Last night around 9PM we were notified that dad would be brought in for a procedure to place coils in the arteries where the ulcer was. The clamps placed yesterday weren’t expected to be the permanent fix, which is why he was airlifted to Abbott where they have the technology for this. 

The procedure took longer than we expected, but overall it went well. Dad was back in his room resting around midnight. Mom spent the night at the hospital with him. 

This morning while on the ventilator, he was able to communicate with writing messages on paper. At one point with mom he asked where he was. She told him he took a helicopter ride to Abbott. His eyes got pretty wide! 

Around 9 this morning they lightened his sedation and were able to remove the ventilator. He handled breathing well on his own. (It’s shocking the similarities he’s having with his grandson Emil.)

His blood pressure remains in a comfortable zone. While introducing liquids with drinking water he did throw up a few times. (Thankfully no blood was in it this time.) They are giving him anti-nausea meds.

He was running a slight fever, so they are giving him antibiotics to head off any potential infection. 

He’ll remain in the ICU today and tonight. Hopefully he’ll make progress enough to bust out of the ICU tomorrow. 

Photos: 

Maybe you can read that one of the messages he wrote me this morning was, “There’s a reason for everything.”

I also included one of his new favorite photos of grandson Emil that he asks me to show the nurses.