Let's Dial It In

It's been a rough, sleepless two nights for Dan. 

The nurses in the CSICU, as nice as they were, woke Dan up only a few hours after he got there. He didn't get the day or two of sedated sleep to begin healing we were told of. The first night was rough, made more so by spasms in his back due to his history of back pain and a new bed to adjust to, not to mention a new world of pain he's never known before. Getting his lumbar support the following morning helped, and by 11am they finally had the PCA hooked up - Patient Controlled Anathesia. Having the button to push himself whenever he felt the need to helped him get the pain down on the pain scale, and keep it down.

Then came troubling news about his remaining kidney. We knew it would take a hit and were warned about the possible need for dialysis, and that is what ended up happening the following morning, today. After yet another rough night of little sleep, mostly due to the noise of a busy CSICU, he was finally moved to a quieter room and given his first round of dialysis.

The change was dramatic. Besides being able to nap, the machine removed 1.5 liters of liquid out of his blood. Dan was less dopey and tired and more interactive after the treatment. Afterward he was moved to his own room in the surgical ward where I believe he'll stay for the remainder of his time here.

We're not sure just how long that will be - possibly another week. He will likely continue with the dialysis treatments, but we're not sure of the severity or length of time until a doctor has a chance to look at the results.

For now, he needs rest and love, and he's getting plenty of the latter from all of you.

Although he's not ready for visitors, I think he'll be able to get back on his phone tomorrow to say hi, and any cards or flowers or balloons or small puppies could be sent to 3South at Royal Colombian Hospital in New Westminster, BC.