As I mentioned previously I had a call from Dr. C around 2:30 AM and he told me everything went very well. He also told me where to wait for someone to meet me to visit Belinda. Around 4:30 this morning I was allowed into her room. To my surprise she was awake and communicating. The breathing tube had already been removed and she was very stable. She was in a lot of pain but her medical team was always on top of it and helping her to mange it. (We have been very impressed with every staff member we have encountered. Hopkins really excels in excellence when it comes to patient needs.)
I was able to be with Belinda throughout the day and she made great progress all day. At this point of the night I would estimate that she is 24 hours ahead of schedule on her recovery plan! Today about 60% of her supply tubes were removed, I estimate that there were about 30-40 of them initially. She was able to stand up and transfer to a recliner for part of the day, and we are still hopeful that we will leave the ICU unit sometime tonight!
She is still managing a lot of pain and they have warned us that the next 48 hours are critical and may be the toughest. The team is really pleased with her progress. Tonight her BP escalated and for a brief time her kidneys quit making fluid. After a few adjustments the team appears to have her back on track. We also started integrating some of her new anti rejection meds that will be a lifelong journey for her. The next week or so will be a steep learning curve but we are confident we will adjust to our new normal.
Belinda may be ready for some visitors Friday afternoon but we ask that you call before coming and we may need to keep these visits short. She really needs her rest at this point. We rejoice in all that has transpired on this journey and truly rest in the palm of God's hand. We are blessed!
