6.24.10 Still in the ICU

Hello everyone! Nicholas and I are creating this post together! Nicholas regained his good appetite as soon as he was cleared for a normal diet. He is still experiencing quite a lot of pain, so the pain meds are being administered liberally (but closely monitored). The doctors had expected that he'd be able to get out of the ICU and walk around the hospital with support (like holding onto a wheelchair) by yesterday, but the pain from the chest tubes was too overwhelming. Hopefully the tubes will come out and he can accomplish this by tomorrow. The chest tubes drain the excess fluid from around the heart so it is important the tubes aren't removed too soon. Ah, well, looks like I am on my own writing the blog, Nicholas is fast asleep. The pain medications are keeping Nicho more comfortable, but, of course, he loses some of the sprightly personality. Aside from the pain issue, which should be temporary, his recovery is going well.