Patient's Progress

Drum roll please...not much going on.

Dan is feeling a little better with more energy from the TPN. The morning has included getting cleaned up and an abdominal x-ray, which took forever because of radiology students.
Somehow, when Dan was here for a month, he only had one nursing student for part of a day. In just these past few days, he has had 2 nursing students (SN), a med student and radiology students. Good grief. Being a nursing student, I know we need to be nice and understanding since they are learning. Yet, I am also more aware of mistakes...(like dumping the NG canister down the toilet and never recording the output, causing the doc to think great strides were being made when nothing has happened). Today's SN is much better than last night's and has been very accommodating. What's more, she's not nervous and performs her tasks efficiently and well. Phew.

McGreeky came in twice this morning: once he was very excited because the intake/output record showed a very low NG output from yesterday and again with the x-ray results. After I explained the SN's mistake last night, he seemed a little disappointed. The x-ray showed not a lot of progress since Tuesday--maybe 20% more open. At this rate, Dan will be here for a LONG time. McGreeky told us we had to have patience and added a note of encouragement when he saw the look on my face that told him we have more patience than he does (patients, ha). He also reminded us that the possibility of surgery remains in the back of his mind.

Anyway, we're going to be up and walking a lot today to encourage his bowel to get past this obstruction. At this point, it looks as though Dan will have the NG for more than 3 days, which is not making him happy. The overarching goal: bowel sounds and passing gas. Seriously, without those...he's stuck here.

On the note of being stuck, I'm beginning to feel a little stuck myself. School is on break this week, but will resume next week. Dan feels pretty helpless since he is attached to the wall with the NG and has asked me to stay even if it means missing school. He hasn't asked that of me before, so I know he is serious. I have a lot of school work I can get done here (papers, readings, research, etc.), but there are some things I cannot make up while here. I'm becoming concerned that the grace my professors have given me is stretching a little thin. In the end, I know I need to choose Dan over school (and will), I just hope that doesn't prevent me from finishing school.

Speaking of school, I better start writing some papers!

Prayer Requests:
* Complete resolution of bowel obstruction with the need for surgery
* Quicker rate of progress (10% a day is too slow!)
* BOWEL SOUNDS AND GAS!!!
* Decreased NG output (less than a liter/day)
* No complications or further problems
* Wisdom for the doctors
* Wisdom for my decisions regarding school
* Ability for Dan to come home with me very very soon