Day Nine - Friday December 23, 2011 a.m.

During the hours of 5-7 am and pm, we are asked to leave Bridgett's room for the shift change of the nurses.  It's hard to leave, but at the same time it is probably good to have the time to get some other things done.  I can't take my computer back to her room, so it is sometimes challenging to find time to blog (when I'm not so tired that I can't think straight!).  We are living in kind of a surreal world right now, brought back to the reality of things outside the hospital at times.  Life still goes on.  There is still payroll (thanks Kim for taking care of that for me today, right before Christmas), business issues that can't be taken care of my anyone else, etc.  I have lots of notes jotted down on a notepad in my purse.  Hopefully everything gets taken care of!!  For those of you who may wonder, how can you tell when a coma patient in no longer sedated--their pupils react differently, and they move more like they were.  It's hard to tell if you ask me! Bridgett is still very quiet and not moving much after her surgery yesterday.  The sedation was still affecting her late last night.  I'm not sure about the time from 12:00-5:00, as I was sleeping then, in order to be with her at 7:00 (when all the doctors are in).  They said some people are quiet for up to 24 hrs.  Also, they said it was a lot of trauma on her body, going through surgery.  However, it had to be done.  There is a window to repair the bone before it begins to heal wrong.  Also, she was probably weak as they stopped the feeding tube Wed. night in case she had early surgery Thursday.  Then no feeding tube all day as the surgery was in the afternoon.  Then no feeding tube after surgery, because of the possibility of nausea.  So, late last night they got her back on the feeding tube.  It was good to get the trach tube in so that the dentist can check out her teeth this morning at 8:00.  I will update you tonight on that.  BTW, I was thinking how important this blog is for everyone else to get information, but as the days run together I realize that it is a very good journal for us to have as well.  Some day Bridgett will read it and be amazed!