We got a dose of reality tonight and it isn't pleasant. We spoke to the surgeon for the first time since Friday and, it turns out, his previous position of "no news is good news" isn't entirely accurate. After having what seemed to be a very good day, the medical staff asked us not to rouse my dad because all the excitement earlier had spiked some of his vitals. On top of that, he's getting harder, in general, to wake up. The doctor explained that the clot in my dad's brain is "very large" and that the swelling is not going down, as expected. The pressure within his brain continues to build. Also, his fever spiked today to 103.6, which has raised concerns, again, about pneumonia. They put him back on the cooling blanket, fans and gave him Tylenol to get it under control. His left foot now has a boot on it, to hold it straight as it has turned in on it's own. His CSF fluid is no longer as clear as it was. Bad news, on all fronts.
They've also said that any potential recovery would be very long-term, the feeding tube in his nose and the breathing tube in his mouth should both be replaced with longer-term options. So, it looks like he'll be getting a feeding tube in his stomach and a tracheostomy for his respirator. The surgeon also says that we need to be making a plan for long-term care because his progress is not sufficient to have him recover at the hospital.
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