Thurs. Oct 30 - More complications

I was admitted to ICU around 3:00 a.m. early this morning because of insufficient oxygen - They like to have it above 92. Mine was 88. So. I now have to wear an oxygen mask.

 An X-ray of my lungs showed that there are particles in my lungs resulting from food going down the "wrong way into my windpipe." So, I now have pneumonia in my right lung. They are treating it with antibiotics. Another thing they did was to put a temporary feeding tube in. It is a tube that goes through a nostril and all the way down to the intestines. It was very painful and it took 5 tries to get it right. After each time they took an X-ray to see if the long and narrow tube ended up in the right place. Meanwhile, I was without any nutrition or pills all day. I was not allowed to have anything by mouth including ice chips or water.

The various docs, along with their students and residents, came by:  pulmonary, neurology, and oncology. The pulmonary group came first. Based on an X-ray of the chest, they concluded that I have pneumonia.  At this point, the Pneumonia gets priority because I can't go under anesthesia (for the nerve biopsy) with pneumonia.Neurology is still waiting on the interpretation of the MRI of the leg to determine where to do the biopsy. And oncology is waiting on the biopsy.

I've been in a lot pain today despite them doubling the morphine.


Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV)