Still making progress

Mark arrived at St John Hospital July 2nd. At that time he would occasionally open his eyes, very little movement. This past week, he is more alert than ever - on Sat night, he was awake all the time we were there. His vitals continue to be good, and reports are that his very difficult bed sore is healing nicely, responding to very aggressive treatment. This past week, he has started to try to speak. He still has his trache in place, which prohibits him from vocalizing. They are now starting to plan the steps that will enable them to remove it. They can keep it in place, but cap it off to make sure breathing is good. If that works, they can then remove it. They will also test him to make sure his swallowing mechanism is functioning properly. He has not done that for months, while using the feeding tube. Just being able to communicate will make things so much better for everyone. Mark's three children have been there often this week, and are ready to start school. Corale has been very busy trying to get everything ready for school starting this week. While checking his vitals Saturday evening, one of the nurses said "Mark, you need to get well, and start eating real food, so we can have a party". He responded with a big smile. July has come and gone, and we're into old hot August. We're optimistic that Mark will make as much progress this month as last month. Thanks to so many people for their continuing love and support.