I contact Dr. Ball (on-call pulmonologist with Weiner/Kariya group) in the morning to express concern about nutrition. My father hasn’t had food since Tuesday. Ruthie walks to the hospital with me. Dr. Ball does rounds later in the afternoon. He tried to pass the NG tube without success and comes out to talk with me. He urges me to “keep focused on whole picture – pneumonia getting better; no fever; ordering light nutrients to be given through the regular IV tonight; he may be extubated soon, – so the trend is positive.” Katrine and Ruthie are with me. Katrine asks Dr. Ball who I can count on to be my contact tomorrow. He says he will get back to me. I thank him but reiterate how aggravated I am about the nutrition. “Every little part of the picture adds to the overall outcome,” I told him, “and you never know if getting real food sooner rather than later won’t make the difference.” Dr. Ball responds, “I can’t disagree with you.”

We meet evening nurse Luciana and I leave after 9:00 pm closing time. I just miss Anita & Ken who call me from their car and tell me that my father looks comfortable with 40% oxygen. No nutrition yet delivered! I try to reassure myself that the ICU staff and the doctors must know what they are doing.