a bit calmer, but the wait is overwhelming

Mark just got back from the procedure that inserts the filter into his large vein to prevent further clots from getting to his upper body. They have stopped the phenobarbital around 8am which is the drip that put him in the coma to stop the myoclopic? bursts that were happening every few seconds yesterday. Since they stopped the drip he hasn't shown signs of any seizures. He still has a bit of a fever and is getting antibiotics to help fight any infection. They have been reducing the medicine that was bringing up his blood pressure and he has received the blood transfusion that was helping to up his platelet counts. He is still getting the medium dose of the blood thinner to help prevent the clot in the lungs from getting bigger. In a normal situation, they would give him a much higher dose to break up the clot and get rid of it, but because of his recent surgery, there is a huge risk of brain bleeding that can occur if he gets too high a dose. Doctors in UCLA and OC are consulting on best treatments. It is too risky to transport him to UCLA, so we'll be continuing to treat him here at Western Medical. Now we are waiting to see if he shows any signs of movement. Unfortunately, it can take 24-72 hours for the phenobarbital to get out of the system that would allow us to see movement. The waiting is incredibly stressful to see how his brain functions will be after this ordeal. Keep the prayers going!