Seeing signs of improvement

Months start blurring into each other, it is now springtime with the warmer temperatures coming and the snow melting. Physiotherapy has been range of motion exercises and going on the tilt table but they are starting to lift me out of the bed into a lounge chair. I called it my blue Lazy-Boy chair. It was not an easy task as my body was hypersensitive so just moving from the bed to chair was an episode of tears due to the pain. Plus I was still trached and attached to the mechanical ventilation with an IV pole too. Once I was able to build up my tolerance in the chair, I had my first adventure - my nurses with my respiratory therapist rolled me out to the ICU patio for my first bit a fresh air since September. It was a sunny day, so that felt warm on my face but the cool spring air made it a short adventure.

As spring went into summer, the arm motion was getting stronger but still no hand movements. My strength was increasing as I was able to stay longer in the Lazy-Boy chair, I was able to enjoy some time on the patio for some fresh air and change of view too. The big sign of improvement was in the respiratory end. Somehow I had the strength to get enough air to pass my trachea that people were able to hear words coming through. It sure made conversations better and less confusing. 

In June and July they started weaning me off the mechanical ventilation by putting me on nasal prongs to give me oxygen. In the beginning it was tough as my O2 sats dropped so would need to go back on the ventilator ; plus I found my strength waned afterwards too. With the positive people around me, I tried to push myself to add one more half hour off the ventilator so that by end of July, I finally got to remove the ventilator machine from my room. The trach was the only thing left to remove.