Wednesday June 10, 2009
Day 43

Hope is not blind optimism.
It's not ignoring the enormity of the task ahead,
or the roadblocks that stand in our path.
It's not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight.
Hope is that thing inside us that insists,
despite all the evidence to the contrary,
that something better awaits us if we have the courage
to reach for it, work for it, and fight for it. ~ Barack Obama

Good morning. Daniel is still here in SICU, room 208.
He has had better nights. Yesterday, the physical therapists
had him sitting up a little too long, given his condition from
the bout with ileus. This morning he was running a fever, 100,
and the fluctuating heart rate has returned.
Has gone 24 hours without vomiting. Daniel is receiving a
reduced amount of nutrients and is on the ventilator
for assistance in breathing. He is breathing on his own.
Yesterday afternoon he was starting to open his eyes again,
this morning he appears to be resting, recovering from
the long session sitting up. The doctor has detected pneumonia
and has prescribed anti-biotics which is being started
at this moment -10:20 am.
Daniel is also getting a dose of audio therapy by the Godfather
of Soul, James Brown! Our request to give our man a shave
was denied for awhile. Will ask again later.

The old drip tube of years gone by have been replaced
by electronic devices with digital readouts, electronically
adjustable rates in precise millilters per hour. Years ago I was
hospitalized and the practice then was for a nurse to adjust
this plastic clip and count the 'drips' using her wrist watch
to figure the amount per 30 seconds or per minute. Accurate
in those days, nothing like the precision of today. A small
commentary on how things have changed.
With the incredible detail of an MRI and CT scans 100 times
clearer than an x-ray, radiologists and neurosurgeons are
better able to treat patients, relieve pain and suffering,
and consequently save lives. The magnificent intersection
of mathematics, physics, chemistry, electronics, and medical
science. Fortunately, we are the beneficiaries of hundreds
of years of scientific research. Increasing survival rates of
cancer victims and restoring health to victims of brain truama
is the goal and worth the investment in research. The tragedy
is the billions or trillions spent on armaments and military
defense expenditures.

Take care of one another....

¡Presente!
Oscar and Jessica Vega ~ El Nando Vega! ~ Marie Curie
Victor, Margarita and Cristina Vega ~ Luis Perez
Dawn-Super Nurse and her student Melanie
Jonas Salk ~