Day 3

On the third day after the surgery it was pretty uneventful, at least compared to the things have been going on, so this was good. Steph has been trying to walk as much as possible and has been trying to cut back on the doses of morphine. The walking helps to get her body's system going again and the morphine (narcotics in general) tend to slow this process down. For this reason she has been in more pain today than yesterday and it has been very tiresome for her. Despite the pain she has been doing very well. The doctor said she could have probably gone home today, but Steph and the nurse didn't feel like she was quite ready, so it's looking more like tomorrow or Monday. I haven't had a chance to see Paula much, but she is progressing in the right direction. She is still in ICU, but it is more because they want to monitor her very closely than her being in immediate danger. They continue to run tests to try to figure out what balance of meds will be the best for her. She continues to bleed internally, but the bleeding does appear to be slowing. Her blood pressure has been the new concern, it keeps going up to levels that the doctors really don't like. She has also been getting really itchy (her skin is somewhat allergic to the tape the hospital uses) and a little bit anxious, so her comfort level just adds to the concern for her. They were planning to start her on some more immunosuppressant drugs tonight, which is another thing they need to keep close tabs on. Her kidney continues to do very well and her spirits are still pretty good (at least on the outside), but those of you who know Paula, she's not one to show that she is having a hard time. Overall, I think they are both heading in the right direction.