Pop continues to improve today. His heart rate and blood pressure are pretty good and his blood oxygen saturation is doing so well that the doctors will start lower the pressure settings on his ventilator again. The dialysis machine was in the doorway of his room this afternoon and they were getting ready for another treatment to clean his blood and remove some excess fluids. Mom reported that Sounder was also improving today. Remember, like owner, like pet.

I got some excitement in the ICU today when I first got in to see Pop. Mom was there and Pop had a sheet pulled over him and tucked in on all sides with a warm air blower blowing air under it. I felt his foot and it was very warm, and I know his body tends to “run hot” at the cottage as he frequently goes around with shorts and no shirt on. When I got next to his side I started talking to him like I usually do, and then his eyes popped open. Not the kind of open like you’re squinting or staring out in space, but he had his eyes pretty wide open and he was focusing on me and trying to follow me when I moved with his eyes. Mom was surprised and watched as I told Pop where he was, what had happened to him, about the graduation and anniversary weekend, and doing water testing in Parry Sound. During this time he kept his eyes open, moving them and blinking occasionally, and he seemed to understand and respond to what I was saying.

The real excitement came when I explained the “tent” over him and asked him if he was too warm. I told him to blink his eyes once if he was too warm and wanted me to have the nurse turn down the heater. I was in complete disbelief when he immediately blinked both eyes closed once and then back open again. Mom saw all this and got excited too. To make sure it wasn’t a fluke, I told him I wanted to confirm that he understood me and again I repeated the question, asking him to blink once and only once if he was too hot. He then deliberately blinked his eyes once again. Mom and I were about ready to dance around the room at that point, as this was the first time in a month that we have had two-way communications with him. I am confident that this wasn’t a fluke and will ask him to blink twice for something when I see him again later today. Go Pop Go!