Postop Day 5

hello everyone!

I just wanted to post a quick update on our patient and how he's doing on Day 5 here in Baltimore. I can't believe that we have been here for a week already---it feels like a year and an hour all at the same time if that makes any sense! Doug is doing well and continues to get a little bit better every day. He is continuing to get up out of his chair and walk around---yesterday he did two complete laps around the floor! Every day he walks further and further which is great because that is how he's going to recover quickly. Yesterday they were also able to take one of his chest tubes out which is great--one less thing to drag around with him while he's trying to get up and walk around. Another thing that has done him a ton of good is his two friends Pete and Andy are here to visit him. I think it has been great for him to be able to see someone other than the people that have been here the whole week and to be able to sit and talk football and baseball and other stuff that has nothing to do with the hospital. Yesterday the guys came and hung out with him and I left the hospital for a bit to go to lunch with my mom and walk around and do a bit of shopping in the inner harbor.

After we got back to the hospital, Doug had done his second lap of the day and was sitting up in a chair! So Elizabeth, my mom and I went to go out to dinner a litle bit later, leaving Doug with his dad for a bit. We had a great dinner at a little pub-like place down the road--they even had Blue Moon! :) Then we came back and Doug, Pete, Andy and I hung out for a bit, listened to the end of the Mets game (they won!). Tomorrow Dr. Sardi returns from his weekend away so I keep trying to remind Doug that he has to keep moving around and working on his therapy because the Doctor is going to want an update! :-) In Dr. Sardi's absence though, he has had some excellent doctors that stop in to see him a few times a day.

So all in all, more of the same--hes getting better one little step at a time. Its difficult because I know he isn't getting better as quickly as he would like to. It is a slow slow process, and patience is not one of his (or mine for that matter!) virtues. So we are just working on keeping his spirits up, keeping him positive, and keep reminding him that the doctors all think that he is on the right track, is getting better very quickly, and is right where he is supposed to be!

Doug's father left this morning to head back to the city for work for the week. My mom will also leave today and Elizabeth will be here until tomorrow. Everyone is doing well here, feel free to send cards or emails or give Doug a call and leave a voicemail--a couple times a day he asks for his phone and wants to check his voicemail!

Love and miss everyone at home, thanks for all the positive vibes and good wishes for us!
Love, Lindsey