ICU Update

Dear Fod's

Our latest report (from Mike, the cleanup hitter tonight) is that Debbie is alert, walking when she can, and every bit still in the game! Joey went down early today and stayed with Debbie until around 2:00 PM when I arrived. He gave us multiple reports during the day and helped his Mom during some difficult spots. By the time I arrived, it seemed to me that the antibiotics had begun to take hold during the course of Joey's stay and that Debbie was still fighting and turning the corner on this infection.

During my stay, Debbie slept for the first hour or so and then became a little restless, had some back pain and seemed bloated to me. When I spoke with the Nurse, he explained to me that he thought that Deb had a urinary tract infection and that this was impeding her natural abilities. By his counts, she was positive 5 liters. Although Debbie tried, she was not very successful. Not to mention the fact that she is out in the "open" on a free standing comode!! Hopefully, this will turn around.

Debbie began to awaken during the end of my stay and they had her scheduled for a CAT scan of her abdomen. Deb was able to walk to the gurney and help the Transport staff to get her on and all hooked up for the trip down. Right on schedule, Mike arrived and was able to spell me and go down with the Transport team with Deb. As you have long since learned, the T's only travel these floors in pairs (it is an old Hungarian thing). We are awaiting the results of the CAT scan.

Mike said that Deb was doing well after the CAT scan, was not left to rot in the HUP halls, (because one of the T's was there), and was doing well as she drifted off to a well deserved sleep.

I will spend the day with Debbie tomorrow after a few "must do" European issues in the morning. We have two new movies to watch and, hopefully, she may be interested in an ice cream sandwich with the show.

AN OBSERVATION AND MY PREDICTION:

Early this morning, when I first arrived in Debbie's ICU room and saw her with the high fever, her flushed face and being very uncomfortable, I noticed out of the side of my eye that the man in the room next to her was awake and watching television. He was a very big man and he was in obvious discomfort. There is a fogged glass window between the rooms and I noticed a poster on his side of the glass. It said "NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL" -- (raised golden helmut) -- and "WE ARE -- ND!" This was my sign, like when Joey was born in Memorial Hospital in South Bend. We are going to be OK.

When I came back this afternoon, the guy and the poster were gone and I did not ask where they went because they were there for us when we needed them.

Debbie is going to beat this!

Deb sends her love to all.