Don got to sit in a rolling chair today! The ICU nurse Bonnie, with help from 2 others, slid him from his bed to this special chair that flattens out like a gurney. Then it converts to a sitting-up position. With a bottle of oxygen, a portable monitor for his heart (etc.) and another rolling rack for his IVs (pushed by me), Bonnie rolled him down the hall of ICU, out into the hospital’s open hallways with several glass walls giving views of cactus gardens in interior courtyards. We saw Father Joe on his way out, but when he saw Don he took the time to come over to shake his hand and give us both a blessing.
I took a picture of Don sitting up, but Bonnie said the hospital doesn’t allow photography of patients. It’s an issue of privacy, so I won’t post it here.
Don was in the chair for about an hour, and he got tired but was thrilled to have a chance to see some different scenery. I was glad he didn’t get dizzy like he did the first time he was stood up by the PT and OT people.
Bonnie thinks Don will be in ICU for another day or two before transferring to the rehab unit. But she said he’s getting well enough not to be in ICU. So we’ll have to be patient to see what happens during the next few days, but I feel sure he will make more strides toward health.
