John and Lucinda Progress - DECEMBER Archive
Lucinda & John at his Surprise Birthday Party!
Dear Friends and Family of John & Lucinda,
Here is an archive of December with the most recent updates posted first.
Tonight's update is from Lucinda 12-31-02
Dear Friends and Family:
I cannot believe that today is the last day of this year. It is also eight
weeks ago today that we entered the emergency room at Beth Israel. Tull
had a couple of procedures today and did well. The entire ICU is
celebrating the miracles of John Tull's recovery.
Happy New Year to all of you. Thank you.
Love,
Lucinda
Update from Lucinda 12-30-02
Dear Friends and Family,
Despite a 102 degree fever this morning, JHT was more alert than any other
day to date. This evening he was moving his head from side to side, moving
his fingers a bit and generally following all movement with his eyes. It
becomes harder to leave him as he becomes more awake yet unable to
communicate. His lips move constantly and I am sure that it is frustrating
for him that we are not able to understand him.
This is a painful, yet exhilarating time. I thank each and every one of you
again as we approach the new year.
Love,
Lucinda
12-29-02 John is still running a fever (102). The Dr.'s expect the new antibiotics to take effect sometime in the next 36 hours. Despite the fever, John was quite alert today. During physical therapy, Lucinda noticed that John was moving his arms a little bit and sometimes resisting the therapy. He also moved his leg and his shoulder. John is now able to move his lips very slightly. Also, they are continuing to wean John off the respirator. Every day, they let him breath on his own for increasing intervals in order to build strength in his diaphragm.
That's all for now.
Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
12-28-02 Despite running a fever, John was quite alert today. He follows movement with his eyes and he is also moving his lips in response to questions from Lucinda. The Dr.'s will change John's antibiotics tommorrow to get the most recent infection under control. They have started physical therapy to help him regain lost strength. Right now it consists mostly of moving his arms and legs in a controlled manner. Lucinda is helping with the physical therapy.
That's all for now.
Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Update 12-27-02 from Lucinda
Dear Friends and Family,
Today was another good day. John was sleepy this morning, but wide awake
this afternoon and evening. It is so moving to look into his eyes and watch
him try so hard to communicate. Hopefully soon.
Love,
Lucinda
Update 12-26-02 from Lucinda
Dear Friends and Family:
I think that John Tull decided to take a vacation from recovery on the
holidays and came back to work today. He was quite alert and had no fever.
He responded to many questions and had those baby blues wide open.
The clouds lifted as did my spirits.
Love you all,
Lucinda
Christmas Night Message from Lucinda
Dear Friends and Family,
The last couple of days have been a bit more difficult than I expected.
Tull and I have always loved our holidays together and enjoyed gathering as
many friends and family members as possible. I really missed him.
Today was similar to yesterday. He was fighting a low-grade fever and that
simply takes a great deal of his energy.
Again, I am so grateful to know that you are all thinking of and praying for
us. It is a tremendous Christmas present to have John Tull alive and to
know that he will recover to enjoy many more holidays to come.
Thank you all and very best wishes on this Christmas night.
Love,
Lucinda
Tonight's message is from Lucinda - 12-24-02
Dear Friends and Family,
So I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself and then I read the message
from our old friend (who is 50 today) and she cracks me up and I remember
that Tull and I always make each other laugh.
He got great reports from all docs today, but the recovery continues to be
slower than most of us would like. I walked a few blocks tonight with the
head ICU doc and he told me that the reason they all keep going in ICU is
because they see miracles like John Tull's recovery. He told me that it
would be hard to imagine how deeply they have been effected by him.
Wow. Merry Christmas.
Love,
Lucinda
12-23-02 From Lucinda
Dear Friends and Family,
Today was another great day. JHT was more responsive than ever. He still has no fever and all vital signs are good. I enjoyed a green chile stew this evening made by a good friend from Santa Fe and also put up a bunch of red chile lights!! You are all invited to drop by and have a bit of chile.
Hard to believe that it is almost Christmas. Thank you all again for everything!
Love,
Lucinda
12-22-02 John and Lucinda had a great day today. John became alert without as much prompting this morning. He indicated (by closing and opening his eyes) that he knew the names of all of his children. He was also able to recognize a friend from Santa Fe who was visiting him. He followed Lucinda around the room with his eyes while she pointed to and described various pieces of equipment. Also, he reacted visibly firmly to a pin prick (to take blood) on his finger tip. All of John's vital signs are good and they continue to wean him from the ventilator. Lucinda also remarked that John's color was the best it has been since they came to the hospital. All in all, it was a very good day.
Tonight's update is from Lucinda - 12-21-02
Dear Friends and Family,
John's sleep cycle continues to be rather disrupted. The docs have decided
to slightly sedate him at night so that he is more alert during the day. He
has tended to wake up in the evenings. He is still doing quite well and
while the developments are slow, they are all in a positive direction.
I thank you all once again.
Love,
Lucinda
Tonight's update is from Lucinda - 12-20-02
Dear Friends and Family,
My eyes are filled with tears as I write this. Just came from Tull's room
where we experienced a very major event. I asked him to close his eyes
(which he did) and then asked him to close his eyes if he knew me (and he
did). I know that it seems like a small thing, but it was huge. All else
was good today as well.
Happy winter solstice.
Love,
Lucinda
12-19-02 John continues to come out of sedation very slowly. He was more alert today than he was yesterday and he can blink responses to simple requests. He also has moments of recognition where it is clear that he knows Lucinda's face and voice. The Dr.'s say that his slow waking is to be expected.
Physical therapists began working with John this week to bring strength back to his voluntary muscles. 6 weeks of being in bed have taken a toll on his strength. Also the Dr.'s are beginning to wean John off the respirator. He spent some time breathing on his own today (a very big step).
Take care. Keep John and Lucinda in your thoughts and prayers.
Tonight's Update is from Lucinda - 12-18-02
Dear Friends and Family:
JHT was slightly less alert today. He is now at the point where he will
greatly benefit from physical therapy. He is fighting like crazy and I keep
reminding him of all of you. Sorry there is no major news, but it may be
like this for a while. Great news for all of us is that he is alive and
will be kicking before long.
Love to all,
Lucinda
From Lucinda 12-17-02
Dear Friends and Family,
I can tell you that Mr. Tull's eyes open wider still. He stares at me (or
other people in his room) and seems to hear what we are saying. Then he
might look away with a very puzzled, even troubled look on his face. Good
news is that medically he is great. Few of us can imagine what six weeks of
drug induced coma would make us feel. I mention many of your names and he
sometimes seems to react.
I know that he will be so pleased to know that he is so well loved and I do
believe that he knows it now at some level. So I will once again ask that
you keep doing whatever you are all are doing. Thank you, thank you, thank
you.
Love,
Lucinda
12-16-02 John made significant progress today. For the first time in over a month, many of John's vital signs were within normal ranges. His heart rate and blood pressure were normal and he has been without a fever for 48 hours. John was more alert than he was yesterday. Lucinda said he looked at her with obvious recognition and he even tried to move his head. Although John is not yet fully conscious, a physical therapist will come in later in the week to begin therapy.
Lucinda and the Dr.'s are very excited by the progress that John made today.
Take care. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Tonight's update is from Lucinda - 12-15-02
Dear Friends and Family,
The last three days have been similar, although John has shown signs of
being a bit more alert each day. One of the ICU docs who has worked with
John from the day we arrived told me today that this can be a painfully slow
process, but that he is very encouraged by the progress that John has made.
I assure you all that his big blue eyes are as beautiful as ever.
Tomorrow there will be another procedure to try to determine the cause of
the continuing fever. That is the only major concern at the moment.
I want to let you all know that I appreciate all of the visits, cards,
e-mails, gifts, letters, prayers and phone calls. I am sorry that I have
not been able to write to each and every one of you. Hopefully, John and I
will be able to thank each of you in the near future. Please know that the
support you have given means more than I can say.
Love,
Lucinda
12-14-02 The Dr.'s continue to bring John up from his sedation slowly. Today he was the most alert he has been in more than a month. Lucinda said that he responded to the sound of her voice this afternoon by closing and opening his eyes at her request. Also, his respirations are becoming deeper. John still has a fever and a few medical issues that the Dr.'s believe will be resolved when he regains consciousness and begins to eat again. Overall, his Dr.'s are pleased. His primary Dr. told Lucinda today that he is"coming along nicely."
Take care. Keep John and Lucinda in your thoughts and prayers.
12-13-02 John's condition has not changed in the past 24 hours. The Dr.'s performed some minor proceedures today in an effort to pinpoint the source of the infection. Unfortunately,their tests did not reveal the source. The waking process continues. John's eyes were open once again and he responded to physical and some verbal stimuli. They are hopeful that he will be fully awake soon.
Tonight's message is from Lucinda 12-12-02
Dear Friends and Family:
I am beginning to understand and accept the roller-coaster ride which seems
to be a large part of critical care. Today Mr. Tull was more alert than
ever. When I entered his room his nurse was talking (loudly) to him and he
was blinking in response to some of her questions. She asked him if he knew
Lucinda and he ever so slightly nodded his head. One of his doctors said
that he cracked a smile at a joke and his sister Janie believes that he did
the same for her upon request.
Tomorrow he will undergo several small procedures in an effort to pinpoint
the mysterious infection which still causes some fever spikes. As of
tonight, he is doing extremely well on his long road to total recovery.
Thank you all and keep up the good work!
Much love,
Lucinda
12-11-02 John had a minor setback today. At some time during the day, his fever returned. This is not unexpected and the Dr.'s are confident that the fever is controllable. Also, the Dr.'s slowed down John's "waking up" process in order to perform some minor procedures. As a result, he was not as alert today. They expect to return to the schedule for bringing John out of sedation tomorrow.
Lucinda is doing well. She is bouyed by the fact that John is in better shape today than he has been since he checked into the hospital over a month ago.
Take care. Keep John and Lucinda in your thoughts and prayers.
Tonight's Message is from Lucinda - 12-10-02
Dear Friends and Family,
Today was the day that John Tull opened those baby blues and allowed Trey
Tull and I to talk his ears off. It was beyond exciting to look deeply into
those magnificent eyes and also difficult because we could see him try to
comprehend and struggle to communicate with us (and most of you can imagine
how frustrating it would be for John Tull to not be able to talk
temporarily.) All his vitals were the best they have been since the day we
checked into the hospital and the docs continue to believe that his kidney
function has been restored (which the head of ICU called "a miracle.") He
is currently off all sedatives, but that could change if he becomes agitated
during the wake-up process.
I am deeply moved by all of you, the prayers, the love and support and by
the strength and courage of Mr. Tull. I am very proud to be married to
this man and very blessed to have all of you.
Thank you.
Love,
Lucinda
12-09-02 Today, John underwent a series of tests in order to get a better
understanding of remaining medical problems. The Dr.'s found that John's
kidneys are functioning better than they expected. Also, the results of a
CT scan were normal. Although John has not regained consciousness, there
are more signs that he is not as sedated as he was 48 hours ago. Both and
Trey and Lucinda spent a good deal of time talking to him today and his face
occasionally registered small reactions.
That's all for now. As soon as we hear more, we will update you.
12-08-02 Although there are signs that the sedating medications are starting to wear off, John has not regained consciousness. The Dr.'s are still predicting that he will regain consciousness next week. The Dr.'s have said that the sound of Lucinda's voice will help bring him around. Lucinda has been talking to him throughout the day. She told him the names of everyone who has visited or written. She said he crinkled his nose and sometimes moved his face but did not open his eyes.
Take care. Keep them both in your thoughts and prayers.
12-07-02 As expected, John is returning to consciousness very slowly. Today there were more signs (in the form of response to certain stimuli) that John is coming out of sedation. He is still expected to regain consciousness early next week, if not sooner. Also today, John's temperature was close to normal.
Lucinda is doing well. She said tonight that she is being bouyed by the support of close friends and the e-mails and posts she receives.
Take care. Keep John and Lucinda in your thoughts and prayers.
12-06-02 The Dr.'s have discontinued all but one of John's sedating medications. The
Dr.'s are unsure of exactly when he will regain consciousness due to the
fact that the different medications are metabolized at different rates.
Also, they are still unsure of the level at which John's kidneys are
functioning. A nurse in the ICU unit indicated that there were signs today
that John may be coming around soon. The Dr.'s still expect John to wake up
early next week.
Take care. Keep John and Lucinda in your thoughts and prayers.
12-05-02 Although John is still in critical condition in the ICU, he continues to
improve. All of his numbers are up and his Dr.'s are very encouraged.
Today, John's primary Dr. said, "He doesn't just look good, he looks great!"
They are still concerned with an infection that produces fevers that spike
and then dissipate. On the whole, however, he condition is improving. They
are still working to bring him back to consciousness. If things continue to
proceed as planned, John will regain consciousness early next week.
Lucinda sounded good and is enduring a monster snow storm in NYC.
Take care.
Here is Lucinda's message of 12-04-02.
Greetings to all-
I have taken it upon myself to do the update tonight. Today was the most
exciting and frightening day I have had through this entire experience.
John Tull is on the road to "wake up". I am so very anxious to see his eyes
open. I cannot thank you all enough for each and every message you have
sent. But I will now call upon you all for the support that we will both
need to get through the wake up process. Tull is very strong, but this is a
real test. I do believe that the love and support expressed on this
web-site will help him and I will ask you all to continue with whatever you
may be doing.......because it works and will continue to work.
Love and kisses to all of you.
Lucinda
12-03-02 John's condition has not changed in the last 24 hours. The Dr.'s remain hopeful and, barring further complications, they are still planning to bring him out of sedation later this week.
Take care.
Keep John and Lucinda in your thoughts and prayers.
12-02-02 As a result of John's improved condition over the last two days, the Dr.'s made the determination that John was strong enough to have a tracheostomy. The surgery was performed this evening and John did well. Prior to this procedure, John's oxygen support was administered through a tube in his mouth and throat. The Dr.'s see this as a very positive development. Hopefully this will allow the Dr.'s to begin to bring him out of his sedation soon.
Lucinda was at the hospital for the procedure and spoke with the Dr.'s afterwards. They all emphasized how well John did in the surgery.
Take care. Keep John and Lucinda in your thoughts and prayers.
12-01-02 John's Dr.'s continue to be encouraged. There are more signs that he is doing better. John's temperature has been normal for at least 48 hours and there are further signs that his kidney function may be improving.
Lucinda is encouraged as well. She says that as she looked at John tonight, he looked more like himself than at any time in the past two weeks.
Lucinda also wants everyone to know that she goes to the website several times each day to read the letters of support. They are a real morale booster. She sends her thanks to everyone who is helping out in every way, from letters of support to taking care of little and big things back home and in New York.
Take care and keep John and Lucinda in your thoughts and prayers.
12-01-02 John's primary care physician was more encouraged from today's physical exam than he has been in some time. There are signs of improvement in John's
kidney function as well as other areas. If John continues to stabilize, the Dr.'s are planning to bring him out of sedation sometime next week. Overall, the Dr.'s have indicated that they are pleased with John's improvement.
More tomorrow.
Keep them both in your thoughts and prayers.
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