Greeting All,
We first would like to apologize for being such poor communicators.  It has just been busy and at times a bit overwhelming and we've been a bit tired!

I realize the last journal entry was 4-11 which was 2 days after Jordan's surgery,  I did start this one on 4-19 but never got back to it.  SORRY!!!

Jordan was able to leave ICU on Monday 4-12 in the evening.  He was moved into the Progressive Care Unit which is a step down from Intensive Care.   This was a great day, not only did it mean Jordan was improving but it also meant we could spend all day and night with Jordan! 

 On Sunday afternoon they were able to extubate him, just 3 days after surgery.   He did alright and we discussed the possibility of Jordan needing to have a tracheostomy  in the event he did not do well coming off the vent and if he needed to be re-intubated.   Well our best Bud continued to amaze and showed us just how tough he is.  I jokingly said to Jim on Sunday that I think that Jordan has adopted the company he works for (Greiner Construction) tag line , "BUILDING STRENGTH FROM THE INSIDE OUT"! He certainly was building strength & was simply amazing everyone on his care team and us given how sick he was, the complexity of the surgery he just had done and his initial prognosis. 

They were able to remove one of his chest tubes the morning of 4-12 and that went well. They removed a total of 2 liters of fluid out of the pleural space in Jordan's lungs!  WOW that just was amazing but it allowed his right lung room to expand and contract like our lungs are suppose to do when we breath in and out.  He still needed a significant amount of supplemental oxygen but was able to breath on his own and only required to be on bi-pap when sleeping.  He had a Bronchoscopy done in ICU before they took him off the vent.  This allowed them to take a look inside the lungs and and also to do some good "deep cleaning".   Jordan tolerated that well and it was completed without any complications. 

The Infectious Disease Doctor treating Jordan recommended that Jordan have an Upper Endoscopy done which would allow them to look  inside the esophagus and upper digestive system.  They wanted to make sure that Jordan did not have any perforation in his esophagus or upper digestive track that would have caused the infection/pneumonia that Jordan developed.  Our prayers were answered yet again that came back normal and indicated that it would not require any additional intervention.  

 On Thursday 4-15 Jordan had his second chest tube removed and he did well.  Everyday Jordan's labs and x-rays continued to improve and we were able to come home on Saturday afternoon 4-17.  The cares that Jordan was requiring we could resume at home.  He had to remain on the antibiotics and blood thinners needed to treat the pulmonary emboli but we could give them to him via g-tube. We were even able to have his PPIC line removed before discharge which was a blessing as that just gets to be another source of possible infection.  We could resume all his respiratory cares at home and we just all do better together and at home!  Jordan continues to be very fatigued but to be expected given what the guy has been through,  every day that gets better.   

On Friday, April 23rd Jordan had a followup with the surgeons.  He got his staples removed from his thoracotomy incision and sutures from where chest tubes were placed.  Everything looked good!

On Wednesday April 28th Jordan developed a large swollen area underneath his incision.  I called surgeons office as it came on sudden and it did cause Jordan some discomfort to touch.  I took pictures of it and uploaded it to his chart so they could see it as well.  They thought it to be what they call a seroma.  It is a collection of fluid that builds up under the surface of the skin .    It looked and felt like someone put a big baked potato under his incision.  It required us to go into the surgeons office to have it aspirated.  We did that on Friday the 30th.  When we got to the clinic they used a local anesthetic to numb the area and attempted to remove the fluid.  They were unsuccessful and they thought it may not be a seroma as originally thought and given that Jordan is still on blood thinners that it was possibly a hematoma (a bleed under the skin) which was confirmed by ultrasound.  Hematomas have to resolve on their own.  Jordan continues to be very swollen and now black and blue and sore.  We were advise to ice and follow up  in a week.  Friday night ended up being pretty eventful at home as the injections sites where they attempted to aspirate the fluid would not stop bleeding due to Jordan being on blood thinners.  We were concerned we would have to go back in but one last attempt and one more "Hail Mary" and we were able to get it to stop!  

When we went into the hospital on 4-6 Jordan's prognosis was very grim and all the Doctors were preparing us for the worst and told us they would do all they could but it was very possible that Jordan would not be able to make it through all that he had to overcome.  We have been through a lot with Jordan in his 26 years but this time we were probably more scared than ever especially the first 5 days.    We know that we did not walk this journey alone.  God put very talented, knowledgeable and caring people in our path to care for and treat Jordan.   That there is power in prayer and that our prayers were heard and answered.  WE ARE BEYOND BLESSED AND GRATEFUl to our AWESOME GOD and all of you!  This journey reaffirmed for us that we are blessed with an amazing family, friends, church family, Jim's work family, Josie's dance family, school family and neighbors! Your prayers, love, support,  all your generosity and acts of kindness meant the world to us and were so very comforting during this difficult time.  

Jordan has the most amazing fighting spirit and again inspires us and reminds us to take nothing for granted!  He has taught us so much and we are so blessed that God chose us to be this special guys parents.  Like we always say, "he makes us better people!"    Everyday is a better day in most respects and he is back to his easy going smiling self!

With many thanks and love,

Dori, Jim, Jordan and Josie