The air in an under Ted’s skin was more pronounced today and by the time I came in, they had already ordered an ultrasound of his abdomen and a CT scan.

I watched the young gal perform the ultrasound. She looked so young, but then practically everyone around here does. The images I saw looked like some of the first scans that I remember from The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. The young tech had no idea who or what I was speaking of, but to me, it looked like a fluid area with sea creatures. I guess it’s good I don’t do ultrasounds. All I knew for sure was that she was focused on measuring all of his organs.

Later they did the CT scan to make sure the air in his chest and abdomen wasn’t pressing upon his already damaged lungs and collapsing what little space he has. The result was alot of terms that I cannot pronounce, but they will let thing ride as is and the extra air should absorb into and out of his system. The gall bladder is enlarged, but doesn’t have stones, but has a possible issue of something else I cannot pronounce, but they will monitor and if needed, put a drain into the gall bladder for the time being.

It feels like we are working against the clock to get his lungs a bit more function before other systems fall apart. I’m not sure we went backward today, but it surely didn’t feel like we went forward, so I’ll just say we went sideways.

The nurses today deserve medals (they deserve medals every day), but today especially. There were two very difficult patients brought in that were “screamers” and fighting every bit of help the nurses would give. I was so thankful that I could sit and monitor Ted while they were pulled into handling the constant issues with these two large patients not taking to the healing process and constantly screaming for help and to be let out. I wish I could stay the night and just hang with Ted as It doesn’t sound like things will get too much easier with the two confused and loud patients in our wing. I’m not allowed of coarse, so I will just pray that Ted has no issues and he will be fine – as will the night nurses and the two problem patients.

Till tomorrow.

Love, Sal