We talked quietly for much of the day, but as the afternoon wore on in the surreal hospital environment, I noticed that he became much more spacey and his hands were like ice. His blood pressure, which is typically low anyway, dropped dramatically. The "pain team" (medical folks who manage pain meds, not an S&M cult) and his nurses adjusted his epidural to lower delivery levels, and he improved very quickly.
Pain meds are a delicate balance after major abdominal surgery. His impressive incision requires enough pain relief so he can move with some measure of comfort. It is important that he can comfortably manage sitting, standing and walking not only to keep respiratory function on a good level, but also to stimulate bowel activity. Too much medication defeats all of the above, as well as diminishing his ability to detect important changes in functioning. Having an advocate on hand (that would be me) helps especially if Marty is too medicated to know he is too medicated.
A member of his surgical team talked with us this afternoon. He described Marty's lower intestinal tract as "looking like a hand grenade went off in there". No wonder he has endured such digestive distress! His insides were a bundle of gnarly adhesions, all of which have now been removed.
Progress is literally step by step, but I am very encouraged by Marty's spirit and resilience, as well as the excellent care he is receiving.
Thank you, everyone, for your kind and thoughtfully brief emails expressing love and support!
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