Forty Eight Days.....And Here To Give Thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Wishing nothing but Joy and Good Digestion to one and all!!!!

Well, nothing but good news here from Rochester. After 48 days on the eighth floor here at Strong Memorial......first in the ICU, then in the PCU (progressive care unit), then back to the ICU, and then finally again to the PCU......Sonja was released last night down to a regular room on the fifth floor, general population, to complete her rehab. Yippee, I say, Yippee!!

She gets stronger every day. The current hurdles are these. She has contracted a bladder infection of some kind, probably due to having a Foley Catheter in her bladder for this entire seven weeks, and that has to be dealt with (it's a matter of pinning down the specific bacteria/infection involved, and then using the right kind of antibiotic in balance with her recovering liver and kidneys. And while we're on the subject, allow me to suggest the next time you hear someone ask their doctor for antibiotics because they think they have the flu, a cold, etc., that you take up a large piece of wood and smack them up the side of the head with it. I've seen these drugs save Sonja's life two or three times, and they need to be used at the right time in the right way or they become useless. Useless. Trust me, that's not what you want).

We also need to control her heart rate better; she's still in a. fib., and spiking with her increased levels of activity. Both the atrial fibrillation and her "tachy" heart rate can be controlled with medication.....it's about balancing the right meds once she is stronger, her legs are doing their own work, and we can get a truer picture of her overall heart function.

And most importantly, she needs to continue getting stronger. She's made remarkable progress over the past few days. She stood for the first time just this Monday, and now is up and already walking with assistance (soon she'll have her walker in a white knuckle grip, stalking the lonely halls like some sleek beast of prey, hunting that Patient Care Technician who wakes her each night to check her vitals. That's right, it's time for a little pin-prickin' payback!!!). The goals are the obvious ones; getting her legs and arms strong enough again so that she can comfortably care for herself and get around on her own.

And then with a little bit of luck, in the next week or two we'll finally hear the two sweetest words in the English language....."Your discharged!". What comes after that depends on how quickly she gets her strength back. It may mean a brief stay in a transitional rehab facility back in Ithaca, or maybe straight home with me and rehab continued on an outpatient basis. We'll just have to wait and see.

Whichever way it goes is fine with me right now. Today we're going to have a little turkey here in room 5.1623, watch the parade, and celebrate the day for what it represents more than it ever has to us.........giving thanks.

-- Paul