SICU Day Two

What we know:

The incision looks good:

Tomorrow, 8 May, they will remove the tape that’s holding the skin on his abs together and replace the sponge that’s filling the gap, which is about a foot long (I haven’t measured it, but trust me, this was major abdominal surgery.)

David hates the calf cuffs:

They squeeze his calves every few minutes to prevent blood clots in the legs. The pump emits a “puff-duff” sound of exhalation after every squeeze.

David retains his sense of humor:

When I asked Dr. McDuffee, the oncology fellow for this month, questions as she came in today, she said she was planning to get to them after she spoke with David. David piped up: “Please hold all questions to the end.” Touché.

David retains his deep compassion:

An inexperienced student removed his nose tube yesterday. I looked up for a second, but looked away when I saw David’s eyes open wider than I thought anatomically possible. As soon as it was over, David asked the student: “Was that your first time?” The student rather sheepishly admitted it was. “It didn’t hurt at all. It was weird, but it didn’t hurt.” Sick as he is, David’s primary focus was on giving the student a good experience.

David is serene and at peace:

While Dr. Mo, an attending oncologist, was talking with David, David mentioned that he hadn’t eaten any solid food for about a week. He was drinking some water at the time. “Do you know how good a glass of water tastes?” The gratitude, deep appreciation, and serenity of his savoring each sip was heavenly.

What we don’t know:

:Whether or not the second round of chemo had an adequate effect:

A bone marrow biopsy Thursday, 8 May should yield preliminary results by Friday afternoon and full results Monday or Tuesday. What they are hoping for is a smaller percentage of blasts than last week.

Why David’s legs shook involuntarily throughout the day yesterday:

It may relate to his electrolytes being out of kilter after the surgery. They continue to give him electrolytes and test his blood levels. We haven’t noticed it most of today.

Why David has overactive reflexes:

When the neurologist hits his knee with the ubiquitous rubber hammer, David’s leg pops up dramatically.

Why David’s speech is slurred:

The neurology team is following this.