Doctors are thus far pleased with Dad’s progress. He’s moving incrementally toward health, with all major body systems continuing very slow improvement. Despite remaining critically ill, he’s yet to encounter any setbacks. We are thankful.
They’ve begun giving him very slight nutrients through the feeding tube they put in during the surgery, and if he tolerates it well, they hope to increase the nutrient levels in the next few days.
Since Dad’s been on a ventilator for almost two weeks, they’ll likely perform a tracheotomy to assist his breathing and remove the ventilator tube. By removing the ventilator tube, they’ll be able to lower his sedatives and bring him toward consciousness and lucidity. (From what I’ve heard you really don’t want to wake up with a tube down your throat, as the gag reflex alone makes it very uncomfortable. So even the tracheotomy is a step in the right direction.)
Every day and night of stability is a good thing. So far, that’s what we’re seeing.