Update #13 on Peter

At about 1:30PM on Monday, September 28, Peter was moved from the ICU to a regular ward in the same hospital. It is a double room but Peter is the only patient in this room so it is nice to have the large room to put our stuff down and we can also move around a bit.

I haven't seen Peter for a couple days, but was here during the transfer and am typing this in his room although I'll need to go out of the hospital to find good internet access to post it. My impression? He's looking good and doing well so far. If you just walked into his room and saw him for the first time after the accident, you might think he is not doing so well. But to those of us who have been here since the first hour... the progress is clear and hope reigns.

He is down to the following tubes: a catheter, an IV in his femoral artery, a feeding tube in his nose, and oxygen in his nose as well. The bandages on his head look good. The wounds on the back of his head (the impact with the car windshield) and the front of his head where the ICPM was implanted are stapled and look as good as is possible. Just to Peter's left of the place where the ICPM was implanted is a wound with a few stitches where a shunt was used. Peter's fever went down last night so it seems that the infection is gone as well.

It is still VITAL that we protect Peter from infection, so the family and his immediate caregivers have decided to not allow any visitors for at least the next 48 hours with very few exceptions depending on Peter's condition. If you come to the hospital, it may be possible to get updates and chat with others, but please don't expect to see Peter until his condition improves.

As long as someone is holding his hand, it is possible for Peter's hand to be free. It is best for Peter if his hand is free to exercise except that he desperately wants to touch his wounds, take bandages off, and mess with the IV or other tubes. Someone needs to be in charge of that hand 100% of the time. To have both hands free, 2 people are needed... one for each hand.

Peter's foot is ticklish. There are many other small improvements or assurances like this.

Peter has some fluid coming out of his right ear and Dr. Zeng said that he would ask for another doctor to come and try to check his hearing.

Since the news is mostly very small increments these days and probably will remain so, I may have time to share a few pictures or other things about Peter on here, including a timeline of the day of the accident. I can’t promise, but I’ll try.

PETER HOLDING HIS MOTHER’S HAND

 

PETER’S MOM AND DAD WITH (FROM L-R) RENEE, JEN-JEN, A-WEI, AND JOANNA

 

DURING THE PRAYER TIME COMMUNION

 

PETER’S MOM TALKING WITH DR. PETER IN THE CHAPEL