Easter Sunday

Well there was no celebrating of Easter today for us.

Dan and I got to the hospital around 9-9:30 AM.  They had given Ed a "bath" and he had spent some time sleeping on his side the night before.  They also changed his bandage and emptied his bag.  Ed was also off the PCA pump (self administered pain meds).  They continue to administer pain meds as needed especially since Ed had some severe pain when his stomach would cramp (although it would only last a couple seconds).

Dr. Marvelli stopped by to check on him and confirmed that his abdomen was full of a lot of fluid when he operated.  Dr. Bowers also stopped by and let me know that we have a long road in front of us.  Ed really likes him and Dr. Bowers also knows Ed well and did his best to encourage Ed.

They gave Ed some diuretic to help with the swelling which definitely produced more urine.  His stomach/bowels were grumbling which was good since these tend to "go to sleep" after surgery.

Around 1 PM, Dan and I left so that Dan could head back to Waltham.  When I returned to the hospital at 3:30 PM, Ed was sitting in the chair, had been shaved, and had an Ensure (which he didn't drink much of).

His physician's assistant, Rob Levine, stopped by and provided some good information and also see how Ed was doing.  Ed has a sore in his mouth which he diagnosed as Thrush--so treatment for that next.  They also drew blood to check his levels.  If it looks good, they'll remove his temporary port tomorrow (the one inserted during surgery).

Ed even had a bit of his liquid dinner--some sips of the soup, raspberry ice, and grape juice.  This was great since he hasn't felt like anything so far.

He also stayed in the chair until the shift change at 7 PM and then actually shuffled from the chair to the bed, using a walker.  Previously he was only able to pivot and not really "walk" much.  This was great progress.

His nurse for the day was Chris who we liked.  And his night nurse Oksana was great in getting him back in bed, making sure he was comfortable, and being really clear with Ed (regarding pain, breathing exercises, etc.).  A nice surprise was that Christina stopped by on her way out (she was working on another floor) to wish Ed a Happy Easter.

So Ed slept a good portion of the day but was awake for a portion as well.  Eating a bit and using the walker to move between the chair and bed were all great accomplishments.  They continue to keep an eye on his heart rate (which continues to be high) and are working to get the swelling down.

Tomorrow I am going to try to go to work for a bit.  Ed would like me to go to work in the morning and then go see him in the afternoon.  We'll see how that goes.  I'll continue to keep you posted.