Healing

I did visit Julienne last night for a few hours and she was doing well. She is still very weak, but she is coming along. She has developed a cough, they say that is to be expected the more she uses her sperometer breathing apparatus. She does have a phone in her room, although she is not ready to talk on it, she whispers still and she tries to talk normal on the phone and that sends her into a coughing spell. Imagine coughing after you have just had a major surgery in your chest. It is very painfull for her. Julienne only went for the one walk yesterday, I read on her paper that it was a total of 60 ft. She still has her chest tubes in for drainage, pray they are able to take those out soon. The tubes rubbing on her skin is causing some chaffing and discomfort. Continue to pray that she will be able to be up and walking more the next couple days, this really will help strengthen her lungs. When I was there last night her dinner had come although she wasn't in the mood to eat, she did let me help her. She really is lacking strength right now. She is concerned about using her arms too much, they told her if she did she could open her scar ~ that would be enough to worry me as well. Julienne had been in a room by herself when they first moved her out of ICU, another patient needed isolation and they moved Julienne to a room across the hall with a roommate. I was surprised when Julienne said that I could take a picture of her in the hospital bed to post on my blog, but she did! She is looking very good - her color is so much better, it's amazing what having blood in your body can do for you. She wasn't happy with her hair, but I told her that it looked ok and I combed it down before taking the picture. She did tell me not to zoom in, so I didn't with my camera - I couldn't resist with photo editing! Part of me is glad I didn't take a picture in ICU, although it was a sight to be seen. They have all of her IV's out, she had 3 really large ones, one in each arm and one in her neck. Her neck was swollen where they took that IV out, although her arms looked well, if you overlook all the bruising. The ICU nurse told Peggy that many people do take pictures when they come out of surgery, so they can see what they look like, we didn't have the heart to take any. I am glad that I waited until she could smile! God has been so good and Julienne has been blessed with very good nurses and so many that have been praying for her. She still has a way to go, but knowing many are praying it is very comforting for her.