The Fonz Is In

I apologize for not getting this posted yesterday. I swore I wouldn't miss a day, but by the time I got home last night I was too exhausted to get it done. I'll not do that again. : )

Yesterday Mark had his best day yet. When I arrived at the hospital around 12:30, I went straight in to see him. He responded to my voice and holding his hand by opening his eyes. I was elated to be able to talk to him. I told him about the girls, the puppies, and general things that were happening. I gave him a rest between 1:30 and 2:00 by going out into the waiting room to eat. When I got back to his room with Camille and her parents, Dr. Cook came in to check his eye. His report is that there is some movement, so not all the nerves have been damaged and he is hopeful that the eye will be saved. Cautiously optimistic. Dr. Cook and Dantzel, the nurse, were standing on his left side, and I was standing on his right. After Dr. Cook checked his eye, Dantzel rubbed Mark's chest and asked him to give us a "thumbs up". HE DID IT! Not a wimpy little flicker of a thumbs up.....a full on, purposeful, hand in the air, fist gripped, thumbs up! I nearly passed out from excitement. Dantzel was worried she was going to have another patient on her hands. I think I was hyperventilating. I was so excited that I got in his face and told him how much I loved him and how excited I was that he had done this. He lifted his face up towards mine as if to give me a kiss. TWICE! So I let him have them. The only thing I didn't get from my Fonz, was an "ehhhhhhh". That will come later.

Jamie, the neurosurgeon's PA, came up a little later. She had heard the good news and was going to tell the neurosurgeon. Because Mark had been doing so well the last few days with his ICP, Dr. Gaufin decided it was time to take out the drain that releases the pressure from his brain. I watched her do this and my thought was that it was in there about 2 inches. It just kept coming and coming and coming. I think it was in there about 8 inches. Amazing. Amazing. And then she got out her staple gun and promptly shot him, twice. He didn't even flinch. Hard-headed Davis boy.

Dr. Gaufin said he wants to hold off on the tracheostomy until early next week, and we may not even need to do it. Mark's respirator is set so that he does all of the breathing himself during the day and they give his muscles a rest during the night. If he continues to do well with these CPAP tests, they may remove the respirator on Monday. And if that happens.....we'll be moving out of
ICU!!!!

I KNOW your prayers and fasting are working! Dr. Gaufin is so amazed with Mark's progress. He almost can't believe it himself. Mark is a fighter and a stubborn one, to boot. With his iron will and your prayers, he has HIGH chances of making a great recovery. We love all of you and are so grateful for your love and support. I truly could not be doing this without it. Keep them coming so Mark can keep improving.