Sunday afternoon - And the Tube is OUT!

I am very happy to announce that at 2:15 today, Gage's chest tube was removed. YEAHHHH!! Thank you for all the prayers.  In order for them to take it out, they had to turn off the heparin for 3 hours.  So Gage and I were able to go for a walk with only a chest tube and 'Blackwood'.  It was really nice.
To be released from the hospital to the RMH, Gage needs to to be off the heparin IV and onto the oral coumandin.  They want his INR to be  between 2.5 and 3.5.  The last 3 days it has been sitting at 1.3. Yesterday they went up again on his coumadin dose to 4 mg.  It usually takes a couple days to see the results of a dose change.  The feeds he gets at night have a lot of Vitamin K (and other vitamins and calories) which counteracts the coumadin.  They are working on a dose that allows him to be on the feeds and still have an INR between 2.5 and 3.5.  Another balancing act.  He still has an IV going (heparin) so we get to take the pole around with us.  It is kind of nice because we can hang everything off of it.  Before he can be discharged , they have to take Gage out on two 'outings'.  One is to lunch, the nurse practitioner takes us and watches to make sure we know and remember all of our training. The second outing is to the RMH to make sure we have a spot to put all the equipment he will be coming home with and check out the bathroom for showering and other daily living things.  Once his coumadin is at a stable dose, his picc line is pulled and we have completed our outings, he is good to go. IF all goes well, possibly the end of this week.  We shall see.

One might ask, "If he still has all this to do, then why the frustration with the chest tube?" The tube was about 80% of his pain.  He has acted much better with it out this afternoon.  Hopefully that continues.  He does complain of some pain when he first gets out of bed at his Heartware drive line site.  When he is feeling good I will have him do a video where he tells you and shows you all the equipment, like Lindsey did with the Berlin.  Gage is making 3 laps around the 3rd floor now.  He is getting stronger each time.  Sometimes the trips are faster than others, it depends on what program is on TV.  If there is a good movie on TV he wants to watch, then he makes his fastest time.  Other wise, it can be a lengthy walk with lots of tears.  Thank you for all your prayers and comments we appreciate all the support.

Before the chest tube was out.

After the chest tube is out.  He was looking at the tube, the look on his face is priceless. And he had a hefty dose of Ativan that made him see double.

In the right side of the picture, the NP Jessica is holding up the chest tube. You can't see her other hand, but all of the tube that is in the picture was inside him.  OUCH!!