SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2009 GOOD NEWS KEEPS COMING

The desire to eat was better today, beginning with breakfast. Then, it was 3 laps around the "track". Later in the morning, the doctor arrived with good news. The most recent xray (that morning) revealed that, again, there is marked improvement. Further, he said...the white blood cell count is going down, and blood "sats" are going up. Then, it was another 3 laps.

As Travis sat there beginning the task of eating lunch, a doctor arrived: "I'm going to take the last two chest drainage tubes out. I'll come back when you are finished eating". Quick as a flash, and totally alert, Travis responded, "Let's do it NOW". So those cumbersome (but necessary for the purpose) tubes are gone, and with them taken out, a marked difference in the pain.

At 5:00 pm, the surgeon arrived with another surprise - he removed the oxygen. Wow...talk about a positive sign! Then, at 7:30 pm...you guessed it...another three laps, this time without oxygen. As he passed his room, going into the third lap, Terri asked him if he realized how far he'd gone, and maybe he'd had enough. Response: "I might be dopey, but I'm not retarded".

It's been a long journey in a short time - 9 days. However, the perspective of time has been lost to Travis. He thought it was coming to 21 days! He confided to the surgeon today: "The whole process has been much more difficult than I expected".

Travis has been incredibly supported by his family, most notably, his dad, his mom, and his Auntie Terri. But, it is hard for those who experience the pain "from a distance". It hurts to see Travis hurting, and the nerves get frayed. A couple of times, Cathie and Terri have been able to slip out during rest periods, to receive a little therapy - holding babies, Bryan and Rachelle's eight-month old twins, and playing with the twins's three sisters, Erica, Kaeli, and Gillian. Very therapeutic. When Bryan called, Cathie jumped at the chance, "Let's go now!" It is well known, she loves babies... and puppies! Thankyou, Bryan and Rachelle, for those breaks.

Travis is seen as a bit of a celebrity on the ward these days - the paparazzi have been running (a no, no!) to photograph him doing laps!

Post made by Uncle Mark (with collaboration)