Aug 2 (Thursday) - noon update

It's been two weeks since the accident, and Rich and Jeannette continue to hang in there.   Rich is having a good day, and they just removed his "chest tube" which had been in since his initial treatment.   His lungs are looking good, and the plan now is to remove his ventilator tomorrow.  They could have done it today, but he's doing so well they have scheduled his surgery for his broken arm in the morning, and they will pull the ventilator after that.   He needs a couple of plates to fix the broken bones in his arm, and hence the arm surgery.   He's awake, and scratching his head, watching some tv and remaining the fidgety Rich we all know so well.   

Jeannette is holding her own, and the look-see report on her intestines this morning is they are "red beefy and moist" which the doctors say is a good thing.   Still, its the big area of concern, and the next 24 to 48 hours are the window timeframe where we will know better what we are dealing with.   The infectious control team is still on top of things, and Sam is very pleased at their thoroughness and the qualitly of care she is observing.   Jeannette is awake, aware, but with the ventilator she isn't able to communicate except to answer questions by blinking her eyes.   Once they change out the ventilator then that should change and will be an improvement.  - John