DAY 15 – 6 November:

Michelle: Today we received the first big setback. Conor had been on the ventilator for almost a week. The reason they wanted to wean him off as soon as possible was because being hooked up to the breathing machine for extended periods of time carried its own set of risks. Risk became reality for Conor has he had developed hospital acquired pneumonia from being on the ventilator for so long. This put his whole body under even more strain than it already was. Due to the cardiogenic shock, Conor’s liver and kidneys were already compromised. Treatment was started for the pneumonia and we hoped against hope that it would work swiftly.

Michael: When I get nervous I cover that by trying to be funny, hiding my fear behind humour. I ask a million questions and try to sneak in some silly comment somewhere. The doctors and nurses must be getting annoyed. But we each deal with things our own way.

What is interesting is that we never question the future, always glass half full. We never mention the “what if” scenario. We live in the moment, the now, everything else is just too much to take in.

He is still on a ventilator, aiding his breathing. The key word is “aiding”, not replacing. Around 30% if I remember correctly, so he’s breathing 70% on his own. As I mentioned, you cling to the positives.