UPDATES July 4, 2008

UPDATES
July 4, 2008

Happy July 4th.

Jack had a comfortable night last night per the nurses. They go in and turn him regularly. He communicated with them each time but went back to sleep. He became cool this morning and took a towel under his head and put around his shoulders. The nurse went in and asked him if he was cool and he indicated he was by blinking with his eyes after being asked if he was cool. Since speaking is so difficult for him, we have told him if the answer is yes to blink with his eyes which he does very easily. He is still so present. It makes for an easier time for him and us.

Jack had been on steroids since last fall to reduce brain swelling. Steroids cause a lot of fluid retention, a “moon” shaped face and abdomen swelling. These characteristics had somewhat altered his appearance making him look like he had put on a lot of weight which he really had not. After a picture that was made at Easter of himself that he saw, he asked who it was when he saw it. The medical team took him off of the steroids on Tuesday, so he is now releasing all of the fluid from this retention. You may remember back in the fall on the blog I told about a conversation with Jack about the amount he was urinating. He commented that it was a mass transfer issue and that the sum of the flows was zero. Well, the sum of the flows is negative now since there is no intake, just output. One of the striking things about Jack’s appearance yesterday is that he had lost a considerable amount of the “moon” look in is face. Based on the output last evening, I expect that he will have lost even more of that look now. Since steroids also cause agitation and irritability, coming off of them has helped with his peacefulness for which we are very thankful.

He sleeps more now. Yesterday when a now retired MIT and Nano-C colleague, Tony Modestino, came in to visit him, he not only acknowledged him but told him “that it was very good, as always, to see him. He also thanked him for coming”. Amazing is all I can say.

Jack’s niece, Michele, and her son Jared arrive this morning. Jack’s sister, Bess and her husband Roy arrive this evening. Boston is insane today with major roads closed and about one million people coming into the city for the famous July 4th celebration on the Charles River Esplanade. Many of you may be able to see it on TV this evening. The infirmary is across the street from the Cambridge side of the river. We will likely not stay around for the fireworks since we would then spend 2 hours driving about 8 miles in going home.

We continue to “wait for the Lord, my (our) soul doth wait, and in His word do I (we) hope.
Psalm 130:5
Blessings,
Carolyn and family