July 25 (Wednesday) - 830am

It is early here, but even so there are some things to report.   This is more technical, and I'm no doctor, but good news is hard to come by right now and this seems worth sharing.  Around midnight the medical team caring for Jeannette reports that her heart kicked back into a "sinus rhythm" where previously it has been in an "a-fib" status since the embolism.   Another "number" they had been worried about was a lactic acid count, and while that means little to me what I do know is that too had come down to a much better number.  There was another positive turn to indicate the infection issue is resolving itself.  And finally, her O2 blood saturation level is doing much better, so they were able to change the settings from the O2 concentration they were giving her from 100% down to 80%, while still gettting the same level of oxygen in her blood.  That means things are improving, her ability to oxygenate her blood is becoming more efficient and that means the hope continues.    

These are small things in some ways, and big things too.   Of coures, there is no "out of the woods" call, and no giant changes.   She still is very sick, very much unconscious, unmoving now, but clearly resting comfortably.  With the monitors and screens and sounds of the ICU the comfort comes from the feeling that they are doing all that can be done.   The doctors have ordered another eco-cardiogram this morning, to see what the status of the PE (pulminary embolism) is.    

And so, the day begins.   As for Rich, the word from the hospital is he was pretty demanding last night, but the nurses report his demands are polite.  There are no cusswords, which I gather from the Alaskan ICU nurses that is somewhat ununusal up there.    Sure, he will demand something, but it apparently comes out  "Please...miss...can you please get me out of here?"    I have not gone in to see him yet, so have no further words to report there other than that phone report.   But I am learning in this waiting world of medicine, that nothing to report is often the path of good news.