No surgery today

Three words that bought Jackie some time to heal another day.  As we continue to assess his condition day by day, different surgeries are possible.  At this point the course of action depends on lab results, Jackie’s neuro function and the docs expertise.

We spoke with the Infectious Disease docs and are getting closer to narrowing down the actual strain of this second infection.  By tomorrow we should know if Jackie’s medication needs to be changed.  So far all lab results are looking promising and Jackie’s neuro function did improve today.  PTL.  The communication gap continues to be a challenge especially in situations like this.  We believe he is experiencing some type of discomfort, but knowing the source is almost impossible without Jackie being able to tell us.

Both PT, OT and ST stopped by.  OT did some work with him bedside since he was just too tired at this point to even sit in the chair.  Julie showed us some exercises we can do with him.  Jim did some of these exercises tonight and his left side already seems to be moving more.  Ellen from ST gave Jackie about 3 ice chips, but again his fatigue stopped her from completing a full session.  Both teams will be back again tomorrow.

We also had another special visitor.  Visa, the therapy dog stopped by again.  Since Jackie was not in the chair, we wheeled his bed to the door of his room and Visa’s owner held her up for Jackie to see her.  Even though his reaction was not as evident since he is not feeling well, it was something wonderful for him to see.  I think the therapy was just as helpful for Jim and I as we so miss our Golden Retriever back home.  A dear friend and her family are taking care of Jovie for us. We are told that more therapy dogs will be stopping by when they are in the hospital!

Jackie received new boots today that will help keep his feet in the correct position while laying in bed this long.  He also had a chest X-ray and an ultra sound done on his legs.

We continue to get excellent care from the nursing staff and our team of docs.  Although we would rather not have to be back in the NICU, it is nice to see some of our old friends and make some new ones.

Your continued positive thoughts and prayers will help Jackie gain the strength he needs to beat these infections.  Thank you for all the love and support.