Jazz Hands Everyone - 5/21/22

For 7 days now, John was hooked up to a Ventilator, an EEG to monitor brain activity, a continuous dialysis machine, sometimes a large apheresis machine for the plasma exchange, a pole of ticking IVs and blood products, cardiac monitors, Oxygen, a feeding tube, plus a few tubes I haven't even asked about. The alarms, pumping sounds and beeping can be almost deafening at times in a unit of probably a dozen rooms. A big shift from the quiet of the positive pressure unit of Transplant. On top of the machines, there was an older gentleman next door who must have forgotten his hearing aids so staff has to yell to be able to communicate.

One by one as the machines started to be weaned, the sound got quieter and quieter. By the end of the evening he was down to a couple IVs and a feeding tube. The vent was removed, dialysis was changed to daily rather than continuous so the constant cycling off blood is gone, the EEG clear and removed. more and more IV bags were stopped. The nurse no longer has to be in the room full-time to silence alarms and watching for side effects. We sit in quiet. He is awake. He is aware of his surroundings and he is calm.

John has been a real trooper considering he is so weak and unable to do more that wiggle his toes, lift his hands and speak at a whisper.

Nurse "Lucky Charm" was ending her 2nf day shift with him making major progress. We were chatting as she was updating Nurse Mandalorian. I mentioned to John that LC wouldn't be back for another shift, she was going home to pack her bags to fly back to see her twin after a long seperation from Covid. A glimmer of old John popped up as he looked at her, smiled and raised both hands in Jazz Hands. 

Let's all celebrate the little things and the silence with Jazz Hands!