6/1 Saturday was a big day.
We walked into Karl's room bright and early to see him free of a ventilator and feeding tube!! What a sight!! That is the handsome man we know! The doctor had taken the tubes out very early in the morning after breathing tests confirmed his lungs were strong enough.
This was huge. That thing needed to come out in order for Karl to make any advances in his recovery. Not to mention how uncomfortable it was for him. We are all so relieved!
Karl was able to softly speak a few words and he told us he "was a trooper." Boy or boy is he ever! SUCH a trooper.
Because a week on the ventilator causes swelling on the throat, Karl was not able to have liquids yet. He was given some ice chips from time to time and received a visit from the speech therapist. He ate some applesauce and was very happy to have some real food. He is still very sore and is only able to make small movements.
There was a lot of stimulation and exertion today and the evening ended with Karl going into an irregular heartbeat. The nurse thought it was due to an irritable heart- his sure has been through a lot! This became more regular as the night went on, but it was a reminder of how fragile and weak Karl's body still is.
We came home to chicken soup made by a dear friend who loves Karl to pieces. It was just what we needed after a long day. We celebrated a small victory for our Karl and knew he was going to fight hard to get back to us.
We have taken a step in the right direction, although there are still many obstacles to overcome. For now, we are enjoying the ability to tell Karl we love him and know that he can hear.
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