Good News

This afternoon, from 3:30 until 4:30, Suzy spent an hour with the ventilator turned off! She is still a little groggy, but is now definitely aware of her surroundings. She squeezed my hand when asked, looked me in the eye and seemed to understand what was happening. I was even able to elicit a smile when I asked her to give me one. Moreover, the vent tube, while mightily uncomfortable, is no longer creating panic. Today, not a baby step, but a grown-up step.

Special thanks are due to all my co-workers, who are graciously picking up the slack (and then some) so that I can be with Suzy each afternoon. Their generosity and compassion directly resulted in me being there today to help Suzy through a pretty scary thing. I appreciate it, and I am pretty sure Suzy did to.

Thanks, y'all!

Update, 10:30 PM: Tonight Suzy continues to be aware and oriented. I mentioned her 1-hour weaning from this afternoon, and she nodded that she remembered that. She is still on sedatives, but she was able to acknowledge that I had to leave and get some sleep, and that was alright with her. I love this woman so much.