Day 34 and 35, 11 a.m. medical update

Wednesday's update didn't make it to press as planned... apologies and here it is! ~
Sage had a bit of day today, one of those proverbial 'bumps in the road' that one hears about as being part of the landscape and path in the ICU.
Tuesday was a big day in many ways for Sage, ending in a meal by mouth! She had pureed chicken, applesauce, some yogurt and some nectar consistency (a bit thicker) cranberry juice. Puree has never looked so good, and Sage had a huge smile on her face.
The rest of Tuesday evening developed into discomfort, unfortunately. Sage was not able to get settled and her breathing was not where it needed to be in terms of her respiratory rate, so a chest xray was taken late last night. The result was unchanged from previous ones, which is good.
Sage's white blood count this morning, Wednesday, was elevated (18,000) and a CT scan was ordered, as Sage was feeling pain in her abdomen, localized more on her right size, around the area of the appendix. The results of the CT scan showed nothing overly irregular, apart from a somewhat distended bladder. Sage's attending doctor, Dr. DeLong, came in the afternoon and talked to Sage about the CT scan, the ventilator settings and how things are going. The conversation greatly helped to relieve some of Sage's anxieties about being in the ICU and what exactly has been going on in regards to her health, and more importantly to her, what has to happen to get out!
Dr. DeLong told Sage that the main thing right now is for her to come down on the amount of pressure support she is receiving from the ventilator -which, relatively speaking, is somewhat nominal. He said that in a way she was learning how to breathe again, to take deep breaths, to monitor her breathing and to realize that when she is short of breath that she needs to relax, breathe more deeply and be the one (rather than the machine) to push the air into her lungs. Sage followed the whole conversation and the numbers very keenly.
Dr. DeLong also spoke about sepsis and what it does to one's blood vessels and body and how it is treated. He said to her that she had been very sick and that she might be in the ICU another week or so, maybe ten days depending on her dependence on the ventilator. She would then go to the 'ward' before being discharged and that rehabilitation after her hospital stay at DHMC might not be that long. Sage was glad to hear all of this and subsequently had a very calm rest of the evening - she slept well throughout the night with reduced pressure support and is now (Thursday) ready to move!
Today is another sunny and hot day here in New Hampshire. Sage is moving to the green chair, as she likes to be out of bed. She received a wonderful care package from her Baltimore family, with some great movies that she is ready to watch, along with some very juicy couture.......... It produced a huge smile and it's all getting very juicy up here. There is a report that along with Uncle Tim, Aunt Kira and cousin Lucy arriving tonight, there might be a late night appearance of Vigo..... (aka Strider in 'Lord of the Rings). Stay tuned!
Sage's white blood count is down to 14,900 which is a good thing, a number that is going in the right direction. She is not on any antibiotics right now, as it can be unwise to treat without knowing the source. The NG feeds, which were stopped yesterday, will slowly be resumed today.
It is greatly hoped, especially by Sage, that the 'shiley' will be downsized today. The rule of thumb from a surgical point of view, apparently, is to wait two weeks from the procedure, before changing the size. Sage is pretty uncomfortable with the 'number 8'. Good jou-jou is being sent out so that the right thing will continue to be done for Sage in this regard, and so that the ongoing discomfort she feels might be able to be reduced in some small way.
Sage might take a walk today out of her room, with her physical and respiratory therapists and of course the ventilator. Not only eight steps across the room but maybe 80 steps out of the unit! so stay posted.
Thank you for continuing to walk the ongoing steps with Sage on this path of recovery and healing. The thoughts, prayers, love and blessings of so many in this circle, along with all the medical miracle makers who care for Sage both night and day, are so very much appreciated.
Blessings and peace upon your day.