ICU
Dad was up sitting in a chair in his ICU room this morning. The main concern for the time is preventing pneumonia, the most likely severe complication. He is getting regular food (maybe that is overstating hospital food), although his appetite is not good. He is starting on a nutritional drink today (even worse than hospital food). As his appetite gets better, we will bring in food.
Mom and I looked at his chest X-Rays with the ICU nurse this morning. You can see the increased congestion in his lungs today as opposed to when he arrived at the hospital on Wednesday. It is good his lungs are as clear as they are, but he still may not avoid going on a ventilator for a few days. We also learned that there are more fractures than we initially thought. He has fractures in his shoulder in addition to his collarbone.
By looking at the X-Rays, I would guess the tractor knocked him down. The rear wheel went up his right side breaking ribs laterally. The wheel continued over his shoulder breaking his collarbone and shoulder, then over the side of his head fracturing his skull, and damaging his ear. There is a bruise on his forehead matching the tread of the tractror tire. Mom seems sure the tractor went over him and this seems the most likely scenario based on his injuries.
Last night when I was in the room with him, he was concerned about this year’s hay crop and who could take care of farming operations for him short term. Once you are a farmer or rancher you are always a farmer or rancher. I remember an interview with an older farmer a few years ago. He was asked what he would do if he won a $1,000,000 in the lottery. His answer “Well, I guess I could afford to keep farming.”
Mom and I looked at his chest X-Rays with the ICU nurse this morning. You can see the increased congestion in his lungs today as opposed to when he arrived at the hospital on Wednesday. It is good his lungs are as clear as they are, but he still may not avoid going on a ventilator for a few days. We also learned that there are more fractures than we initially thought. He has fractures in his shoulder in addition to his collarbone.
By looking at the X-Rays, I would guess the tractor knocked him down. The rear wheel went up his right side breaking ribs laterally. The wheel continued over his shoulder breaking his collarbone and shoulder, then over the side of his head fracturing his skull, and damaging his ear. There is a bruise on his forehead matching the tread of the tractror tire. Mom seems sure the tractor went over him and this seems the most likely scenario based on his injuries.
Last night when I was in the room with him, he was concerned about this year’s hay crop and who could take care of farming operations for him short term. Once you are a farmer or rancher you are always a farmer or rancher. I remember an interview with an older farmer a few years ago. He was asked what he would do if he won a $1,000,000 in the lottery. His answer “Well, I guess I could afford to keep farming.”
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