John had a pretty good day and at about 5:30 pm the recommendation was for a tracheostomy for tomorrow as long as the platelet count is safe enough for surgery. This will give John more time to continue on the ventilator while he tries to continue the progress he has made beginning late last week.
This evening John is having some trouble with rapid breathing; he is trying to breathe faster than the ventilator. This is probably because his pneumonia limits the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide his lungs are able to exchange making him breathe faster and more shallowly which still doesn't accomplish the goal of exchanging gases well. The doctors and nurses are working with a variety of meds and vent settings to help John synchronize better with the ventilator. (I know I have mentioned this before but it bears repeating that the doctors and nurses here at Jefferson are fantastic.) I don't know what effect, if any, this problem will have on whether there will still be a recommendation for a tracheostomy tomorrow.
Please continue your prayers for John to continue to respond to all of the medical care and concern from friends, family, colleagues, and students. I relay your comments and emails to him whenever you send them.
John, We continue to follow Lynn's posts, and are pulling for you. I need your sense of humor to be back in my life, so just keep listening, fighting and getting better. You know that you are at the top of our prayers everytime. We love you John...
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