And a One and a Two

As Kayla would say, "Good Job, Grandma!" I visited with Mom today and the physical therapist came and Mom did some leg lifts. She is supposed to do them a few times a day so if you stop by for a visit, she can show you her workout. She really can lift both of her legs great with a little assistance, though not too much bending of that left leg, yet.

She is somewhat on solid foods, but still not eating much. I tried to bring her some food from the outside, but she wasn't very interested. Dad is going to try again tonight during his visit. Hopefully, she will come to her senses and realize it is better then the mushed peas and potatoes they are serving her.

Thanks so much to everyone that has brought a little festiveness to her room. She has a great view outside and now some nice Christmas things to enjoy inside.

Safe travels to everyone this holiday season. We are thinking of you and how kind you have been to be thinking and praying for us.

Allison

Recovering, talking, and hungry...

I left Ed and Anita this afternoon after a pleasant visit in her newest room with the best view yet, #543. Anita made it through the procedure this morning where dead tissue and other grime was removed from her left elbow. While it remains an open wound, a machine is currently draining it appropriately. Anita is becoming more talkative and, since she missed some food earlier, even hungry.
Dave Vandermeer came by to see Anita and brought a CD of the music from last Sunday's worship service for her to enjoy.

~Jonathan

Excited about a new view

Family & Friends, today was the day we heard that consensus was reached, Anita is out of ICU. She is ready to have a window, and get to a cooler room. She is up in the Penthouse, 8th floor, room 867. She's not ready for a phone quite yet. Tomorrow she is goes on regular food, off the liquid from a tube diet. Today Anita did not eat much, probably because she was receiving 57 cc's of liquid every hour all night. ( the nurse unhooked her at 8:30 tonight) Tomorrow they are going to scan her gall bladder, it's looking a little bloated, decisions will have to be made after the exam. Then Anita will be able to eat her applesauce and purred (sp) breakfast for the speech therapist. Friday they will work on her open laceration, remove dead flesh ,clean it up and pull it together, with a down the road possibilty of a skin graf. Anita didn't look too excited when she heard this was on the schedule. Consider she has never heard she was going to be operated on, prior to today. (Comas help reduce anxiety ) Gary Charles, our Sr. pastor, was in today when the good news came down. He talked with Anita , it was a good visit. Anita has good feelings about her stay in ICU, but I have a feeling she is not aware of how much her body has been through and how much more is to come. Today we moved two inches forward and now she is on a new plateau. Stand by , more progress reports coming your way. Take care, & keep the faith. ed

Movin' on Up

Mom will be released from ICU this afternoon and moved to another room! My fingers are crossed for a room with a view. We are excited, yet anxious at what the transition will bring. More details to come.

"you're leaving, when can I leave?

Dear Family & Friends,
The rule of thumb is becoming everyday is new with surprises. Today the speech therapist fed Anita applesauce and thick apple juice. She is excited about that! Conversation is still not always consistent, but she was out of it for two weeks, drugs do take time to wear off and Anita is still trying to figure out how many days she has lost. Tonight she did tell the nurse that she was in a car accident two weeks ago.
She loves to move that right leg and she is moving the right arm, splint on the wrist n all. The only less than exciting news today was that the neurologist wants to keep the neck collar on until some more swelling goes down. ( one week) They have stopped the I V process. While she is still not fully aware, Anita did say today, " when can I leave, I want to stand up and the biggy, can you take me to a nice little restaurant to eat"! ( with the emphasis on eat) The speech therapist has promised her grits and scrabbled eggs tomorrow morning. I was there when she told Anita.
There were rumors of leaving ICU in a few days, but I couldn't confirm
that all the big decision makers in Anita's medical life were in on that. We can hope for a groundswell.
On the sweet side, Anita has quickly learned to pucker her lips and make a kissing sound when she hears and sees it from a visitor close to her. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her. Stay tuned for more progress. ed

Seeing Anita from the inside

Dear Relatives and Friends,
Today was a day to see AND talk with Anita during my morning and early afternoon visits. Also, got to talk with her hip doctor who showed me many xrays of Anita's joints and in some cases a half dozen screws holding her hip bones in place until they can heal and grow together. I saw the laceration just above her left elbow and it was not a pretty sight. Because it is not healing very quickly and is too close to the shoulder, the doctor prefers to wait on surgery, maybe even a month or two. The laceration is so severe it will likely require a skin graft. As far as the hip is concerned, Anita will only be lying flat or sitting in a wheelchair for the next two to three months until it is healed enough to have weight put on it. She did start speech therapy today with the first step to see how quickly she can start taking food orally and take out the food tube. Unfortunately, Anita did not pass her first swallowing test and will need some more effort tomorrow or the next day. I didn't ask how often she will be coming.
All today's news seems to be on the blunt side, but it's better to deal with truths then shallow hopes. Hooray, we didn't have to wear gowns or rubber gloves! Anita is still wiggly
on the right side wanting to get rid of the foam wedge between her legs. Tonight, they gave her some pain medicine and she was back in la la land. Not a very exciting visit for Allison, but the on duty nurse took time to explain some of the ways she helps to make Anita comfortable, good to hear. Take care, ed

P.S. Allison here. I appreciate my dad sharing his thoughts on the day. Try to keep up! He is all over the place. ;^) Seeing my mom doing better is always exciting, even in small steps. She appeared to be sleeping very deeply and soundly. Sweet dreams, Mom. Though Mom was asleep during our visit this evening, it was nice to visit with Kate this evening after we left Mom. It was good to share a laugh and a prayer. Laughs and prayers are appreciated so much by all!

The voice is gaining volume and clarity

(Ed Here) Dear Friends,
Today was a good day when Anita's eyes were wide open and she made some serious effort to talk with us and respond to our questions or comments. She is anxious to move her legs (particularly her right one) and clearly wants to get rid of the foam wedge that keeps her legs separated. Also, she wants a drink of water, but not yet. (still has the liquid feeding tube in her nostril) Likes to have her teeth brushed so she can get a bit of liquid before the nurse vacuums out the water and paste. She got her hair washed today by putting on a shower cap type thing that you massage externally, then you take it off and dry her hair. Wa la !!
As you might guess Anita got a little too active this morning, so they gave her a little sedative to calm her down. Our next visit was rather quiet with us doing most of the talking. The nurses continue to talk with her and she is good about doing what they ask - wiggle your toes! Tomorrow they are going to do an MRI on her neck area to make sure it's alright to take off her stability collar that she is still wearing. Also, some rehab therapy people are coming in to work with her legs particularly. I am doing OK now and working on the fine art of drinking H 2 O more frequently during the day.
Hope you had a great weekend; mine went from worse to good and Anita went from good to better. All in favor of more, say I!
Ed