Update #28 - Wakey, Wakey

Trent was stable and sleeping when Dave and I left Cleveland around 3:30 this afternoon. Jill found out not too long afterward that the doctors are planning to wake him up this evening to see how his blood pressure and oxygen levels hold out. Knowing Trent, "Coach Todd" will kick into gear as soon as he opens his eyes, and he'll be trying to get out of bed and do push-ups. If that happens and his vitals change too much, the doctors will give him meds to help him go back to sleep. If he is stable, he and Jill will get to spend some time together in the "quiet" of the ICU this evening, probably tuned into more jazz music on channel 96-35 on the hospital TV.

According to the doctors and nurses, with the machines that are currently helping Trent, he should be fine to wait for word on his lungs for weeks, at least. Of course, we all know it will happen sooner rather than later if any of us have anything to say about it. And in case you were worried, Jill has already told Trent that even though seven is his favorite number, we refuse to sit through four more false alarms before he gets his lungs. Sorry, Coach Todd, three is your lucky number this week.

Just one more piece of information that may help to clarify the transplant process. When a donor is found, the hospital where the donor is located does initial bloodtyping and crossmatching, which is when we get word that we have lungs. During the four, six, eight hour waiting period after that news, the staff from Cleveland Clinic actually flies to the donor hospital and performs their own tests on the lungs to determine if they are actually viable. These past two times, the tests have revealed some pretty serious issues with the donor lungs, and, in the words of Sophia, "Ew, Dad doesn't want those lungs anyway." Once they find a healthy pair, however, transport back to Cleveland and starting surgery will happen very quickly.

Jill, Trent's sister Jessica, and his niece Erica are all relaxing in the ICU waiting room tonight. Some friends from WellSpring are on their way up to now replace Dave and me as the bouncers who force Jill to eat and sleep and as the informers for these updates. As always, keep this page on automatic refresh - you'll get word as soon as we do.

Even asleep, Trent is still pushing. You keep praying!