Evening

I saw Mark's respiratory therapist tonight and asked her to explain the protocol for him needing to be placed back on the vent at night. She said if his heart rates rises or his oxygen saturation levels get low, they place him back on the vent. Then she said matter of factly that "oh, he probably just needed to be suctioned". So, he's been on the vent three or four days (even though it's only a few hours per night) more that he needs to be because his nurses aren't paying enough attention to suction him more often? Could that be true? So, before I left I asked his nurse and the assistant to please check him more often than usual to see if he needs suctioning tonight. His doctors would really like him off the vent for good. I intend to ask his doctor about this tomorrow if he winds up on the vent again tonight.

He was still sleepy tonight during my visit. I was there from six to nine and he only woke up a few brief times and was not very responsive. He was soaked when I got there, and his fever had only been 100.4 orally. They had given him some Tylenol and when his fever came down they bathed him again.