Good News!

Dad has steadily been getting better since I last posted. He has been out of the ICU for two days now and in a step down unit. Today he is being transferred to the rehab facility for the next 7-10 days while he finishes up his antibiotics and a couple other treatments that have to go through an IV and they help him get his strength back. His breathing is so much better now and he is still getting those treatments as well. His kidney function number is now down to 3.2 from 5.6, less than a point away (2.4) from where it usually sits when he is not taxed. So no dialysis was needed, thank God! Hopefully we will see that number go back down to it usual resting place and they will keep watching it. He is still having lower GI issues, although he has no bacteria or virus and at this point they believe it is the antibiotics causing it, as it is killing the good bacteria as well and that is a side effect of any antibiotic as it is, but he is getting super antibiotics and doses. They are giving him magnesium to combat that. His potassium is still too low (he was given so much fluid and he was peeing it all out of course, which was good, but it lowered his potassium (which is usually to high). They tried oral potassium but it wasn't doing the trick so he is getting it through his IV now as well.

I haven't been able to get up to the hospital, last day I saw Dad was Sunday and he was up and out of bed, walking to the bathroom and back, which is great. I helped him eat, which he wasn't able to eat a lot then, but he is eating full meals now just two days later so that is good.

Matt and I have bad colds, which is mostly why once he became stable we haven't been going up there, the doctor told us we have to be very careful about what we expose ourselves and Dad to right now as his resistance is still down and will be once he is home. We won't be going anywhere or taking the kids anywhere unnecessary probably for the next month. Once Dad is actually home we have to be very careful.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers, they really did the trick. Thank you to our family for visiting and for helping Matt and I so we could be at the hospital.