I start this day at 06:30 reading the monitors and listening to the nurses reporting numbers. They quietly talk about her high b/p and low lab values. I call her name and kiss her forehead while I wet her lips. The sedation continues to keep her away from me and she has lost her smile. The only noise is this constant hacking cough as if the tube is irritating her throat. The PCP comes in to say that she has a very high viral titer and new antibiotics are started. Today the doctors agree that the diagnosis is “Flash Pulmonary Edema.”
Better Butterflies ! Seven Sights and Sounds 