wednesday night, february 20

today is much of the same as the past couple of days with some slight changes.

they didn't do dialysis yesterday, and simultaneously, his levels rose (kidney functioning levels got worse) and were the highest they've been since dialysis had begun. the doctors keep reminding us that it's a long recovery process because all of his organs went through shock when he lost all of the blood and had the rupture (they had to clamp his aorta during the emergency surgery, so you can only imagine the strain that caused on the body when it didn't have blood pumping to all the right places).

they did dialysis this morning, so we're hoping this helps remove more toxins that had built up from the lack of treatment yesterday. we need the levels to go down. not up. that's the wrong way on a one-way street!

he's still having a hard time figuring things out. everything is still really confusing for him, which the doctors say is completely normal. it'll just take some time for him to figure out where the last two weeks went. they call it "CCU-itis." he kind of goes in and out. he's been going through some sleep deprivation now that he's awake, poor thing! so his exhaustion is in overload. he's been a bit agitated which is a given in his situation. because of all of these factors, only mom has gone up to be with him the last couple of days. the doctors don't want ANYONE in the room with him except mom, and she only spends a couple of hours at a time so that he can get as much rest and have as calm of an environment as possible...

i know i keep reiterating this, and i run the risk of sounding harsh and trite, but it's still been an issue: no visitors! we know everyone loves dad and wants to be there for us, as well, but right now, for all of us, prayers are the most important priority. and if you can imagine, we barely can keep our own heads on our necks, so please understand that if you can't get us on the phone, that we're overwhelmed and just don't have the energy to pick up. it's hard to relive every day over the phone after the day is done. that's a huge reason why i started the blog: we just can't be on the phone from dawn til dusk. please know we love you all, and that without your prayers and support during this time we wouldn't be where we are!

it is so comforting to get all of your emails and comments. all of us log on several times a day just to see if there are any new words from you all. they are a huge lifeline of support and normalcy that are exactly what we need during these trying times...

more tomorrow...