Patience

Third day for Dad in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit.  After leaving the hospital last night, it was thought Dad (Craig) would be having another CT scan once he was more stable, expected Monday.  However, this morning hospital staff decided that it had become more necessary for the scan due to the rising pressure in his brain; they needed to know what was going on in there.  Unfortunatlely the scan will not be read until Tuesday.  Because of the rising pressure they have discontinued rotating the contraption-of-a-bed he was in.  The hospital staff have induced paralysis to assist with relaxing the chest muscles so the lungs can stay inflated properly.  They have reported that he will likely need skin grafts to his leg.  The good news is that it is not broken. 

The tough thing about Dad receiving some of the very needed treatments is that other injuries are neglected.  It just seems like everything is top priority right now and only one can be treated at a time.  For instance, to increase blood flow to the brain, which will reduce pressure, it pulls blood away from his extremities and the rest of his body which need healing too.  On a positive note, Dad's lung function has seemed to improve slightly--the respirator is not doing all the work.

Something I want to clarify is that my Dad was, of course, wearing his cycling helmet.

Our family has started a "fast" for our Dad tonight.  The one nice thing about this is that our family has been able to spend much time together.  We have been able to watch the grandkids chase each other and giggle, something our Dad would really enjoy.  We are praying for a better day tomorrow but are also learning that we will have to be patient for the improvements.