Sunday, 6/13/21 Update

I have been pinning each of our tumultuous days with the label “good” or “bad” but I don’t think those words have enough room for what we are experiencing. Each hour is a different moment, “good” or “bad”, and still we have hints of light or dark in each. As Kevin’s condition constantly varies, we are learning to lean into each other when we need to and celebrate what we can.

In the last 24 hours, Kevin began experiencing a condition called “ICU Delirium” and what appears to be pneumonia from being on a ventilator for so long.  

Two out of three ICU patients and seven out of ten patients on breathing machines experience it. With Kevin being both in the ICU and on a breathing machine these statistics stand by the doctor’s description of this condition being “normal” but it certainly doesn’t feel normal to any of us. We are working together to try to keep him calm by letting him know we are nearby and prepared to do anything to help. Hopefully, this will pass in the next few days.

The pneumonia is being managed with antibiotics and a respiratory treatment. We are hoping these treatments will help clear his lungs. His fever is still challenging us; he is often kept under a cooling blanket to try to help break it.  

Our goal is to get Kevin stable and out of his ICU delirium so he can stay on track for admittance to Craig Hospital. We are so hopeful that the team of specialists there will be able to do amazing work with him.

All of our love and then some,

Katie and the Cavanaughs