been mentioned with gusto as well.

I hate having to explain that the menu only holds two items: pink swabs dipped in ice water and squeezed dry - and ice chips - which were pretty darn exciting a few days ago, but have lost all allure by now.

His liver numbers are slight elevated, but explainable as a side effect from the antibiotics still leaving his body through his one kidney. But his white count is slowly going up, damn it, and we don't know why. They discovered gallstones in his gall bladder and want to check that out a bit - but it's explained by the lack of normal food. (Is there an organ we haven't examined or had trouble with yet? Mr. Spleen? Mr. Appendix, you're all that's left, I think. Behave yourselves!!!)

I feel like I wish I could kidnap him to a safe place before the doctors find more damn issues. I know it's not their fault, and it's good and cautious to keep an eye on these things, but I'm sick of never being able to let my guard down about his improvement.

DON'T LET UP ON THE PRAYERS - WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE ICU WOODS YET!!!