May 11, 2007

Hello to everyone.

First I want to thank you all for you well wishes, cards and notes. I have brought them all to her and will continue to do so.

And now for an update on her health.

She was moved to a "vent" floor on Wednesday. For those of you who don't know what that is (as I didn't) it is a floor at the hospital where they do almost nothing but wean patients off of ventilators. She has been on a respirator for so long now that her lungs need to recondition. She is much more comfortable and out of the ICU. She also seems relieved that the worst seems to be over. They have removed the chest tube from the incisions where they repaired the hernia and all of her feeding is happening through the GI tube. Additionally, she is off of all the antibiotics and isn't battling any infections. This is a blessing since two weeks ago they were still trying to get the combination right to battle her pneumonia. She is alert and actually wanted to watch TV yesterday. Yesterday they wanted to try her for a little while breathing without respirator assistance. The goal was 30 minutes. She went for an hour. The swallowing is something they will be watching more closely. She also began bedside PT and OT. She is EXTREMELY weak. For those of you who saw her at Village Nursing Home you know what it was like there as she tried to regain use of her limbs. It is really worse now. Her recovery will be long and painful. She is thinking about when she will want to see people again and that should be soon. Thank you all for your patience as she declined and is rebounding.

Hopefully I will only have good news to share going forward.

Tracy