Two Slow Shuffles Forward, One Step Back

Well, for the most part things are going well. One more chest tube out today, one to go. He also got his central line out of his neck and only hooked up to the heart monitors, oxygen monitors, and one IV. Considering how he looked coming out of surgery just one week ago, I would definitely say it is amazing how well he is doing. Jason has been asking me if people are checking the blog and making sure I am putting on updates. I assured him that many are checking in on his progress, sending their love and prayers all of the time. He asked again for me to tell him what actually happened the day of the surgery. He wants to know if the doctors took pictures because he wants to know what everything looks like on the inside now. He stood up and wanted to check out all of his "battle wounds" in the mirror. I told him he probably had more and longer incisions than he originally expected. We decided to count, so there is a small one on his neck, a 4-5 inch one right below his collar bone, three 1 in incisions for the drain tubes, and one on each leg were they were trying to access the femoral arteries. Oh yes, of course the sternum incision that starts at the indentation at the bottom of his throat and extends to the base of the sternum.
He reports he started out his day thinking it would be an "all-star" day and part way through the morning it ended up "no bueno". He vomited up quite a volume, right after his morning walk, then he realized part way through the night his doctor detected he has sores in his mouth and thrush. So eating is difficult because it burns and hurts. The catch is if he doesn't eat he feels nauseous due to the pain meds. So now he is on more meds to treat his anolmalies. We decided that starting this afternoon he could end his day being an "all-star" day. He walked twice when I was with him today, is getting irritable with everyone poking and asking him questions, he is annoyed by the alarms on his monitors going off all of the time, and he wants to get better so he can come home. The doctor says that Friday more than likely will be the day. Anything earlier we will consider bonus.
Hopefully tomorrow another chest tube will be out and he may be able to walk without a walker.
Thank goodness for the strength that God provides. His angels must definitely be working overtime.