A good sunday morning

Hello again,
Nan says, get me out of here!! Find a wheelchair and lets hit the road, I want to fly home with you. Those are fighting words, just what we have been waiting to hear.

When I called in this morning at 5:30 I got only good news. Blood was holding at around 30, blood loss through the colostomy was less than 1/3 of the amount lost yesterday during the same time period, fever had dropped to 98., white count was not rising, creatins were low due to the dialysis, Nan had slept most of the night, heart was still doing its strange beats but blood pressure is holding well.

When I got here Nan was more alert. Since I have been here we have read cards together and she holds them and looks at them, we got a sweet letter from a long time friend, Laurie Dunston which touched us both deeply. She asked for me to bring the pictures of Keanna over for a closer look and she repeatedly mentioned getting on a plane to head home. She does not want to hear that it is going to be awhile for her recovery to complete, she wants to go now. After we talked for a bit two doctors from Plastic Surgery came in and told me they had already been her to clip away bad skin around her incision and to repack it. So they proceeded to open up the gauze and take another look and then repacked it. In a few days they are going to use a vaccum sponge, a new creation which will help the healing process. It is cut in the exact shape of the open incision and then placed in the wound. After that vaccum is applied and it is supposed to do wonders.

Nan's primary challenge at this time is the GI bleed. While the output is much less than yesterday there is still blood coming from somewhere which needs to heal up. The GI people are willing to wait a bit to see if the body (and the Lord) can heal itself and avoid further invasive procedures like another scope attempt or if that was unsuccessful another surgery. No one wants to consider doing surgery when Nan has been through so much already.

It is not overstating to say that Nan is much more alert and healthier today. She slept well last night, has been in the chair for 45 minutes, took steps each way to and from the bed and when she returned to bed Amy rewarded her with a shampoo right here in the bed. Nan loved it. Amy was very creative but managed to do an excellent job of washing, conditioning and blow drying her hair and then styling it. Nan loved it as you can imagine. Then she rewarded herself with a nap. It was well deserved. She talked to Roxanna on the phone this morning and looks great. We are thankful that a nice day is lining up after the difficult day yesterday. So far so good. It is overcast outside and rainy but it is warm and cozy inside. Nan keeps wanting me to sit on the bed beside here and thinks there is enough room in the bed for both of us. She is feeling better!

I've had my oatmeal and juice and now need to remember to drink water, water, water. I have my medications all figured out with the local pharmacy now and am getting set. Nan and I are both moving toward a nap but right now she is sitting up pretty straight in the bed with two pillows and drooling over Harrison Ford in some movie. She might not agree with the comment.
Her skin is beautiful and they have raised the level of red cells in her body to a level that gives her much more energy and mental alertness.

The prayers you have been sending heavenward are working. At this point the bleeding is much less but Nan still needs more help until it stops completely. We appreciate the prayers that were said last evening, please keep them going.

With love and appreciation

tim and nan