Well, dodged the bullet one more day...

They still haven't ruled out the possibility of the chest tube. Tammy's blood is still a little thin, so they don't want to risk the possibility of extra bleeding without knowing for sure if it will help her feel better. Her stats have been fine up to this point even though it is still a little tough to breathe. She's not in pain, she just has to work harder. The lung has not inflated any further, but it does not appear to be getting worse at this time. We are hoping it will begin to show signs of improvement on the next x-rays. They had upped her oxygen to 100% because that can help the hole in her lung to heal. Today they decreased it to 60% to allow her to get used to a lower level before they go back, to the 40% she was used to. And, here is a number you haven't heard in a while, her PEEP has been lowered to 4. It has been at 5 for 3 weeks now, and I didn't think they were going to lower it again. Shows what I know. They also lowered her pressure support to 10%. Remember, we are asking God to lower that to between 5 and 8, so they can try her off the vent. I am not sure if they will attempt that until her lung gets better. We will see.

Tammy is feeling better. I know for sure because she is begging for chocolate milk. Nestle's Chocolate Milk. Not from the powder. The already mixed kind you get in the dairy section. When someone is that specific, you can tell it has become a bit of an obsession. I have gotten to the place where I feel bad every time I go out to get a drink of water. I generally just say that I need to step out for a minute, or I wait until she sleeps.

Speaking of sleeping, she and I both skipped that last night. YAWN! She was coughing a lot, and we had a rookie nurse. Enough said? I am not generally a complainer, but I didn't want to leave her knowing she was needing help. Thankfully, the day nurse was much better, and her coughing was not as severe, so I was able to take a nap (like a 4.5 hour one) this afternoon. It should be interesting to see how tonight goes. So far, no coughing, but I am not going to mention it out loud. Oh, and as to why she was coughing, no clue she was just much more sensitive to sensations in her throat. Pray for good sleep and no discomfort.