Transition

Steve made the transition today from three IV antibiotics to one oral antibiotic. He is also finished with IV fluids, and his oxygen rate has been lowered with success.

The blood cultures never grew anything, so we don't know exactly what we're fighting. The oral antibiotic covers a lot of germs, though.

Yesterday's X-ray doesn't look so bad. It shows scarring in the lower lungs but no big, hard-to-fight infiltrates.

The attending hematologist/oncologist, Dr. A, says that he thinks Steve could go home Monday. Dr. A won't be making that decision, though, because tomorrow is a new month, which means a new team rotates in.

So sometime Saturday we'll meet the new team and new attending, and they'll make the decision.

As much as I would like Steve home (with our Cooper and Katie -- oh, how we miss them!), I am thankful that we have a little more time here. We have both noticed that his shortness of breath is a little worse today than yesterday. He's having a little more difficulty talking, too. Still, he is so much better than when he arrived in the ER on Wednesday.

I'm hoping he can regain some physical strength -- at least to get him back to his level of Monday or Tuesday.

When I transfer him from one surface to another, he is usually able to help a great deal with his right side. He's lost some of that this week, plus his left side seems even more "dead" than usual. While we've been in the hospital, he's required two people for transfers.

We had a big switcheroo tonight. Sharon left the Morning News newsroom to take care of Cooper and Katie at Jim and Betty's house. Jim and Betty came to the hospital to spend time with Steve. And I went out with Liz and Kris for a lovely meal at S&D Oyster Co.

It is difficult for me to be out on a Friday night without my favorite date. But we brought Steve back some bread pudding with whiskey sauce. And now I get to spend another night in his hospital room, falling asleep to the sounds of him breathing (even snoring), giving thanks for his beautiful spirit.