Day 5 Update: A Quieter Day

Not every day has big milestones, and that’s okay.

Today was a quieter one. Dad looked good when we arrived, but you could tell the last few days were starting to mount. He was tired more often and wanted to rest more, which makes complete sense. The work of recovery is real, and his body is letting him know it. When he talks, you can tell that the act of getting his thoughts from his head to his mouth takes real effort — it’s exhausting work. But he is saying more words, and the nurses and doctors keep noting how motivated he is. That spirit is showing up in the room, and everyone seems to notice it.

One moment that pretty much captured the whole day — he told his wife, “I love you” this morning, which was sweet and wonderful. Then the doctor came in for rounds and Dad, apparently feeling generous with his affections, told him, “I love you,” too. You could tell it caught the doctor completely off guard — but he didn’t miss a beat. “I love you too, bro.” Just like that, the clinical veneer dropped, and you got to see the real person behind the white coat. It was genuinely funny and one of those unexpected little gifts that makes a hard day a little lighter.

He had a small breakfast in the morning, which ended up pushing back a procedure that was needed — an endoscopy to get a closer look at his heart and valve. A bit of a communication mix-up, but it’ll happen when it’s time. A PICC line was also placed today, which will help with ongoing care and medication management.

On the planning side, a representative from a rehab center came by to walk us through options for the next step in his recovery. It’s encouraging that the team is already thinking ahead about what comes after the ICU.

The cardiology piece is still moving more slowly than the rest of the team would like, but the pressure is being applied, and we’re hopeful that it gets resolved soon.

Dad had a steady stream of family visits today, and it was a good day to just be together — even if he was tired.