3.31.09 Visit

I left for San Francisco for a quick day trip to pick up all of our mail that has been sitting for about 6 weeks, to pick up our tax documents and to make sure the apartment hadn't burned down. Of course, on the one day that I wasn't with Michelle, something turns for the worst.

The day began much like every other day we have had with Christian thus far. Michelle went to visit in the morning with her mom and everything was fine. christian's vitals were good, he looked to be in good health and there was no cause for concern. It was a relief for me to hear, as I was having anxiety just being away from my family even for a day. It was the first day that I wouldn't be able to see Chrsitian in the hospital because I was traveling.

Fast-forward to later in the evening, and I call Michelle from my plane during my connecting flight from Las Vegas. She tells me that the hospital called to let her know that something had happened- when I called her, she was already at the hospital with her dad. Apparently Christian had to be changed to another ventilator because he had a condition called PIE. They changed him to a jet ventilator which pumps 420 bursts a minute rather than the normal respiration he had been receiving over the past 2 weeks. When Michelle went to see him, she said christian was pale and not moving hardly at all. He looked lifeless and frail. However, as soon as michelle began talking to him, she said his vitals picked up quickly and that he responded to her voice. Throughout the evening, he continued to get better. We called the hospital later, around 2:00 am, to ensure that he was still doing well. The nurse assurred us that he was doing well and that his vitals were still strong. We planned to see him first thing in the morning during his rounds so that we could have an opportunity to speak with Doctor Harley.