John Hancock Update

Juan Ramos sends a message this morning:

John was transferred out of ICU at Kaiser Permanente on Morse Ave on Saturday, June 10th. He is on the 4th floor in the Surgical unit, Room 4012. Visiting hours are from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and strictly enforced. He had a majority of staples removed from his legs and drains removed from his hip surgery by two ortho residents yesterday. The dressings were also removed from his left forearm and right lower leg where he had skin grafts. He welcomed the taste of a "Baja Fresh" chicken burrito and a Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha (decaf) Frappacino even though he could only have a few big bites and big gulps. His stomach shrunk quite a bit and it will take time to stretch out. He did a lot of crying yesterday as we talked about the accident, his operations, his recovery process and the future as well as thanking a few close friends who came to visit for their overwhelming support. It was very touching to witness and a very important step in his recovery. Doctors are keeping a close watch over his abdominal sutures and making sure the dressing on that suture are changed twice a day. He will have at least two more spins on the dialysis machine to clean out wastes, even though his kidneys are really starting to kick in and his urine output is high. He is also in the beginning stages of learning to manage his pain and is taking Percocept (not sure of the spelling or pronunciation) orally when the pain is too much for him. He is also thinking about how to schedule his long days in his hospital bed and establish a routine. I am helping him on that one.

I plan on visiting John later today. John has embarked on what is probably the most wearying phase of his recovery, featuring, all at the same time, maximum pain, helplessness, and tedium, and he needs our support now more than ever.