Thanksgiving

Mark had a slight delay in his Thanksgiving dinner this year. We got to watch him eat a real meal today - the first in six months. A really sweet, patient aide helped him. She served potatoes and gravy, a soft meat dish with gravy, apple sauce, pudding, ice tea and milk. With the applesauce we heard a very audible "Hmmm good!" It was by necessity a slower pace, but he enjoyed it all. They are talking about sending him home in the coming week. We had a mini conference with a nurse Thur night, and she said the reason they were sending him home was that they considered him stable, and did not need their intensive care any longer. She said that he was in between, and not yet ready for a regular rehab program. The conversation we had this afternoon with another nurse gave us a different perspective. She said Mark definitely should be in an intensive rehab program . Family members have been requested to attend an instruction period Monday afternoon at 4:30 for procedures in home care. The doctor will also attend for a question and answer period. We plan to attend, and have several questions. Always hoping for the best.

Another Step

As we approach the middle of November, when all of are making plans for for Thanksgiving dinner, Mark's medical team is planning a swallowing test. While we anticipate turkey and dressing, they want to find out if there are any problems with Mark's ability to eat. They are moving ahead with plans to send him home in the near future. They will probably do this test within the week. His bedsore, for which he recently had surgery, is healing nicely and the doctor says it will close completely on it's own. Mark's wife Corale will be instructed for procedures in his home care. He will have several problems but can he handled in a home environment. The ability to ingest regular food will make possible the removal of the feeding tube. The healing of the bedsore will let them remove the VAC system. When he can get to the bath, they can remove the catheter. Physical therapists medical care professionals will visit regularly at home. He will be provided any special equipment, medical supplies at home. There are a lot of things to think of, and careful planning is now under way. I was with Mark recently, getting ready to go home for the night. He looked at me, said something I couldn't hear. I asked him to repeat it, which he did. I still couldn't hear, and leaned over very close to him. He said "I want to go home - soon". At this time of year, we must all be thankful for the simple things we take for granted.

Miss You.........

Fall

It's November already. The leaves are turning yellow and gold, grass is slowing down, hunters are going to the woods, and there is a smell of wood smoke in the air. Mark is starting his sixth month in the hospital. He is patiently enduring all the things necessary to finally go home. He had a successful surgery yesterday to close up his bedsore. They came after him about noon, got started about 1:00, and he was back in his room about 3:00 - no problems. The down side is that he must stay off his feet for 3-4 weeks. He's starting to get some simple food, like pudding, and they plan to do an MRI in the near future. They want to make sure there are no lingering side effects from his tracheotomy before progressing to something more solid. Shortly after returning to his room, still groggy but awake, we were more than happy to see Mark still has retained his sense of humor. He can still smile at a joke. I told Mark that I went to see his son Joseph play basketball this week. Joe did great, scoring his team's first 4 points. He's a starter on the 8th grade team. Tomorrow Mark will be able to watch his OSU Cowboys take on Texas - go Cowboys! The one constant that Mark has just now is Corale. She keeps him interested, talks to him, plays little games, encourages him, and is always there. We're getting there, and we all look forward to the day when he can go home.