"I'm Not Dead Yet..."
"...Well, I got better..." Forgive the dark humor/movie quoting over here because I believe that's what Micah would do, probably with gusto!
We took a step in the right direction today, Micah officially started dialysis! In the simplest terms, this is the moment we’ve been pushing toward, the chance to finally clear out the toxins that have been weighing his body down. His liver can’t filter on its own anymore, so dialysis is stepping in to do the work. If it takes, it should help his kidneys, reduce swelling, stabilize his blood levels, and hopefully lift the fog of encephalopathy that’s kept him from waking up.
He’s off sedation now, and the team is keeping a close eye on his vital signs as the machine runs. So far, he’s tolerating it as well as we could’ve hoped. And today gave us a few much-needed signs of life.
Micah has been noticeably more responsive. When his aunt came in, he turned his head and eyes toward her, slowly, but clearly on purpose. He’s opened his eyes here and there, not fully awake, but enough to let us know something is still trying to push through.
We genuinely believe he’s in there. So we talk to him like he can hear every word. His favorite music is playing on the speaker beside him. Even if his body can’t fully react yet, we’re giving him every familiar voice and sound possible.
He’s now back on his original ICU floor, and at this point, most of the staff knows our family by first name. They’ve seen us show up day after day and stand by him through every turn.
As for the bigger picture:
We’re realistic. We know how serious this moment is. But we’re also hopeful, because hope is what carries you through when nothing else makes sense.
We’re celebrating getting him onto dialysis, but we’re also staying grounded, steady, and focused on the next step.
For now, we watch. We wait.
We see what this treatment can do for him.
So far, so good.
"I'm not dead yet..."- Mighty Python & The Holy Grail
-Hannah
