WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 A BIG DAY FOR TRAVIS...AND FOR CANADA

Today is a national holiday - a time to celebrate. It was a good day, also, at the U of A Hospital. It was another day of upward steps...at least, forward. Travis took five!! walks today. And, they took a chest drainage tube out. Yeah! The pain is more under control, and, out of his love for the game, he tried his level best to get info, from anybody in the loop, about the hockey draft, notably Kipprusoff.

There were negative moments, too. The chest xray indicated no change in the lung that seems to be partially deflated. And, there were moments of anxiety. It's a "teeter-totter" situation - Travis wants to sense that he is in full control of his mental abilities, but the doctors say that they want to give some of that up for pain control, so that pain does not hinder the coughing and heavy breathing that is necessary for proper healing. Thus, the anxiety for Travis, because he has had to be very much his own clinician for many years.

Talking about pain control.... At more than one point, he pondered out loud, "Am I losing my mind? - Oh, yeah, I guess it's that morphine. It sure can mess with your head." Examples: **The cat in the purse. That cat was plain as day, gray, striped, ready to pounce, and perched on a purse! Sounds like a new one from Dr. Seuss.
**Then, there was the high tech text messaging. It scrolls, word for word, in your head. The trick is to keep up.
**A conversation: "Mom and Auntie, am I hallucinating? Are they passing out Viagra around here?" "Yes, you are hallucinating." The nurses: "Oh, yes, we were conferring about a patient. We do pass out Viagra here..........for the heart!

Even though Travis is largely out of the loop in these past five days, he hears about your concern and interest in his situation. Thanks to Bryan and Brad for their daily phone calls. Thanks to those looking after the two houses in Calgary. Thanks to those of you who have communicated your love, concern, and prayers. Thanks to Grandma for making sure that Daisy is loved. Thanks to those able to make visits - Grandma, Dawn, Glynis, Bryan.

Post made by Uncle Mark.