Graeme's napping so I thought I would take a couple minutes and let you know where things are now. There has been lots of good news and some bad news.

• As of yesterday, the ICU team is going to start watching from a distance. They feel he is improving but will only be a phone call away should the need arise.
• On Thursday, Graeme had his oxygen mask switched for nose prongs (Doug told me the real name but this is what the nurses called it) or the nose tube (as I called it in my last update). He is on 50% oxygen still but SATing about 96 or 97. He is using the incentive sporometer which helps tell him how deeply he is breathing. The doctor wants him to get out of bed a bit more to try and open up the lungs further.
• His catheter was removed on Thursday too. That helps make him get out of bed regularly which should help the lungs too.
• Besides the decreased volume of the lungs, all Graeme's other organs are functioning perfectly.
• Graeme's temp went up a bit and so did his white blood cells so they have started him on an antibiotic (Menopenem).
• The pain management is better now. Graeme is getting a long lasting Dilaudid pill every 12 hours and another Dilaudid pill if he has more pain on top of that. Graeme hasn't had an injection of Dilaudid since yesterday afternoon which is good because the injections tired him out more.
• There was another CT scan yesterday and unfortunately, it does show that there is some necrosis (dead tissue). We aren't sure exactly what that will mean for diet and meds in the future but it does mean that part of his pancreas won't be functioning.
• Graeme is quite dry so they have increased his fluids a bit and watching to make sure the pleural effusion (fluid in the cavity below his lungs) doesn't get worse. He had another chest xray this morning so they are keeping a close eye on that.
• A popsicle came on Graeme's lunch tray today and he was very excited :-)

We hope you are having a good Valentine's Day and take time to enjoy Family Day tomorrow. The boys will be coming to the hospital tomorrow so we can spend some time together as a family.

Thank you so much for all the support,
Gail