Saturday - May 5 - Continued

So here is the latest update on Ryan. He is completely off of the paralytic drug, as of this morning. He was weaned off of the sedatives this afternoon. He is running a fever, and started fevering without being sedated. He is not on a continuous sedative now, instead they are sedating him with a dose that lasts 1-2 hours to control his shivering. He is still laying on the cooling/warming blanket that was used in the hypothermia study he was part of. He is also covered with one of these blankets. His body temperatue is regulated by the blankets - to the specific temperature they program in.

They received the culture back from his lungs and have identified the bacteria. They have started giving him a specific antibiotic that will treat the bacteria he has.

It is interesting to watch the doctors do "rounds". There are 10-11 people who gather at Ryan's doorway each morning, and they discuss his progress and plan of action for the day. For any of you who have watched the t.v. show, "Scrubs", this is exactly how it is. Today Ryan's doctor said he is still in critical condition.

As ever, thank you for your faith and prayers in Ryan's behalf.

Love and hugs,

Grandma Jeri

Saturday, May 5

Ryan hasn't had much change overnight. They have discontinued the paralytic drug they were giving him. He is still sedated. The MRI has not been read yet. With this being a Saturday, we aren't sure when we will have the results. Ryan has a bit of a fever today. He is still dealing with pneumonia. His blood pressure has been low and they are trying to get it a little higher. They are pushing fluids to do that. When they give him a diuretic to help him pass the fluids, his blood pressure goes down. It is so hard to find that delicate balance. They gave him a bath during the night and he looks good this morning. After being paralyzed, sedated, and having a machine breathe for him for the past 3 days, it is as if this is Day #1 for him. They have turned the ventilator down a little so he can start to breathe on his own. He is moving a little, and for sure he doesn't like having them suction out his airway! I will post again as soon we know anything new.

Love,

Grandma Jeri