Have you ever had one of those moments as you are waking up when you genuinely cannot determine what is real and what is a dream? Welcome to the last three days of Trent's life.
Each day since Saturday, the nurses have worked to get Trent completely off of the machine that has been helping him breathe since he got his new lungs. In order to do this, however, Coach Todd has to be completely awake and, obviously, aware of the fact that he has new lungs that will allow him to take a deep breath. Unfortunately, the last time Trent was awake (and for months before), he wasn't able to breathe deeply. And I wonder how many times over those months he dreamed that he had new lungs, only to wake up and be disappointed.
Because of this sleep/wake mix, every time the nurses try to wake him up completely and get him to breathe on his own, Coach Todd's semi-dream state makes it difficult for him to process the fact that the new lungs are real and he can breathe normally, and his anxiety over not being able to breathe makes his blood pressure go up. In spite of reassurances from Jill and the nurses, Trent hasn't been able to calm himself down, and they have had to let him go back to sleep again.
Jill is convinced that sooner rather than later, Trent will be just awake enough for it to click that he has new lungs and he can breathe again. And when that happens...well, I hope Jill gets a picture...or better yet, a video. Because chances are, he'll take two or three deep breaths, then introduce himself to his nurse and everyone else in the ICU, and Cleveland Clinic will finally get to meet the man we all know and love.
Overall, Trent is doing well, and the staff at Cleveland Clinic knows that eventually, the reality will set in, and he will finally get to appreciate his new lungs. Be praying that eventually comes quickly.
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