Monday October 13

I took a day and a half off to go up to Gorham for church--that's why you didn't hear anything yesterday, because we weren't here with Mom.

When we walked into her room this morning, Mom was awake and smiling at us. She looks great! She's alert, although her eyelids slide shut frequently for little "cat-naps." Her speech is getting a little more clear, too. We see baby steps, but definite improvement over Saturday.

This morning they are removing the tracheostomy tube and also the Foley tube that empties her bladder. So now the only things left are the feeding tube and the PEG-line, which is the semi-permanent IV-line. They want to see her eating more before they take out the feeding tube, through which they are feeding her during the night to ensure that she receives sufficient nutrition. The nurse today told her that although she is lying in bed doing practically nothing, due to the nature of her injury the effect on her body is as though she is running a marathon. So she needs to eat! They are considering removing the PEG-line, but were going to do a little more research to see if she will be needing blood draws in the near future; if so, they will leave it in so they will not have to keep poking Mom with a needle. So thoughtful and considerate!

Mom is getting the best of care here at DHMC. It's not surprising, since this hospital was rated among the top 50 out of a study of over 5,000 hospitals in America for the year 2008. I guess that would put it in the 99th percentile! New Hampshire may be a tiny state, but it certainly doesn't lag behind in excellence.

We still do not have any concrete news about where Mom will be going for rehab. Keep praying about that, please. I know God has it all arranged and just hasn't let us know yet, but He told us to ask, so we are. Thanks so much for standing with us.

Ali is returning to her beloved husband and children this afternoon. They are anxiously awaiting her arrival! She will be there for about three weeks, then they all will drive up to Gorham and live there for three months. Ali wants to get the house on School St. cleaned out and cleaned up more so it will be a healthy environment for my Mom to return to. We are becoming more and more confident that she will be going back there! God is so very good to us.