Friday, September 26, 2008, 10:17 a.m., Nashville Memorial Hospital~

Dear Journal~

Sarah Wright here.  I am afraid I'm not doing too well at the moment.

Wayne is still in the hospital, with pneumonia.   Since the last time I wrote, he's gotten worse:  his breathing really got bad, so the doctors had to intubate him, put him on a ventilator, so his lungs could get some rest and heal.  He's not very happy, as you can imagine.

Between the ventilator and all the countless pokes, proddings, etc., he's had to endure, he's been a regular grouch.  You can see the anger burning in his eyes as he looks at you.  I am sure if he could, he'd yank all the wires, machines, tubes, monitors off of him, and walk on out of the room.

He must be feeling a little better:  he's acting like a wounded tiger!  LOL

He'll probably be on the vent for at least a few more days; if he continues to do well in his ABG's, they'll remove the vent and put him on regular oxygen via mask or nasal cannula.  They'll continue the antibiotic therapy, chest therapy, and of course, his ongoing regimen of physical/occupational therapies.  Lately it seems my hubby's life is one long, continuous therapy session! LOL

After he gets the ventilator taken out, he'll go back to liquids, then soft foods, then ultimately solids, before he is released "into the wild".  It's going to be a day to day thing; we can't rush things, or he could suffer yet another relapse.

If there's one thing we don't need, it's those darned relapses!  He's had way too many of those lately as it is!!

I have seen Louie today; she said she'd continue to lift Wayne up in prayer.  Such a dear, caring friend!  I am so blessed to have her in my life; she is one in a million!  The world could definitely use more Louisiana Sanduskys! :)

Unfortunately, Louie isn't Wayne's assigned nurse.  His nurse is named Margie, and she's a big mountain of a woman wih an equally gruff personality.  She scares me!!  Every time she walks into the room, poor Wayne's heart rate goes up, and you can see the terror in his eyes as she tends to him; I swear she must think my husband is a slab of raw meat, the way she handles him!! 

If I could get another nurse besides Margie to take care of my Wayne, I'd be a lot happier!! 

Well, Wayne's darned heart monitor is buzzing again; I will have to go now.  It must be a loose wire or something; he's awake; he's not suffering a heart attack, thank goodness!  Now let's wait for the nurses to come running in; soon, the excitement will begin!! LOL 

I HATE it when this happens!! Stupid EKG wires, monitor pads!!  They never stay on when you want them to!!

Take care and God bless!

Will write in here again in a day or so; this is Sarah saying so long!

~Sarah. :(