Thursday

Wednesday night we had gone to stay with Tom's brother and had a yummy home cooked meal and cocktails. I was so tired from not sleeping much the night before and the emotional exhaustion, so it was very nice to zone out and listen to family talk as a distraction from what was going on in my life. I was able to get a little more sleep that night, but was wide awake by 4 a.m.

We had a little longer commute into the hospital that morning, so we got on the road around 7, and of course it was snowing!

We got to the hospital and the whole morning was busy with activity. Fred's neck brace was really bothering him, and they finally cleared him to have that removed and that helped with his agitation and discomfort related to that. The next thing he was focused on was having a shower.

He got into a chair and ate a couple bites of applesauce and then he got to have a shower (in a chair). His brain injury is affecting his short term memory, so about an hour after his shower he didn't think he had one.

He was doing well enough on Thursday to be moved to the Multiple Trauma Unit (step down ICU). The move was hard on me after all of the attention and nurse/patient ratio of the ICU, to be sent to a room that is down the hall from the nurses station in the afternoon and then think about leaving the hospital for the night myself gave me a lot of anxiety. The night nurse put him in a floor bed since he was being impulsive and trying to get out of bed and the risk of falling and hurting his head again.

Fred's friend came by on Thursday afternoon and Fred really seemed to make a connection with him and talked with him and even joked around a little which was very refreshing to see!

Between exhaustion and needing a break, I managed to make myself leave the hospital and eat some dinner which included my medication - wine!