Out with the tubes

About 8:30 am this morning they took Lara off the ventilator.  Besides the basic celebration of just breathing on her own, this means the doctors are feeling confident in her chances of not having an emergency trip down to do another angiogram about her vasospasms.  That critical high period for the vasospasms doesn't end until Friday and then the chance of them happening is still there, it just depreciates with time.  So she is still at high risk for vasospasms, but they seem to have the other indicators under control.

Lara did sit at the side of her bed, with some assistance.  Not as well as she did the other day...but she did it.  She can use her right hand pretty close to normal.  OT came and had her start doing regular care tasks.  She washed her face, put on deodorant, and brushed her teeth.  But let me clarify.  She needs help to do all of these things, and then needs someone to go over more thoroughly.  You know, like a 2 year old who brushes their own teeth, or washes themselves.

While laying down she did cross her left ankle over her right.  That was awesome to see.  They will be taking the feeding tube out today as well.  I know she will appreciate that.  She has already had some ice chips today.  But now we are back to square one with the "swallow test" that we talked about earlier.  They will have to do another swallow test to see where she is at now in terms of thick to thin that she can swallow. 

Her pneumonia is getting better.  She has some fluid still there.  She even is so polite as to cover her mouth when she coughs.  She is such a germ-a-phob.  It's just endearing to see.

She did get some of her sass back.  She was tired from sitting up.  It takes a lot out of her.  She had been telling them she was tired and OT continued.  She had shooed the therapist away a few times, but then she gave a final shove off.  In real life anyone would have told her how rude it was.  I just enjoyed it.  She had given them a good 30 minutes of telling them she was tired, she wanted to lay down, but they kept making her do things.  It's good to see her little spunk.  Reassuring that she knows what she wants and she will let you know!

I'll let you know more about today later...gonna try another PT session later.  The nurses are saying that usually during this phase people can get a little ornery.  Not our Lara ;)