9/22 - 6:45 p.m.

A few unknown facts (to those who have never sat outside ICU):
1.  They kick you out of the patient's room between 6 and 9 both a.m. (if you are up and at the ICU at that time) and p.m.  They do this for the "changing of the guards" and patient's privacy.  So as you can tell by the time, I have been "asked to leave".

2.  Waiting outside is very peaceful.  Except for the occasional family member coming out of someone else's room on the Medical Floor, it is very quiet.  It lends well to a clearer head and the ability to think clearly.

3.  ICU nurses are wonderful.  Well, nurses in general are wonderful.  Granted there is the occasional not-so-wonderful nurse, but on the whole I truly admire all nurses and their willingness to work with those who are unable to "work" for themselves.

Hmm, so what else have I learned while I'm here?  That sometimes you really don't know how many people's lives you or your family have affected in your lifetime until something like this happens.  You go through the initial shock of the whole initial day - the crying and the hugging (and the headaches from the crying) and the sheer emotional exhaustion of the day, and THEN you brain begins to wrap around a small portion of this sheer mountain you will need to climb.

Sorry to wax nostalgic.  So how is Joe?  He is doing about the same.  A few encouraging things:

1.  He has been sleeping for most of the day which they say is not abnormal in these cases.
2.  At one time he turned his head from side to side following Dad's voice.
3.  He is completely off blood pressure meds and is maintaining a great blood pressure on his own (I wish *I* had such a great blood pressure!)

Some not so encouraging things:
1.  Last night right after we left he threw up a little of the "steak in a bottle" (nutrition) they were giving him.  Because he has not gotten his gag reflex back they are afraid he might have aspirated some of it.  They have been constantly suctioning out his lungs to keep pneumonia from happening.

2.  Because of the happenings in his lungs he began to breathe a little more labored so they turned the vent back on a little bit just to help him breathe.  They said it was good that he had been breathing on his own for so long with this kind of injury.

So life goes on.  All in all we very upbeat and Tannie is doing great.  She went tonight to the Church Open House with her friend Kim.  She spent the night last night at Mom and Dad Stradling's house and got a full night's sleep outside of the hospital.

Thanks again to all for your love and support.  Liz