A picture...

Many of you have asked for a picture of us to be added to the blog. Especially since we have so much support from a lot of people that we've never even met. So here's a picture of us from our wedding earlier this year. We've certainly been through a lot since that happy day but we continue to grow stronger through it all. That's what makes a life...trials.

As Rob settled in his new hospital room this afternoon and evening, we looked forward to hear the next plan for him. We spoke with a couple doctors and will find out more in the morning as well. They plan to have the trache team re-evaluate that and see how we should progress with it. They will slowly decrease the percentage of oxygen that he's getting through the mask over the trache until it is the same as what we normally breathe. Right now he is at 40%. That is the same as the lowest setting he had on the ventilator. The air that you and I breathe is 20% oxygen. So he'll work towards that level until he doesn't need oxygen support anymore. Then they can consider removing the trache completely.

After getting a good supply of his new liquid diet under his belt today, Rob's first question to the doctor tonight was how much longer will he need the feeding tube through his nose and into his stomach. The doctor said the plan is to slowly increase his diet and decrease the feedings in the tube until he doesn't need that nutrition from the tube anymore. Rob will be glad to have another line gone from his body, that's for sure.

They are also going to check out the insulin situation in the morning. He's been on a IV drip of it since he has been hospitalized since he's not eating as we normally would. They will slowly start switching him to a dose of insulin via injection and decrease the IV drip as his sugar levels start to regulate themselves due to his new diet.

So, with plans in the works to remove the 3 remaining lines that Rob has in place (insulin IV, trache, and feeding tube), he's a happy man. The room they moved him to is a private room that is much quieter which will allow him to sleep much easier. I hope he enjoys a good night's sleep tonight. I think I'll sleep a little easier tonight too after the big steps he took today.

I thought I better relist the entire new address for him as well since he has changed units.

Robert Kendall
Room 4055 4RCP
University of Iowa Hospitals
200 Hawkins Dr
Iowa City, IA 52242

He looks forward to cards, emails, and visitors. He now has new visiting hours as well. He can have visitors from 8 am-10 pm with no limit on length of visits. So as long as he's awake, he's happy to have visitors. Another note for those of you that have been contacting me via my cell phone, I have to have it off when I'm visiting him, just as I did in the SICU. But since I will be in his room most of the time now, I won't be able to have my cell phone on most of the day. But I will step out a few times a day to check messages and return calls. So please leave a message if you'd like to get in touch with us.

I joked earlier today that with the amazing leaps and bounds that he's been progressing at the last few days, I guess I better not be shocked if I come to the hospital some morning and find him waiting on the sidewalk for me to take him home. I'll cherish the thought of that day for right now and pray that it is not far off!

Kelly