This morning they drained a bunch of fluid from near Karen’s right lung. The fluid was not actually in her lung, it was next to her lung. I’m not quite sure where the fluid came from but it might be from the damaged liver. Draining the fluid caused an hour or two of horrible, intense pain for Karen for reasons unknown, but by this afternoon (and with pain meds) much of the pain had subsided and Karen was breathing more easily.
When I arrived in the late afternoon, Karen was sitting in her recliner and soon was playing Scattergories with Steph and Jessica. (Karen was WAY too leniant on allowing some of Jessica’s answers!) Her mind was still a little foggy (probably from residual meds in her system) but she got clearer as the evening progressed. She is still very weak and had a little difficulty handling the paper and pencil but was able to get it done. A little later she was eating jello, drinking chicken broth, and when I left she had just ordered grilled fish, potatoes, and cooked carrots (I’m not sure how much of it she ate though). Sleep is rare in ICU and she is definitely sleep deprived. I am hopeful that she gets a good night’s sleep tonight.
If she continues as she is, the nurse guessed that Karen will be in ICU for another day or two, then move to a floor where they’ll help her continue to regain her strength. At best, she might be out of the hospital in a week or so. Complications can crop up at anytime though so please continue to pray.
